Patent Document ID: 8718991
Application ID: 12992817
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A method of predicting when a grease in a grease-lubricated rolling element bearing will reach an unacceptable condition, the method comprising the steps of: running the grease-lubricated bearing; measuring a parameter, the parameter being one of directly and indirectly indicative of a degree of breakdown of a lubricant film thickness provided by a layer of oil separating the rolling contacts, where measurement values are recorded at specific intervals over a predefined measurement period, so as to obtain a time series of parameter values; analyzing the time series and constructing a dynamic model that predicts the evolution of parameter values; extrapolating the time series, based on the dynamic model, to predict future values of the time series; and determining a time at which a value of the extrapolated time series will exceed a predefined limit, whereby said predefined limit is representative of the unacceptable grease condition.