Patent ID: 7559240

Claim:
A method for assessing the remaining service life of a rolling bearing, characterized in comprising: baseline data acquisition means for obtaining vibration signals by using an accelerometer ( 4 ) and using a testing device to acquire signals in a frequency band that includes resonance frequency band signals detectable at the highest sensitivity, for each specification such as model number, manufacturer name, and other specifications for a rolling bearing ( 3 ) as pertains to the relationship between the state of wear particle penetration in the rolling bearing ( 3 ) and the vibration/bearing service life, and to lubricant degradation and vibration/bearing service life; measurement means whereby an accelerometer ( 4 ) is used to obtain vibration signals for the rolling bearing ( 3 ) whose remaining service life is being assessed and which resides on a fan, a pump, or another rotating device ( 1 , 2 ), for the purpose of measuring signals in a frequency band that includes resonance frequency band signals detectable at the highest sensitivity; and determination means for estimating the state of wear particle penetration and the state of lubricant degradation of said diagnostic rolling bearing ( 3 ), and computing the remaining service life of said diagnostic rolling bearing ( 3 ) by using measurement values obtained by said measurement means, determination results relating to said bearing specifications, and data obtained by said baseline data acquisition means; wherein said determination means makes a determination regarding the model number, manufacturer name, and other bearing specifications for said diagnostic rolling bearing ( 3 ) after dividing the vibration waveform at 1 kHz to 6 kHz into ½-octave frequency bands to obtain a plurality of bands for said diagnostic rolling bearing ( 3 ), performing envelope processing for the waveforms of each frequency band, and computing a frequency spectrum.