5 Successful Predictive Vibrations - March - 2012

Vibrations
March 2012 | Volume 29, Number 1
For the Vibration Analyst Community
Rotordynamics of Pumps
Part I: Single-Stage
Overhung Pumps
BY MALCOLM LEADER, P.E.
www.vi-institute.org
146273 Vibrations r7.indd 1
3/20/12 11:20 AM
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In the 25 years that Judy Eshleman has served as the Editor of Vibrations, it has evolved from a
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Under Judys direction and guidance, and the work of Ron Eshleman as Technical Editor, Vibrations
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We would like to acknowledge and thank both Judy and Ron for all of their work over the years to
make Vibrations the publication it is today.
The Officers, Board of Directors and Staff of the Vibration Institute
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Vibrations
March 2012
Volume 29, Number 1
ISSN 1066-8268
Vibrations
Vibrations is published quarterly in March,
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4 | Vibrations
david a. corelli
Vibration Institute President
letter from the President
Successful Predictive
Maintenance Programs
Require a Skilled Analyst
When I started in the vibration analysis business in 1974, most people were still
using swept sine analyzers for obtaining frequency data. This was also about the
time that the first digital Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analyzers, like the HP 5450
and 5451, were beginning to penetrate the market. The HP 5451A Fourier Analyzer
that I used at the Air Force Avionics Laboratory at Wright Patterson Air Force Base
had optional, external anti-aliasing filters and consisted of a full rack of equipment,
certainly not portable. Analysis of remote data meant collecting data using a tape
recorder, identifying data for playback using either a sound track or a time-code
signal such as IRIG, and then sitting at the system playing back data segments one
at a time for analysis. Thus, widespread data collection and analysis of industrial
machinery were not practical, if even possible.
In the early to mid-1980s, with the advent of the personal computer (PC) and verylarge-scale integration (VLSI) technology, the birth of portable data collectors and
predictive maintenance (PM) as we know them today emerged. VLSI technology
provided both the processing speed and downsizing of electronics required to
manufacture truly portable data collection devices that made it practical for largescale monitoring of industrial machinery. Additionally, PCs provided the power to
set up machine databases, store large amounts of data, and analyze the data at our
desks. Thus, wide-scale condition monitoring as we know it today was born.
It the 1980s and 90s, several companies manufactured powerful, portable data
collectors for collecting route-based data on industrial machinery. Most of these
units had off-route or analysis capabilities so that additional readings could be taken
and analyzed in the field or stored and downloaded to the PC for further analysis.
The interest from Industry in these new systems was high and competition for
sales was fierce. I know this from personal experience: I sold these systems during
that time. Sales took off because of the potential to reduce unexpected failures,
downtime and lost revenue. But, while some companies had success with the new
technology, many programs floundered or never got off the ground. Why was such
great technology failing in many cases? A key ingredient was missing.
Over the years, technology and industry have done an incredible job of giving us
powerful tools to collect and analyze vibration data. Unfortunately, what production
MARCH 2012
3/20/12 11:20 AM
managers want and need is information, not merely data. They

basically want to know two things. First, can they continue to
run their machines successfully until the next scheduled outage?
Second, what needs to be fixed when the outage occurs so they can
line up the parts and people necessary to perform the maintenance
in a cost-effective, efficient manner?
The universal question: How do you take vibration data and turn
it into useful information? The answer: That requires a skilled
vibration analyst. The trained vibration analyst traditionally has
been and, in many cases, still is, the missing ingredient in many
monitoring programs. Analysts must be trained for this task since
it is the only way to make a predictive maintenance program
successful, short of hiring a competent vibration consultant.
The stated mission of the Vibration Institute is to disseminate
practical information on evaluating machinery behavior and
condition in essence, to help people and companies achieve
the missing ingredient in condition monitoring programs. The
Vibration Institute does this through training, certification and the
other products and services the organization provides. Our charter
during the 3 years of my term is to improve on this mission.
During my tenure, we will focus on making the Vibration
Institute more accessible and helpful to its membership and the
entire vibration community. We will strive to appeal to a larger
professional base through effective use of state-of-the art electronic
media including a new website that was launched in January. We
will work to update and improve training, educational materials
and our ANSI accredited vibration certification program. We will
also work to improve peer-to-peer networking of our members and
the vibration community, allowing easy access to the experience of
other professionals.
On our new website, you will soon find

