阅读说明：本技术 中心润滑站 (Central lubrication station ) 是由 T·利斯比 威廉·利斯比 伊凡·马德森 于 2018-04-25 设计创作，主要内容包括：本公开涉及用于润滑一个或多个机器部件的中心润滑站,所述中心润滑站包括：容器基部,适于保持至少两个可替换容器,每个可替换容器保持至少一种类型的润滑剂；以及一个或多个泵,构造为用于将至少一种类型的润滑剂从所述至少两个可替换容器可互换地泵送到所述一个或多个机器部件；以及马达,构造为用于驱动所述一个或多个泵。(The present disclosure relates to a central lubrication station for lubricating one or more machine components, the central lubrication station comprising: a container base adapted to hold at least two replaceable containers, each replaceable container holding at least one type of lubricant; and one or more pumps configured for interchangeably pumping at least one type of lubricant from the at least two replaceable containers to the one or more machine components; and a motor configured to drive the one or more pumps.)

1. A central lubrication station for lubricating one or more machine components, comprising:

-a container base adapted to hold at least two exchangeable containers, each of said exchangeable containers holding at least one type of lubricant; and

-one or more pumps configured for interchangeably pumping at least one type of lubricant from the at least two replaceable containers to the one or more machine components; and

A motor configured for driving the one or more pumps,

Wherein the container base is configured for transferring lubricant from one replaceable container to another replaceable container such that precipitation of lubricant in either of the containers is prevented.

2. The central lubrication station of claim 1, wherein the container base is configured to allow any one of the replaceable containers to be replaced with another replaceable container without allowing air to enter the central lubrication station.

3. the central lubrication station of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container base is configured for transferring lubricant from one replaceable container to another replaceable container, such that any one of the containers can be emptied without loss of lubricant.

4. The central lubrication station of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container base is configured to individually move any one of the at least two replaceable containers such that the lubricant in each of the containers is prevented from settling.

5. The central lubrication station according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a flow meter enabling flow control of the central lubrication station and/or a pressure measurer enabling pressure control of the central lubrication station.

6. The central lubrication station according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a first diagnostic unit configured for sensing that either of the two replaceable containers is inoperative.

7. The central lubrication station according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a second diagnostic unit configured for sensing an insufficient amount of lubricant in any one of the one or more machine components.

8. The central lubrication station of claim 7, further comprising an automatic responder unit configured to respond to an insufficient amount of lubricant by commanding the one or more pumps to pump the insufficient amount of lubricant to the one or more machine components.

9. A lubrication system for lubricating one or more machine components, the lubrication system comprising: a central lubrication station according to any one of claims 1-8 and at least two replaceable containers replaceably attached to the container base of the central lubrication station, and a connection between the lubrication station and the one or more machine components.

10. The lubrication system according to claim 9, wherein the connection portion comprises a lubrication mouth.

11. A lubrication system according to any of the preceding claims 9-10, wherein the machine components are bearings, such as crankshaft bearings and pivot bearings and/or gears connected to a shaft, for example.

12. a lubrication system according to any of the preceding claims 9-11, wherein the lubrication system is mounted in a nacelle of a wind turbine.

13. A method of operating a central lubrication station, the method comprising the steps of:

-providing a central lubrication station comprising at least two replaceable containers, each container holding at least one type of lubricant, and one or more pumps; and

-pumping a type of lubricant from one of the at least two containers to a machine component, such that when the one of the at least two replaceable containers is empty or nearly empty, pumping continues from the other of the at least two replaceable containers, and such that when the other of the at least two replaceable containers is empty or nearly empty, pumping continues from the other replaceable container.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of: when one or the other of the at least two replaceable containers is empty or nearly empty, one of the at least two replaceable containers is replaced by the further replaceable container.

