Schaller Automation, the market-leading supplier of oil mist detection systems on large diesel, gas and dual-fuel engines, has extended the features of the BEAROMOS online sliding bearing monitoring system to cover all crankshaft related bearings.

For 50 years Schaller has been developing and producing oil mist detection systems for large diesel, gas and dual-fuel engines in ships and power plants. At the same time, the company is also developing monitoring systems for early detection of developing damage to prevent oil mist from forming in the first place.

Condition-based monitoring as tool for preventive and predictive maintenance of large engines alongside with the proceeding digitalization path their way into operation routines. Hazardous operating conditions and damage initiation can be detected online and trigger maintenance actions. The early detection and differentiation of damage initiation enable the user to plan service actions, increase maintenance intervals and reduce costs.

Sliding bearings play a vital role in the operation of large engines. Conventional monitoring approaches such as bearing temperature measurement show significant drawbacks with respect to mounting effort and reaction time. As a result, damages are only detected in an advanced state of bearing degradation.

Schaller developed the bearing online monitoring system BEAROMOS2020 in cooperation with RWTH Aachen University capable of detecting the transition from hydrodynamic lubrication into mixed friction which gives an early indication of metal-to-metal contacts and therefore an initiating damage. 

This online condition monitoring system for sliding bearings – BEAROMOS 2020 –identifies different lubricating conditions in all crankshaft related bearings and has the potential to evaluate the severity for the development of failures. This is achieved by measuring the thermoelectric voltage created by the temperature difference between bearing and crankshaft in case of solid body contact. 

As a result of numerous experimental studies and field test experience, the physical principle has been found to not only monitor main bearings but also the big end bearings in large engines. The lubrication state can be monitored in real time and together with the evaluation of the duration in mixed-friction this can be used for the prediction of the remaining lifetime of the affected bearings. In addition, the detailed signal evaluation enables the user to differentiate between light and severe wear propagation.

By installing BEAROMOS2020, Schaller contributes to the preventive and predictive maintenance services for large engines and any rotating machinery equipped with oil lubricated sliding bearings.