Neutralization of charged lubricant

Abstract

An arrangement with a first electrode (101), a second electrode (103), at least one measuring device (107) and at least one voltage source (109). The voltage source (109) is designed to apply a first electric voltage to the first electrode (101) and the measuring device (107) is designed to measure a second electric voltage at the second electrode (103). At least part of the first electrode (101) and at least part of the second electrode (103) are immersed in a flowing liquid.

Claims

1. An arrangement comprising: a first electrode; a second electrode; at least one measuring device; at least one voltage source; the voltage source being designed to apply a first electric voltage to the first electrode; the measuring device being designed to measure a second electric voltage at the second electrode; at least part of the first electrode and at least part of the second electrode being immersed in a flow of liquid; and at least one component which causes the liquid to be electrically charged, the at least one component being a bearing.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the component is immersed in the liquid.

3. The arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the part of the component immersed in the liquid is positioned in the flow of the liquid between the first electrode and the second electrode.

4. The arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising at least one control circuit with the first voltage as a controlled variable, the second voltage as a regulating variable, zero as a guide parameter and the flow of the liquid as a control path, and the flow of the liquid flows from the first electrode in a direction toward the second electrode.

5. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the flow of the liquid flows from the second electrode in a direction toward the first electrode, and the first voltage is controlled as a function of the second voltage.

6. The arrangement according to claim 5, wherein at least a part of the at least one component is immersed in the liquid and is positioned upstream of the second electrode.

7. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least one of: at least a part of the first electrode is immersed in the flow of liquid and has at least one spike; and at least a part of the second electrode is immersed in the flow of liquid and has at least one spike.

8. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode has at least one wire consisting of an electrically conducting material.

9. The arrangement according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is a brush, and the brush has the wire as a bristle.

10. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least one roiling element of the bearing rolls on at least one bearing surface; at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode has at least one wire consisting of an electrically conducting material, and the wire charges at least a portion of the liquid with an electric charge; and the wire is arranged such that at least part of a portion of liquid that is electrically charged passes through between the rolling element and the bearing surface.

11. An arrangement for neutralizing an electrical charge of liquid in a liquid flow, the arrangement comprising: a first electrode; a second electrode; at least one measuring device; at least one voltage source; the first electrode being electrically connected to the voltage source, and the voltage source applying a first electric voltage to the first electrode; the second electrode being electrically connected to the measuring device, and the measuring device measuring a second electric voltage at the second electrode; at least part of the first electrode being immersed in the liquid flow to transfer an electric charge from the first electrode to the liquid in the liquid flow, the, transferred electric charge corresponding to the first electric voltage, and at least part of the second electrode being immersed in the liquid flow such that an electric charge of the liquid in the liquid flow is applied to the second electrode, the second electric voltage corresponding to the applied electric charge; and the first electric voltage applied by the voltage source to the first electrode being variable based on the second electric voltage at the second electrode measured by the measuring device such that the electrical charge of the liquid in the liquid flow through the arrangement is neutralized.

12. The arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the first electrode comprises at least one electrically conductive wire having a point and the second electrode comprises an electrically conductive mesh.

13. The arrangement according to claim 12, wherein a component is immersed in the liquid flow and facilitates further electrical charging of the liquid, and, with respect to the liquid flow, the first electrode is located upstream of the second electrode and the component is located between the first electrode and the second electrode, and the electrical charge applied to the second electrode comprises a combination of the electrical charge transferred to the liquid by the first electrode and the further electrical charging of the liquid facilitated by the component.

14. The arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the component is a bearing which comprises an inner ring and a rolling element, and the bearing is immersed in the liquid flow such that at least a portion of the liquid flow flows between the inner ring and the rolling element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Preferred example embodiments of the invention are illustrated hi the figures, in which matching indexes denote similar or functionally equivalent features. In detail, the figures show:

(2) FIG. 1: Means for charge neutralization, in a first arrangement;

(3) FIG. 2: Means for charge neutralization, in a second arrangement;

(4) FIG. 3: The second arrangement with a roller bearing;

(5) FIG. 4: Charge separation in a roller bearing; and

(6) FIG. 5: The roller bearing with an electrode.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(7) FIG. 1 shows a first electrode 101 and a second electrode 103. The first electrode 101 has a plurality of spikes. The second electrode 103 is in the form of a grid structure.

(8) The two electrodes 101, 103 are arranged in a lubricant flow 105 in such manner that between the electrodes 101, 103 and the lubricant, a charge transfer can take place.

(9) The first electrode 101 is electrically connected to a charge amplifier 107. This makes it possible to measure the charge of the liquid flowing past the second electrode 103.

(10) Depending on the charge measured, the first electrode 101 has a voltage applied to it. For that purpose the first electrode 101 is electrically connected to a voltage generator 109.

(11) Both the charge amplifier 107 and the voltage generator 109 are grounded.

(12) In FIG. 1 the first electrode 101 is positioned downstream and the second electrode 103 upstream. An inverse arrangement is shown in FIG. 2, in which the first electrode 101 is arranged upstream and the second electrode 103 downstream. In the arrangement according to FIG. 2 as well, the first electrode 101 is connected to the voltage generator 109 and the second electrode 103 to the charge amplifier 107.

(13) A possible application scenario is illustrated in FIG. 3. Here, besides the first electrode 101 and the second electrode 103, a roller bearing 301 is also in the lubricant flow. The roller bearing 301 is positioned between the first electrode 101 and the second electrode 103. When the lubricant flow 105 becomes electrically charged by the roller bearing 301, a charge transfer takes place at the second electrode 103, which can be measured in the form of a voltage.

(14) In order to counteract the charging of the lubricant flow 105, a counter-voltage is applied to the first electrode 101. The lubricant flow that is oppositely charged by the first electrode 101 flows from the first electrode 101 to the roller bearing 301. There is still a charge separation taking place, but this now brings about a neutralization of the electric charge of the lubricant flow 105.

(15) The charge separation effect in the roller bearing 301 is shown more clearly in FIG. 4. This shows an inner ring 401 and a rolling element 403 of the bearing 301. When the rolling element 403 rolls over a bearing surface 405 of the inner ring 401, some of the lubricant flow 105, which is initially neutrally charged, makes its way between the rolling element 403 and the inner ring 401. During this a charge separation takes place.

(16) FIG. 5 additionally shows a wire 501 of the first electrode 101. Before the lubricant flow 105 makes its way between the rolling element 403 and the inner ring 401, it flows past the wire 501.

(17) If now a voltage is applied to the wire, the lubricant flow is charged. This counteracts the charging due to the charge separation, i.e. the charge from the wire 201 and the charge due to charge separation have opposite signs.

INDEXES

(18) 101 First electrode 103 Second electrode 105 Lubricant flow 107 Charge amplifier 109 Voltage generator 301 Roller bearing 401 Inner ring 403 Rolling element 405 Bearing surface