15. The method according to any of the preceding claims 13-14, further comprising the step of: when one or the other of the at least two replaceable containers approaches empty, transferring the remaining lubricant to another replaceable container of the at least two replaceable containers.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a lubrication station, more particularly to a lubrication station for use centrally for lubricating machine components, for example in a wind turbine.

background

Lubrication of machine components typically involves pumping lubricant from a pumping device to the machine components. The pumping device may be transportable or stationary. When using a transportable lubrication station, both the pumping device and the lubricant are transported to the lubrication site. Such transportation can be time consuming and burdensome. In some cases, it may even be difficult to access the machine component, for example, if the machine component is in a limited space. To avoid the transportation of pumping devices and lubricants, stationary lubrication stations may be a good solution. A stationary lubrication station may for example be installed in a facility with various machine components, so that the machine components may be lubricated as required. Wind turbines are one example of such a facility. Lubrication optimizes the performance of the wind turbine and prevents it from operating. If energy cannot be produced, the downtime will be a huge waste of wind energy production (waterst), thus resulting in monetary losses. Thus, operators of wind turbines are carefully monitoring the operation and output of each wind turbine. If insufficient lubricant is observed, the lubricant may be pumped from the stationary lubrication station or the transportable lubrication station as previously described. Depending on the machine component and its operation, the lubricant may be supplied to the machine component in small amounts over a small time interval or in larger amounts over a larger time interval. In the case of stationary lubrication stations, it is of utmost importance that lubricant is always present in the lubrication station so that the machine parts do not dry out. Therefore, it is important that the amount of lubricant be carefully controlled on a regular basis.

If the stationary lubrication station is emptied of lubricant, it may be necessary to lubricate the machine components using the transportable lubrication station, in other words as a maintenance service. Alternatively and/or additionally, the stationary lubrication station may be refilled with lubricant using the transportable lubrication station, for example also as a maintenance service. This solution takes time and maintenance time, which would prevent the wind turbine from producing energy, is valuable.

In order to avoid so-called down time of the wind turbine, the stationary lubrication station may be refilled with lubricant before the lubricant is used. Alternatively, the stationary lubrication station may be replaced with another lubrication station or another container containing lubricant before the lubricant is emptied from the lubrication station or container.

in the case of refilling the lubricant, the lubricant may be refilled so that only the refilled lubricant is used and the remaining lubricant is never used, and thus the lubricant is wasted. In the case of replacing an old lubricant with a new one, the old lubricant may for example be disposed of as waste and therefore never used. Wasting lubricant is problematic for the environment and wastes money.

Therefore, there is a need for a cost-effective stationary lubrication system that is capable of using all of the lubrication in the lubrication system without waste in the first place.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a stationary lubrication system which avoids the waste of lubricant in the first place.

The present invention solves this problem by providing a central lubrication station according to the first aspect of the invention. A first aspect of the invention relates to a central lubrication station for lubricating one or more machine components, the central lubrication station comprising: a container base adapted to hold at least two replaceable containers, each replaceable container holding at least one type of lubricant; and one or more pumps configured for interchangeably pumping at least one type of lubricant from the at least two replaceable containers to the one or more machine components; and a motor configured to drive the one or more pumps. Preferably, the container base is configured for transferring lubricant from one replaceable container to another replaceable container such that precipitation of lubricant in any container is prevented.

Several advantages are provided by having at least two replaceable containers in the container base. A first advantage is that one of the containers can be completely emptied so that lubricant can be supplied to the machine part from one of the other containers. Thus, a system is provided in which the container can be completely emptied without maintenance service or immediate replacement of the container. Another advantage is that all of the lubricant in the container is used and not wasted. Thus, a more environmentally friendly and cost effective system is provided. Furthermore, because the container is replaceable, no long refilling time is required. Thus providing a system that allows for rapid replacement of the reservoir and lubricant.

The central lubrication station referred to herein is central in the sense that it may be used in a single wind turbine and is configured for supplying power from various machine components within the wind turbine. In other words, the central lubrication station may be located centrally of all important components of the wind turbine (such as machine components).

in a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a lubrication system for lubricating one or more machine components, the lubrication system comprising: a central lubrication station according to the first aspect and at least two exchangeable containers that are exchangeable attached to the container base of the central lubrication station, and a connection (connection) between the lubrication station and the one or more machine components.

