Bearings

The bearings of the crankshaft and the connecting rod are normally designed as sleeve bearings and have a long service life. Nevertheless, damage can occur, which results in high costs. The big-end and small-end bearings are moving components and can be monitored directly with wireless technology. Feature The bearings of the crankshaft and the connecting rod are normally designed as sleeve bearings and have a long service life. Nevertheless, damage can occur, which results in high costs. The big-end and small-end bearings are moving components and can be monitored directly with wireless technology. Due to the low operating speed of most piston compressors, temperature monitoring of the bearings is not always distinct. The friction heat, generated by a damaged bearing, is often insufficient to produce a significant rise in temperature. In contrast, vibration allows many cases of sleeve bearing damages to be recognized. Unlike temperature instrumentation, vibration monitoring can be installed even if no borehole at the bearing cap is designed by the manufacturer for the sensor.