Integrated sensor system for rotary shaft seals enabling condition monitoring of dynamic sealing contact and lubricant

Abstract Unexpected failures of rotary shaft seals pose a financial risk to the user due to both unplanned machine downtimes and potential consequential damage. An ability for early detection or prediction of damage to the sealing system through continuous monitoring of the operational state could, especially in critical applications, help ensure the required reliability. This requires the in-situ availability of key operational parameters, which is intended to be realized by an integrated sensor system. The present contribution describes the methodological development of such a sensor-integrating rotary shaft seal capable of providing environmental parameters, its own functional parameters (friction torque and contact temperature) as well as information on lubricant quality. To this end, concepts for an autonomously operated microelectronic system as well as several novel measurement methods implementable within the given hardware constraints are developed.