The at least two replaceable containers may be replaced at any time, but it is most preferred to replace one container at a time when it is about to empty or when it has been emptied. A container may hold one type of lubricant. The other container may hold the same type of lubricant or another type of lubricant. If at least two containers both hold the same type of lubricant, the same type of lubricant can be supplied to one machine part, for example a machine part requiring one type of lubricant. However, by having another type of lubricant in another container, two different machine parts may be supplied with two different types of lubricant from two different containers. In some embodiments, a container may hold more than one type of lubricant, for example, in separate spaces within the container. One container can then be used to supply various machine parts that require different types of lubricants. As shown herein, the present invention provides a system having many combinations of reservoir and lubricant types, such that the system is suitable for a particular lubrication task and a particular machine component.

In a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for operating a central lubrication station, the method comprising the steps of: providing a central lubrication station comprising at least two replaceable containers, each container holding at least one type of lubricant, and one or more pumps; and pumping a type of lubricant from one of the at least two containers to one machine component, such that when said one of the at least two replaceable containers is empty or near empty, pumping continues from another of the at least two replaceable containers, and such that when said another of the at least two replaceable containers is empty or near empty, pumping continues from another replaceable container.

It will be appreciated from the above method that emptying one of the at least two containers does not affect the continuous lubrication of the machine component, and therefore the present invention provides a method that allows continuous lubrication of the machine component while not hindering the operation of the machine component.

Drawings

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a central lubrication station according to the invention.

Detailed Description

According to a first aspect of the invention, the pump of the central lubrication station is driven by a motor. Thus, the motor may drive all of the pumps, thus requiring only one motor. Such a configuration saves space and cost while also providing easy maintenance, particularly since only a single motor may be required to operate and repair if damaged. On the other hand, if multiple motors drive the pumps, all of the pumps may be driven by only one of the multiple pumps. Thus, if one pump fails, the motor may not need to be replaced or repaired immediately.

In one embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the central lubrication station is configured for selectively pumping at least one type of lubricant from either of the at least two replaceable containers to one machine component. In this embodiment, one type of lubricant may be supplied first from one container and then from another container. It is most likely that lubricant will be pumped from one container and the container will be emptied before pumping lubricant from another container. However, this may not be the case in some circumstances. For example, instances may occur where the lubricant clogs inside the container, such as occurs when the lubricant settles. In this case, the central lubrication can select another container and pump lubricant from that container, rather than pumping lubricant from a blocked container. If one of the reservoirs is empty, the central lubrication station may automatically select at least one type of lubricant to be pumped from the non-empty reservoir. When there is an empty container and a non-empty container, the empty container may be replaced with a full container, and pumping may continue from the full container. The process can then be repeated so that all containers can be replaced and all lubricants can be used.

In another embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the central lubrication station is configured for selectively pumping at least one type of lubricant from at least two replaceable containers to at least two machine components. In this embodiment, one type of lubricant may first be supplied from one container to the first machine part and another type of lubricant may be supplied from another container to the second machine part. Thus, two different types of lubricant in the lubrication station can be supplied to two different machine parts, for example machine parts requiring two different types of lubrication. Alternatively and/or additionally, one type of lubricant from one part of the container may be supplied to the first machine part and another type of lubricant from another part of the container may be supplied to the first machine part or the second machine part. In other words, the central lubrication station may be configured for selectively pumping at least two types of lubricant from different portions of one of the replaceable containers to one or more machine components. The different embodiments described herein may depend on a number of factors, such as how much space the lubrication station can occupy, how much lubricant needs to be supplied to the various machine components, and under what conditions the lubricant is supplied to the machine components.

Container base

The container base according to the invention may comprise a rail adapted to hold at least two containers.

The container base may instead comprise a tray (disc) adapted to hold at least two containers. The tray may be configured for holding at least two receptacles so that the receptacles may change position as the tray rotates. For example, the one or more pumps are configured for interchangeably pumping at least one type of lubricant from the at least two replaceable containers to the one or more machine components when the containers are rotated from one position to another. By having two types of lubricant, for example in two or three reservoirs, a change in lubricant type can be provided by rotating the disc from one position to another. The container base may comprise a single outlet for all containers. The container base may be configured to only allow lubricant to flow from one of the containers when the one container is placed in fluid communication with the single outlet. The container may be placed by rotation of the disk.

The container base may include a channelling system configured to enable lubricant from the container to be transferred from the container to the machine component and/or from one or the other of the containers. In some embodiments, the container base may be configured to enable fluid communication between the containers and the machine component, for example via tubes, hoses, and/or channels within the container base.