a searchable database of current and past
technical papers available for download
free of charge to members in the fall of
2012. We hope you are pleasantly surprised
by this issue of the revamped Vibrations which is available as a
PDF on our website.
We are in the process of upgrading our training materials with
more up-to-date content and state-of-the-art graphics, and that
includes our correspondence courses. We will be encouraging all
of our chapters to create links from their websites to ours so you
can easily find out what is going on in your area.
You will see some surveys coming to your in-box throughout
2012. We want to hear what you want and need from the Vibration
Institute. We want to tailor services and the annual training
conference to provide the information you seek. Help us put
together a bigger and better training conference in 2013 by taking
the time to provide us with feedback. And dont forget to sign up
for the 2012 Training Conference in Williamsburg, VA on June
19-22.
The Vibration Institute can help your professional development
and performance as a vibration analyst. If you are already a
member, I hope you will become more involved; if you are not,
please consider joining to enjoy the benefits of membership.
Set a goal to become certified during the next year or, if you are
already certified, take it up a level to the next category. If youre
thinking, Ill get started tomorrow, it might never happen. Begin
today developing into the missing ingredient for your successful
predictive maintenance program.
contents
4
letter from the President

March 2012
Successful Predictive
Maintenance Programs
Require a Skilled Analyst
By Dave Corelli
feature article
Rotordynamics of Pumps
Overhung Pumps
By Malcolm Leader, P.E.
MARCH 2012
14
case histories
22
Bearing Clearance
Issue in Blower
By Greg Henson
newly certified Individuals

2011-2012
23
certification corner
Vibration Institute
Vibration Analyst
Certification Renewal
Requirements Explained
By Brian Biby
and Nancy Denton, P.E.
16
Coupling Related
Vibration in MG Set
By Scott Tilley
20
Resonance: Cutting It
Down to Size
By Ashok Bhogle
Vibrations | 5
3/20/12 11:20 AM
feature article
Malcolm leader, P.e.

Owner of Applied Machinery
Dynamics Company
Durango, CO
Rotordynamics of
Pumps
Overhung Pumps
By Malcolm Leader, P.E.
he rotordynamics of pumps covers a wide range of

machinery types. Pumps are designed to move liquids
from point to point and come in hundreds of different
varieties and configurations. This paper will primarily focus
on centrifugal pumps, which make up 80 percent of the pumps
in service today. Part I covers single-stage overhung pumps.
Part II will cover between-the-bearing pumps.
IntROductIOn
For the purposes of this paper, a pump is defined as a device

that transports liquid from one location to another. The earliest
methods of transporting liquids simply involved scooping up
a small volume of liquid in a container and dumping it out
somewhere else. Today, continuous liquid transport is done
by taking suction from a region of lower pressure, increasing
the pressure in the liquid through the addition of mechanical
energy, and discharging the liquid, usually through a piping
system to the desired location. There are many methods of
adding the energy to the liquid to raise its pressure. There are
positive displacement types like screw pumps or reciprocating
pumps and various other specialty pumps. This paper will
discuss centrifugal pumps in single-stage configurations.
The rotordynamics of pumps is similar to other rotating
machinery in many ways. They consist of rotors supported
by bearings. References [1-8] are provided that contain a
significant amount of basic information on rotordynamics
6 | Vibrations
in general. The two primary factors that differentiate the

rotordynamics of pumps from other types of machinery are
the handling of an incompressible fluid and liquid seals. A
seal is any device that restricts liquid flow from an area of
high pressure to an area of lower pressure. In pumps, the
primary seal that protects leakage to outside the pump
casing are mechanical face seals. While vital to safe pump
operation, mechanical face seals have very little effect on
pump rotordynamics. In some mechanical seals there may be
some lateral forces generated (e.g., weight) but compared to
impeller eye seals and bushings, these can largely be ignored.
Centrifugal pumps rarely encounter traditional rotor critical
speeds unless they are operated in a dry condition. This is
because of the liquid annular seals that are used to prevent
significant leakage from high pressure regions to lower
pressure regions. This pressure differential causes axial flow
across the seal. When the rotor deflects, one side of the seal
has a greater clearance than the opposite side. The side with
the smaller clearance develops a higher local pressure. This
creates a restoring force, a stiffness, commonly called the
Lomakin effect.
The strength of the Lomakin effect depends on the seal
diameter, length, and clearance and the pressure differential
across the seal. Other contributing factors are the liquid
density, viscosity and inlet swirl ratio. In pumps with
MARCH 2012
3/20/12 11:20 AM
many seals, the pump rotordynamics are often much more

