Bearing monitoring device of railcar

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10889309-B2
Application number	US-201716080074-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 17, 2017
Priority date	Feb 25, 2016
Publication date	Jan 12, 2021
Grant date	Jan 12, 2021

Abstract

Provided is a bearing monitoring device of a railcar, the bearing monitoring device being configured to monitor a bearing of a bogie supporting a carbody, the bearing monitoring device including: a receiving unit configured to receive a data piece of a temperature of the bearing and at least one of a data piece of a load of the bearing and a data piece of a rotating speed of the bearing; and a diagnostic unit configured to, when a monitoring value exceeds a variable threshold, determine that an abnormality of the bearing has occurred, the monitoring value being at least one of a temperature value and a temperature increase rate, the at least one of the temperature value and the temperature increase rate being obtained from the data piece of the temperature of the bearing received by the receiving unit, wherein when at least one of a value of the data piece of the load and a value of the data piece of the rotating speed decreases, the diagnostic unit lowers the variable threshold.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A bearing monitoring device of a railcar, the bearing monitoring device being configured to monitor a bearing of at least one bogie supporting at least one carbody,
the bearing monitoring device comprising:
a receiving unit configured to receive a data piece of a temperature of the bearing and a data piece of a load of the bearing; and
a diagnostic unit configured to, when a monitoring value exceeds a variable threshold, determine that an abnormality of the bearing has occurred, the monitoring value being at least one of a temperature value and a temperature increase rate, the at least one of the temperature value and the temperature increase rate being obtained from the data piece of the temperature of the bearing received by the receiving unit, wherein
when a value of the data piece of the load decreases, the diagnostic unit lowers the variable threshold.

2. The bearing monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the variable threshold includes a first variable threshold and a second variable threshold; and
when at least one of a first condition in which the temperature value has exceeded the first variable threshold and a second condition in which the temperature increase rate has exceeded the second variable threshold is satisfied, the diagnostic unit determines that the abnormality of the bearing has occurred.

3. The bearing monitoring device according to claim 2 , wherein:
when the monitoring value has exceeded a fixed threshold, the diagnostic unit determines that the abnormality of the bearing has occurred;
when the monitoring value has exceeded the variable threshold, the diagnostic unit determines that a slight abnormality has occurred; and
when the monitoring value has exceeded the fixed threshold, the diagnostic unit determines that a serious abnormality has occurred.

4. The bearing monitoring device according to claim 3 , wherein:
the receiving unit receives a data piece of an ambient temperature; and
the diagnostic unit calculates as the temperature value a value obtained by subtracting the ambient temperature from the temperature of the bearing.

5. The bearing monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein:
when the monitoring value has exceeded a fixed threshold, the diagnostic unit determines that the abnormality of the bearing has occurred;
when the monitoring value has exceeded the variable threshold, the diagnostic unit determines that a slight abnormality has occurred; and
when the monitoring value has exceeded the fixed threshold, the diagnostic unit determines that a serious abnormality has occurred.

6. The bearing monitoring device according to claim 2 , wherein:
the receiving unit receives a data piece of an ambient temperature; and
the diagnostic unit calculates as the temperature value a value obtained by subtracting the ambient temperature from the temperature of the bearing.

7. The bearing monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the receiving unit receives a data piece of an ambient temperature; and
the diagnostic unit calculates as the temperature value a value obtained by subtracting the ambient temperature from the temperature of the bearing.

8. The bearing monitoring device according to claim 5 , wherein:
the receiving unit receives a data piece of an ambient temperature; and
the diagnostic unit calculates as the temperature value a value obtained by subtracting the ambient temperature from the temperature of the bearing.

9. The bearing monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the bogie supports the carbody through an air spring,
the receiving portion receives a data piece of an internal pressure value of the air spring, and
the diagnostic portion calculates a load applied to the bearing by using the internal pressure value of the air spring.

10. The bearing monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one bogie includes a first bogie and a second bogie,
the at least one carbody includes a first carbody and a second carbody,
the railcar comprises a first car on which a data processing device including the receiving portion and the diagnostic portion is mounted, and a second car on which a data processing device including the receiving portion and the diagnostic portion is not mounted,
the first car includes a first air spring interposed between the first bogie and the first carbody,
the second car includes a second air spring interposed between the second bogie and the second carbody,
an internal pressure value of the first air spring is used as an internal pressure value of the second air spring.

Assignees

• Kawasaki Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Nishimura Takehiro
• Sato Yoshi
• Kamura Keiichiro
• Mitsue Masayuki

Classifications

• G01N25/20

  by investigating the development of heat, i.e. calorimetry, e.g. by measuring specific heat, by measuring thermal conductivity (calorimeters per se G01K) · CPC title

• G01K13/08

  in rotary movement · CPC title

• F16C17/24

  with devices affected by abnormal or undesired positions, e.g. for preventing overheating, for safety · CPC title

• F16C19/525

  related to temperature and heat, e.g. insulation · CPC title

• F16C19/52

  with devices affected by abnormal or undesired conditions · CPC title