In one embodiment, the container base includes a physical base connector for each of the at least two containers with a corresponding physical container connector such that pumping from the containers is possible via the central lubrication station only when the physical container connector mates with the physical base connector. For example, one container holding one type of lubricant may have one type of physical container connector (such as a geometric shaped container) that fits only to the physical container base where the corresponding holder is shaped into the container. In some embodiments, the physical container connector may be connected to a hose that can only be connected to the container if the container has a corresponding container connector. In this way, a solution is provided for connecting the right type of lubricant to the intended location on the base connector for pumping the right type of lubricant to the right type of machine part.

In another embodiment, the container base comprises an electrical base connector code for each of the at least two containers having a corresponding electrical container code, such that pumping from the containers via the central lubrication station is possible only if the electrical container code matches the electrical base connector code. For example, the container may be provided with an RFID code that is read by the container base and configured so that the container is opened or allowed to be pumped out of the container only if the RFID code matches the code on the container base.

In a preferred embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the container base is configured to allow any replaceable container to be replaced by another replaceable container without allowing air to enter the central lubrication station. Air typically enters the lubricant reservoir during refilling, which can have a severe impact on the lubrication system and machine components. Therefore, it is desirable to avoid air from entering the lubrication system. By replacing the container instead of refilling the lubricant into the container, a simple and effective solution is provided to avoid the generation of air bubbles in the system.

in some embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, the container base is configured for relieving pressure between the central lubrication station and the machine component. The pressure may be released via a coupling connected or mounted to the base of the container.

As previously mentioned, the container base may be configured for transferring lubricant from one replaceable container to another replaceable container. An advantage of this is that if one container is nearly empty, the remaining lubricant can be transferred to another container. For example, when connecting the container to the container base, some space may intentionally be left in the container, so that there is room just for such lubricant. In this way, lubricant is simply transferred to the containers which may already be placed in the container base, and one of the containers may be completely emptied, so that no lubricant is wasted.

When attempting this arrangement, the inventors have found that by enabling the transfer of lubricant from one container to another, the lubricant is forced to move, thus preventing settling. Thus, embodiments relating to the transfer of lubricant not only relate to emptying the container, but also provide a solution for preventing clogging of the lubricant. Thus, transferring lubricant from time to time between containers is an effective way to move lubricant without moving parts inside the containers (such as the agitator) or without using rotation or translation of the containers themselves. Thus, the inventors have found that the lubrication station may be configured such that precipitation of lubricant in any of the containers is prevented.

In addition to the use of a transfer of lubricant from one vessel to another, the inventors have also found that by having an agitator inside the vessel, settling of lubricant on the bottom can be avoided.

In other embodiments, the container base is configured to individually move any of the at least two replaceable containers, thereby preventing the lubricant in each container from settling. The container may be rotated or swirled, for example, or translated as previously described. The combination of movements also prevents the lubricant from settling.

Pump and additional unit

In most embodiments, the pump is configured to operate at high pressures of greater than 100 bar, such as greater than 150 bar or such as greater than 200 bar. In the most preferred embodiment, the pump is a gear pump. Such pumps are reliable when operated with lubricants and in harsh environments, and may be configured to operate at the desired high pressures.

In one embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the central lubrication station further comprises a flow meter, enabling flow control of the central lubrication station.

In another embodiment, the central lubrication station further comprises a pressure gauge, enabling the central lubrication station to be pressure controlled.

In a further embodiment, the central lubrication station further comprises a first diagnostic unit configured for sensing the non-operation of either of the two replaceable containers. If not, the central lubrication may be configured to select another container and then determine if the container is not operational.

In a preferred embodiment, the central lubrication station further comprises a second diagnostic unit configured for sensing an insufficient amount of lubricant in any one of the one or more machine components. The diagnostic unit may be a sensor, such as an optical or electronic sensor, such as a camera or a thermometer. A unit such as this may, for example, monitor the operation of the wind turbine and sense whether the wind turbine is rotating properly and/or producing excessive heat.

