Mechanical system equipped with active microcapsules for condition monitoring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9410580-B2
Application number	US-201514703005-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 4, 2015
Priority date	May 6, 2014
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

A mechanical system comprising at least one moving component and a lubricant. The mechanical system also comprises a plurality of at least one type of microcapsule consisting of a shell, which, under the effect of a variation of a given characteristic physical parameter of the mechanical system, is capable of releasing particles. The dispersion of the particles is identifiable by a system located external to the mechanical system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mechanical system comprising:
at least one moving component,
a lubricant, and
microcapsules, the microcapsules each consisting of particles encased within a shell which, under the effect of a variation of a given characteristic physical parameter of the mechanical system, is capable of releasing the particles, the dispersion of which is identifiable by a monitoring system located external to the mechanical system,
wherein the mechanical system comprises a plurality of microcapsule types, each type of microcapsule being sensitive to the variation of a different physical parameter that is specific to the mechanical system, thus enabling the release of particles for the variations of different parameters.

2. The mechanical system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one moving component comprises:
a bearing having a first ring, a second ring, said first ring and said second ring being rotatably mobile relative to each other;
at least one row of rolling elements, and
a bearing chamber defined between the two rings and configured to have the lubricant disposed therein.

3. The mechanical system according to claim 1 , wherein the microcapsules are mixed with the lubricant of the mechanical system.

4. The mechanical system according to claim 1 , wherein the microcapsules are deposited as a layer on a surface of at least a part of an internal component of the mechanical system.

5. The mechanical system according to claim 1 , further comprising a type of microcapsule that is sensitive to the variation of a single physical parameter of the mechanical system,
while the microcapsules of which are each sensitive to a different threshold value of said single physical parameter,
thus enabling the particles to be released at different threshold values of the single physical parameter of the mechanical system.

6. The mechanical system according to claim 1 , wherein the shells of the microcapsules are sensitive to at least one of different parameters and different threshold values.

7. The mechanical system according to claim 6 , wherein each microcapsule includes particles of different types.

8. The mechanical system according to claim 1 , wherein the particles of the microcapsules are electrically charged.

9. The mechanical system according to claim 1 , wherein the particles of the microcapsules are chemical reagents capable of reacting with one of the components of the mechanical system.

10. The mechanical system according to claim 1 , wherein the particles of the microcapsules are coloring agents.

Assignees

• Berens Frank
• Varnoux Laurent
• Verbe Olivier
• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Berens Frank
• Varnoux Laurent
• Verbe Olivier

Classifications

• F01M9/02

  having means for introducing additives to lubricant · CPC title

• F16C33/109

  Lubricant compositions or properties, e.g. viscosity · CPC title

• F16C19/52

  with devices affected by abnormal or undesired conditions · CPC title

• F16C33/6688 Primary

  Lubricant compositions or properties, e.g. viscosity · CPC title

• F16C33/6696

  with solids as lubricant, e.g. dry coatings, powder · CPC title