IP Library Granted Patent US 12674713
Granted Patent B2
US 12674713 · App. 18/282,389 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Load estimating device for rolling bearing, control device for mechanical device provided with rolling bearing, load estimating method, and program

Inventor: Kinji Yukawa (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: NSK LTD.
G01L5/0009F03D7/0224F03D7/0244F03D80/70F05B2240/50F05B2260/70F05B2260/90
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12674713
App. No.
18/282,389
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

This load estimating device for a rolling bearing comprises: a vibration sensor for measuring vibrations of the rolling bearing during rotation; a rotational speed sensor for measuring the rotational speed of the rolling bearing during rotation; a deriving means for deriving a vibration value for a predetermined vibration frequency, using vibration information measured by the vibration sensor; and an estimating means for estimating a load acting on the rolling bearing, said load corresponding to the rotational speed measured by the rotational speed sensor and the vibration value derived by the deriving means, using a table defining a correspondence relationship between the load acting on the rolling bearing, the vibration value for the predetermined vibration frequency, and the rotational speed.

Claims (71)

1 . A load estimating device for a rolling bearing, comprising:

a vibration sensor configured to measure vibration of the rolling bearing during rotation;

a rotational speed sensor configured to measure a rotational speed of the rolling bearing during rotation;

a derivation portion configured to derive a vibration value of a predetermined vibration frequency using vibration information measured by the vibration sensor;

an estimation portion configured to estimate a load applied to the rolling bearing, the load corresponding to the rotational speed measured by the rotational speed sensor and the vibration value derived by the derivation portion, using a table in which a correspondence relationship among the load applied to the rolling bearing, the vibration value of the predetermined vibration frequency, and the rotational speed is defined;

a determination portion configured to determine a vibration frequency of interest from a theoretical frequency of the rolling bearing and a high-order vibration frequency thereof based on the rotational speed measured by the rotational speed sensor; and

a controller configured to control at least one of torque around a shaft supported by the rolling bearing and rotation of the rolling bearing in accordance with the load estimated by the estimation portion, wherein

the derivation portion is configured to derive a vibration value of the vibration frequency determined by the determination portion.

2 . The load estimating device according to claim 1 , wherein

the table is defined such that the load applied to the rolling bearing increases as the vibration value of the predetermined vibration frequency increases.

3 . The load estimating device according to claim 1 , wherein

as the predetermined vibration frequency, one or more of a theoretical frequency of the rolling bearing and a high-order vibration frequency thereof are used.

4 . The load estimating device according to claim 3 , wherein

the theoretical frequency is based on Zfc, Zfi, or 2fb.

5 . The load estimating device according to claim 1 , wherein

the vibration value of the predetermined vibration frequency is an acceleration, a speed, or a displacement.

6 . The load estimating device according to claim 1 , wherein

the rolling bearing is a rolling bearing configured to support a main shaft of a wind turbine generator.

7 . A control device for a mechanical device including a rolling bearing, the control device comprising:

the load estimating device according to claim 1 .

8 . The control device according to claim 7 , wherein

the control device is configured to control a rotational frequency or a rotational speed of the rolling bearing.

9 . The control device according to claim 7 , wherein

the mechanical device is a wind turbine generator,

the controller is further configured to perform at least one of pitch control, power generation amount control, and brake control of a blade included in the wind turbine generator in accordance with the load estimated by the estimation portion, and

the controller is configured to

in the pitch control, based on a difference between a threshold and the estimated load, reduce a pitch angle when the difference is positive and increase the pitch angle when the difference is negative, and

in the brake control, based on a difference between a threshold and the estimated load, operate a brake mechanism to reduce a rotational speed of a rotary shaft when the difference is positive, and is configured not to operate the brake mechanism when the difference is negative.

10 . The control device according to claim 7 , further comprising:

a storage portion configured to store information on a control history by the controller, wherein

the controller is configured to set the torque around the shaft supported by the rolling bearing and a control amount of the rotation of the rolling bearing based on the control history.

11 . A load estimating device for a rolling bearing, comprising:

a vibration sensor configured to measure vibration of the rolling bearing during rotation;

a rotational speed sensor configured to measure a rotational speed of the rolling bearing during rotation;

a derivation portion configured to derive a vibration value of a predetermined vibration frequency using vibration information measured by the vibration sensor;

an estimation portion configured to estimate a load applied to the rolling bearing, the load corresponding to the vibration value of the predetermined vibration frequency derived by the derivation portion and the rotational speed measured by the rotational speed sensor, using a learned model obtained by performing learning processing using data including a pair of the load applied to the rolling bearing as well as the vibration value of the predetermined vibration frequency and the rotational speed of the rolling bearing as learning data and using the load applied to the rolling bearing as output data;

a determination portion configured to determine a vibration frequency of interest from a theoretical frequency of the rolling bearing and a high-order vibration frequency thereof based on the rotational speed measured by the rotational speed sensor; and

a control portion configured to control at least one of torque around a shaft supported by the rolling bearing and rotation of the rolling bearing in accordance with the load estimated by the estimation portion, wherein

the derivation portion is configured to derive a vibration value of the vibration frequency determined by the determination portion.