In a most preferred embodiment, the central lubrication station further comprises an automatic responder unit configured to respond to the insufficient amount of lubricant by commanding the one or more pumps to pump the insufficient amount of lubricant to the one or more machine components. The automatic responder unit may be a computer and/or a controller coupled to the pump.

Lubrication system

According to a second aspect of the invention, the central lubrication station is connected to the machine part via a connection. The connection may be a hose.

In a preferred embodiment, the connection comprises a lubrication mouth. The lubrication nozzle may be in fluid contact with a machine component.

The machine component may be a bearing, such as a crankshaft bearing and a pivot bearing and/or a gear (e.g., connected to a shaft).

In the most preferred embodiment, the lubrication system is installed in the nacelle (nacellee) of the wind turbine.

method of producing a composite material

In one embodiment of the method, the method further comprises the steps of: when one or the other of the at least two replaceable containers is empty or nearly empty, one of the at least two replaceable containers is replaced by another replaceable container. Thus, a method is provided that provides a cost-effective use of the container without wasting lubricant.

In a second embodiment of the method, the central lubrication station comprises at least three exchangeable containers, such that the further exchangeable container is one of the at least three exchangeable containers. In this embodiment, three reservoirs can be selected, which allows a more flexible method of pumping various types of lubricant to different machine components.

In a preferred embodiment, the central lubrication station further comprises the step of pumping lubricant of one or the other type from at least two exchangeable containers to another machine part. In this embodiment, the type of lubricant used for the different machine components can be selected. This is important if different machine parts require different types of lubricants.

As previously mentioned, in some embodiments, the method further comprises the steps of: when one or the other of the at least two replaceable containers approaches empty, transferring the remaining lubricant to another of the at least two replaceable containers. This ensures that all lubricant is used from one container without waste.

In various embodiments, the central lubrication station is a central lubrication station according to the first aspect.

EXAMPLE 1 Central lubrication station

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a central lubrication station 1 according to the invention. The central lubrication station 1 comprises a container base 2 adapted to hold at least two exchangeable containers 3 (in this case, three exchangeable containers 3). Each replaceable container holds one type of lubricant. The container base is placed in the housing 4. In other words, the central lubrication station comprises a housing 4. The central lubrication station 1 comprises one or more pumps 5 (therefore not visible in this figure) placed inside a housing 4. The pump is configured for interchangeably pumping at least one type of lubricant from at least two exchangeable reservoirs 3 to one or more machine components. Pump fluid (pumping) is interchangeably pumped from any of the three vessels by rotating the vessel base 2 station. More specifically, the central lubrication station comprises a disc 6. The tray 6 is a container base. When the disc 6 is rotated to a particular position, such as shown, one or more pumps 5 are capable of pumping lubricant from one of the reservoirs 3. The disc 6 is placed in or on the central lubrication station 1, in this example in the housing 4. Furthermore, the motor 7 is placed in the housing (and is therefore not visible in this figure). The motor 7 is configured for driving the one or more pumps 5. As can be seen from fig. 1, one of the containers is smaller than the other two, since the lubricant has been pumped from that container. Lubricant can be pumped from the container to one of the outlets 8 on the central lubrication station 1. From the outlet 8, one or more connections, such as hoses and nozzles, may be connected to the machine components. Furthermore, lubricant can be pumped from one of the containers 3 to any other container. As can be seen, some space is left in the two large containers 3, since the containers are collapsible and do not extend to their maximum. Thus, lubricant can be transferred from a near-empty container 3 (the first one) to any one of the non-empty containers (the second two). The lubricant may be emptied from the near empty container 3 and then that container 3 may be replaced by another container, such as a new container. The lubricant can thereby also be displaced and thus prevented from settling. This example shows how lubricant is not wasted. Furthermore, this example shows how the lubricant is prevented from settling.

Further details of the invention are described in the following item (item).

each item of

1. A central lubrication station for lubricating one or more machine components, comprising:

-a container base adapted to hold at least two exchangeable containers, each exchangeable container holding at least one type of lubricant; and

-one or more pumps configured for interchangeably pumping at least one type of lubricant from the at least two exchangeable containers to the one or more machine components; and

-a motor configured for driving the one or more pumps.

2. The central lubrication station according to claim 1, wherein the central lubrication station is configured for selectively pumping the at least one type of lubricant from any one of the at least two replaceable containers to one machine component.

