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DoctorKnow Application Paper

Title: Use of Maximum Peak Time Waveform Trend Parameter Source/Author: Nelson Baxter Product: Data Collector/Analyzer Technology: Vibration

Use of Maximum Peak Time Waveform Trend Parameter

Written By Nelson Baxter ABM Technical Services Plainfield, IN Edited By Todd Reeves Computational Systems, Incorporated Knoxville,TN

Introduction:
This paper presents some examples of the use of the Maximum Peak Time Waveform Parameter. This feature, patented by CSI, is used exclusively in the route based mode of CSI's 2120 Machinery Analyzer. ABM Technical Services has found this parameter to be very useful in identifying bearing problems. In many cases, this parameter will flag a problem that every other parameter misses.

Background:
Depending upon overall velocity readings or velocity spectra alone to detect bearing problems can result in errors. The following are two reasons that can explain why velocity readings need to be backed up with other analysis parameters. Most advanced analysts understand that the FFT is a batch process. For instance to generate a 400 line spectrum, 1024 time samples are taken. All of these samples are used in the calculation of the spectral components. Depending upon the type of weighting window, some values may be attenuated and others amplified, but they are nonetheless all used in the calculations. If the signal is continuous as in the case of unbalance, vane-pass or electrical problems, the FFT does a good job of calculating an accurate magnitude of each spectral component. If, however, the signal is transient relative to the time period of the analysis window, the amplitudes calculated by the FFT will be in error. In the case of bearings with defects, that is exactly the situation that exists. For instance, if a maximum frequency range of 2000 Hz is selected at a setting of 400 lines, the time period to collect the data would be 400/2000 which equals 0.2 seconds. If a machine is running 20 Hz and has a bearing defect frequency of 4.8 times its speed, the impact rate would be 96 times per second. In the 0.2 second window, nineteen impacts could be expected. This means

that if the pulses are one sample wide that of the 1024 time samples only nineteen would have energy associated with the bearing defect. When the FFT is calculated, the bearing defect frequency will have a very low value. If there is any noise present, it is likely that the bearing defect will be totally lost below the noise floor. To make matters worse, when the maximum frequency is increased, there are even fewer impacts in the time sample. For instance in the above sample, if the maximum frequency is set to 5000 HZ, the time period would then be 0.08 seconds and the number of defect impacts would be reduced to less than eight. If a couple of those are attenuated by the Hanning window on each end of the time block, there is nothing left to create a bearing defect spectral component. The second reason that velocity and velocity spectra can miss a bearing problem is that velocity spectra by the very nature of the physics involved are produced by integrating the acceleration signal. Defects are impactive pulse events. The sharper and narrower the impact, the more the integration process will attenuate round-off and smear their characteristics. As a result of these problems, other techniques have been developed that reinforce the velocity readings. Envelope detection and CSI's PeakVueTTM (PeakVue is a registered trademark of Computational Systems, Incorporated.) technology are valuable techniques that help in the early detection of bearing problems. However, not everyone takes enveloped or PeakVue data, because extra data has to be taken and then interpreted.

The Value Of The Maximum Peak Time Waveform Parameter

ABM Technical Services has found that for the vast majority of bearings an extremely valuable aid in calling out bearings is monitoring a trend of the maximum peak value detected in the raw RMS acceleration time display. The analyzer is set up for digital integration with the spectra then being displayed in velocity. A time plot is obtained in acceleration. A Maximum Peak Time parameter is then setup. By monitoring the peak value seen in the time display, impacts due to bearing defects can easily be detected. They are neither FFT'd nor integrated away. Every month we detect problems with this technique that do not show up in velocity or even RMS Acceleration measurements. The following are some plots of data showing a comparison between the Maximum Peak Time parameter and velocity or RMS Acceleration trends. VELOCITY TREND OF BAD BEARING MAX PEAK IN TIME TREND

VELOCITY SPECTRA TIME WAVEFORM NOT MUCH IS SEEN THE CHANGE IS OBVIOUS

The above plots show what is occurring. In terms of the velocity level, there was not much of an increase. This is also reflected in the velocity spectra. There is an increase in the broad base band energy. However, as can be seen from the Maximum Peak trend, which records the highest acceleration level in the time block, there was a very significant increase. As would be expected, the time based plot has much higher levels. It after all is where the maximum peak in measured.

A Case Of Another Motor Bearing:

VELOCITY TREND RMS ACCELERATION TREND

VELOCITY SPECTRA MAXIMUM PEAK IN WAVEFORM TREND Not much here

TIME PLOTS IN G'S SHOWS CHANGE

In this case, there was virtually no increase in the overall velocity. There is some broad band energy in the velocity spectra that if recognized could have been analyzed. The RMS Acceleration went up some and the Maximum Peak in Time went up the most.

Use of Maximum Peak in Time with PeakVue

The above case shows how the Maximum Peak in Time Parameter can be used in conjunction with PeakVue data to make it an even more effective tool in recognizing short duration transients that may signal a problem. This was a very low speed piece of equipment. The time based data was taken over an 8 second time period. The PeakVue time plot clearly shows the presence of impacts as high as 3.6 G's (Lower right display). This was easily picked up in the Maximum Peak in time plot(Lower left plot). However, as can be seen, the trend in the overall PeakVue value only shows a maximum of 0.316 G's (Upper left display) and the maximum spectral component was only 0.06 G (Upper right display). This is a good example of the problem discussed at the beginning of this paper. As stated in the beginning, the FFT is a batch process and as such it does not produce a good representation of the severity of transient events such as impacts from bearings or chipped gear teeth. The method ABM Technical Services has found most effective is to monitor, trend and then alarm on the following parameters: 1. Velocity: Works best on unbalance, looseness, misalignment, vane-pass, electrical and other continuous signals. 2. RMS Acceleration: Works well when broad band signals such as cavitation or bearings with multiple defects are present. 3. Maximum Peak In Acceleration Time Plot: Works very well when there are transient impacts that the integrated FFT and/or RMS do not pickup. 4. PeakVue: Is vital in low speed applications 5. Maximum Time in PeakVue: Is helpful in very low speed applications where the impacts don't occur very often. Note the above parameters are only flags. AN analysis then has to be performed to determine if there is actually a problem and how severe it is. However, it is very important to have as good a radar system as possible. If you collect, for instance 3000 points, it is imperative that there be a reliable method of screening the data to determine which points to analyze. The above combination of parameters catches a very high percentage of all problems that occur. Due to the reasons stated in the first part of this paper, the Maximum Peak in Time parameter is a vital part of that detection system because it catches what other parameters sometimes miss. All contents copyright 1998, Computational Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.