US 12,222,002 B1
Systems and methods for bearing lubrication
Hasanur Jamal Molla, Dhahran (SA); and Hadi A. Al-Qahtani, Dhahran (SA)
Assigned to Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Aug. 9, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/446,574.
Int. Cl. F16C 33/10 (2006.01); F16N 1/00 (2006.01); F16N 13/20 (2006.01)
CPC F16C 33/1045 (2013.01) [F16N 1/00 (2013.01); F16N 13/20 (2013.01); F16N 2210/14 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for bearing lubrication, comprising:
a bearing;
a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature within the bearing;
a pressure sensor configured to sense a fluid pressure within the bearing;
a lubricant reservoir comprising a lubricant;
a bearing lubrication line fluidly connected downstream from the lubricant reservoir and upstream from the bearing, the bearing lubrication line comprising a pump configured to supply the lubricant from the lubricant reservoir to the bearing along the bearing lubrication line;
a lubricant drainage line fluidly connected downstream from the bearing and upstream from the lubricant reservoir, the lubricant drainage line configured to supply the lubricant from the bearing back to the lubricant reservoir along the lubricant drainage line;
an exhaust fan fluidly connected to the lubricant reservoir, the exhaust fan configured to remove gaseous fluid from the lubricant reservoir; and
a bearing lubrication controller communicatively coupled to the temperature sensor, the pressure sensor, the pump, and the exhaust fan, wherein the bearing lubrication controller is programmed to execute bearing temperature control logic comprising
detecting the temperature from the temperature sensor,
receiving the temperature from the temperature sensor,
determining whether the temperature falls outside an upper pre-defined bound of the temperature,
increasing the rate of the lubricant supplied from the pump to the bearing upon determining the temperature falls outside the upper pre-defined bound of the temperature,
detecting the fluid pressure from the pressure sensor after increasing the rate of lubricant,
receiving the fluid pressure from the pressure sensor,
determining whether the fluid pressure falls outside an upper pre-defined bound of the fluid pressure within the bearing, and
increasing the speed of the exhaust fan to increase a pressure differential along the lubricant drainage line from the bearing to the lubricant reservoir upon determining the fluid pressure falls outside the upper pre-defined bound of the fluid pressure within the bearing.