12 . A load estimating method for a rolling bearing, comprising:

a first measurement step of measuring vibration of the rolling bearing during rotation;

a second measurement step of measuring a rotational speed of the rolling bearing during rotation;

a derivation step of deriving a vibration value of a predetermined vibration frequency using vibration information measured in the first measurement step;

an estimation step of estimating a load applied to the rolling bearing, the load corresponding to the rotational speed measured in the second measurement step and the vibration value derived in the derivation step, using a table in which a correspondence relationship among the load applied to the rolling bearing, the vibration value of the predetermined vibration frequency, and the rotational speed is defined;

a determination step of determining a vibration frequency of interest from a theoretical frequency of the rolling bearing and a high-order vibration frequency thereof based on the rotational speed measured in the second measurement step; and

a control step of controlling at least one of torque around a shaft supported by the rolling bearing and rotation of the rolling bearing in accordance with the load estimated by the estimation step, wherein

in the derivation step, a vibration value of the vibration frequency determined in the determination step is derived.

13 . A load estimating method for a rolling bearing, comprising:

a first measurement step of measuring vibration of the rolling bearing during rotation;

a second measurement step of measuring a rotational speed of the rolling bearing during rotation;

a derivation step of deriving a vibration value of a predetermined vibration frequency using vibration information measured in the first measurement step; and

an estimation step of estimating a load applied to the rolling bearing, the load corresponding to the vibration value of the predetermined vibration frequency derived in the derivation step and the rotational speed measured in the second measurement step, using a learned model obtained by performing learning processing using data including a pair of the load applied to the rolling bearing as well as the vibration value of the predetermined vibration frequency and the rotational speed of the rolling bearing as learning data and using the load applied to the rolling bearing as output data;

a determination step of determining a vibration frequency of interest from a theoretical frequency of the rolling bearing and a high-order vibration frequency thereof based on the rotational speed measured in the second measurement step; and

a control step of controlling at least one of torque around a shaft supported by the rolling bearing and rotation of the rolling bearing in accordance with the load estimated by the estimation step, wherein

in the derivation step, a vibration value of the vibration frequency determined in the determination step is derived.

14 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program configured to cause a computer to function as:

a first acquisition portion configured to acquire vibration information of a rolling bearing during rotation;

a second acquisition portion configured to acquire a rotational speed of the rolling bearing during rotation;

a derivation portion configured to derive a vibration value of a predetermined vibration frequency using the vibration information; and

an estimation portion configured to estimate a load applied to the rolling bearing, the load corresponding to the rotational speed acquired by the second acquisition portion and the vibration value derived by the derivation portion, using a table in which a correspondence relationship among the load applied to the rolling bearing, the vibration value of the predetermined vibration frequency, and the rotational speed is defined;

a determination portion configured to determine a vibration frequency of interest from a theoretical frequency of the rolling bearing and a high-order vibration frequency thereof based on the rotational speed measured by the rotational speed sensor; and

a control portion configured to control at least one of torque around a shaft supported by the rolling bearing and rotation of the rolling bearing in accordance with the load estimated by the estimation portion, wherein

the derivation portion is configured to derive a vibration value of the vibration frequency determined by the determination portion.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program configured to cause a computer to function as:

a first acquisition portion configured to acquire vibration information of a rolling bearing during rotation;

a second acquisition portion configured to acquire information on a rotational speed of the rolling bearing during rotation;

a derivation portion configured to derive a vibration value of a predetermined vibration frequency using the vibration information; and

an estimation portion configured to estimate a load applied to the rolling bearing, the load corresponding to the vibration value of the predetermined vibration frequency derived by the derivation portion and the rotational speed acquired by the second acquisition portion, using a learned model obtained by performing learning processing using data including a pair of the load applied to the rolling bearing as well as the vibration value of the predetermined vibration frequency and the rotational speed of the rolling bearing as learning data and using the load applied to the rolling bearing as output data;

a determination portion configured to determine a vibration frequency of interest from a theoretical frequency of the rolling bearing and a high-order vibration frequency thereof based on the rotational speed measured by the rotational speed sensor; and

a control portion configured to control at least one of torque around a shaft supported by the rolling bearing and rotation of the rolling bearing in accordance with the load estimated by the estimation portion, wherein

the derivation portion is configured to derive a vibration value of the vibration frequency determined by the determination portion.