3. The central lubrication station according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the central lubrication station is configured for selectively pumping the at least one type of lubricant from the at least two replaceable containers to at least two machine components.

4. The central lubrication station of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container base comprises a physical base connector for each of the at least two containers with a corresponding physical container connector such that pumping from the containers via the central lubrication station is only possible when the physical container connector is mated with the physical base connector.

5. The central lubrication station according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container base comprises an electrical base connector code for each of the at least two containers with a corresponding electrical container code, such that pumping from the containers via the central lubrication station is only possible when the electrical container code matches the electrical base container code.

6. The central lubrication station of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container base is configured to allow any one of the replaceable containers to be replaced by another replaceable container without air entering the central lubrication station.

7. The central lubrication station according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container base is configured for releasing pressure between the central lubrication station and the machine component.

8. The central lubrication station of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container base is configured for transferring lubricant from one replaceable container to another replaceable container.

9. The central lubrication station of clause 8, such that precipitation of lubricant in any container is prevented and/or such that any container can be emptied without loss of lubricant.

10. The central lubrication station of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container base is configured to individually move any one of the at least two replaceable containers such that the lubricant in each container is prevented from settling.

11. The central lubrication station according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the pump is configured to operate at a high pressure of more than 100 bar, such as more than 150 bar or such as more than 200 bar, such as more than 300 bar or such as more than 400 bar.

12. The central lubrication station according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a flow meter, such that the central lubrication station is flow controllable.

13. The central lubrication station according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the central lubrication station further comprises a pressure gauge, such that the central lubrication station can be pressure controlled.

14. The central lubrication station according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a first diagnostic unit configured for sensing that either of the two replaceable containers is inoperative.

15. The central lubrication station according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the central lubrication station further comprises a second diagnostic unit configured for sensing an insufficient amount of lubricant in any one of the one or more machine components.

16. The central lubrication station of claim 15, wherein the central lubrication station further comprises an automatic responder unit configured to respond to the insufficient amount of lubricant by commanding the one or more pumps to pump the insufficient amount of lubricant to one or more machine components.

17. A lubrication system for lubricating one or more machine components, the lubrication system comprising: a central lubrication station according to any of the preceding claims 1-16 and at least two exchangeable containers being replaceably attached to the container base of the central lubrication station, and a connection between the lubrication station and the one or more machine parts.

18. The lubrication system of claim 17, wherein the connection is a hose.

19. The lubrication system according to any of the preceding claims 17-18, wherein the connection comprises a lubrication mouth.

20. A lubrication system according to any of the preceding claims 17-19, wherein the machine component is a bearing, such as a crankshaft bearing and a pivot bearing and/or a gear (e.g. connected to a shaft).

21. The lubrication system according to any of the preceding claims 17-20, wherein the lubrication system is mounted in a nacelle of a wind turbine.

22. A method of operating a central lubrication station, the method comprising the steps of:

-providing a central lubrication station comprising at least two replaceable containers, each container holding at least one type of lubricant, and one or more pumps; and

-pumping a type of lubricant from one of the at least two containers to a machine component, such that when the one of the at least two replaceable containers is empty or nearly empty, pumping continues from the other of the at least two replaceable containers, and such that when the other of the at least two replaceable containers is empty or nearly empty, pumping continues from the other replaceable container.

23. the method of item 22, further comprising the steps of: when one or the other of the at least two replaceable containers is empty or nearly empty, one of the at least two replaceable containers is replaced by the further replaceable container.

24. The method according to any of the preceding claims 22-23, wherein the central lubrication station comprises at least three exchangeable containers, such that the further exchangeable container is one of the at least three exchangeable containers.

25. The method according to any of the preceding claims 22-24, further comprising the step of pumping lubricant of one or the other type from the at least two exchangeable containers to another machine part.

26. The method of any of the preceding claims 22-25, further comprising the steps of: when one or the other of the at least two replaceable containers approaches empty, transferring the remaining lubricant to another replaceable container of the at least two replaceable containers.

27. The method according to any of the preceding claims 22-26, wherein the central lubrication station is a central lubrication station according to any of the preceding claims 1-16.