significantly affected by the seals than by the normal bearings.
The bearings themselves can be affected by hydraulic loads,
particularly when the pump is operated at an off-design point.
Pumps are also susceptible to structural concerns. Weak or
misplaced supports can significantly affect the dynamics
of a pump system. Vane-pass pulsations in pumps can also
affect the rotordynamics. These higher-order pulsations can
cause resonance of the pump rotor and/or the pump structural
elements.
SMall SIngle-Stage OVeRhung PuMPS
Single-stage overhung pumps (SSOH) are ubiquitous. A

typical chemical plant or refinery might have more than a
thousand such pumps. These can range from small to very
large. For the sake of limiting the discussion, a typical
100 hp motor-driven single-stage pump with rolling element
bearings and a speed of 3,580 rpm was selected. The rotating
element weighs 73 pounds, including the half-coupling as
shown in Figure 3, which is a finite element model of the
figure 3. example Single-Stage Overhung Pump Rotor
figure 1. cutaway View of Simple Single-Stage

centrifugal Pump
pump rotor.
Figure 1 illustrates a simple single-stage centrifugal pump.

Liquid enters axially into the impeller which is spinning
counterclockwise here from this view. The higher pressure
liquid exits radially. Figure 2 shows the housing towards the
rear that contains the mechanical seal and bearings supporting
the shaft connected to the impeller. Note the location of the
impeller eye wear ring.
figure 2. drive end View of a Small Pump
Impeller
Eye Wear
Ring
MARCH 2012
This generic pump rotor example is completely fictitious but

illustrates the dynamics of such machines. The shaft and
the impeller has both an inlet-eye wear ring seal and a hub
ring seal on the back side. Generally, only high-performance
pumps have a hub seal like this. Bearings are located at the
springs in the finite element model. Because of the overhung
load of the impeller, the coupling end bearing is loaded up
62 pounds and the bearing closest to the impeller is loaded
down 135 pounds. One common misconception is that rolling
element bearings are extremely stiff. The equation [9] for the
direct stiffness of an angular-contact deep groove ball bearing
is:
32,500(DFZ2cos5)1/3
D=
F=
Z=
=
Where:
Ball Diameter (inches)
Radial Force (pounds)
Number of Balls
Contact Angle (degrees)
For the bearings assumed for this example, the coupling end
bearing stiffness is 480,000 lb/in and the coupling end bearing
has a calculated stiffness of 630,000 lb/in. The damping in
rolling element bearings is not zero, but it is very small, on the
same order as structural damping, which is generally assumed
to be 1-2 percent of critical damping.
Vibrations | 7
3/20/12 11:20 AM
The actual bearing loads can be affected by hydraulic loads

from the impeller/fluid interaction. The hydraulic load
depends on both the pump design and how it is operated.
Pump impellers operate inside a volute, which can be a single
cutwater or a double volute or a diffuser. The pump is designed
to have low hydraulic reaction force at the best efficiency
point (BEP). When operated at any flow or pressure condition
away from the BEP, side loads are generated on the impeller
that, in turn, load the bearings. Depending on the hydraulic
load and the direction of the load, this can add to or subtract
from the gravity load on the bearings. The Hydraulic Institute
publishes a methodology for calculating the impeller loads.
Since this is a very complex subject, for the purposes of this
example we are going to ignore the hydraulic load effect.
figure 4. first critical Speed Mode Shape of SSOh
Pump
figure 5. Second critical Speed Mode Shape of SSOh

Pump
Modeling a small SSOH pump without the eye-seal effects and

without a casing substructure will not give realistic results.
When the unbalance response is calculated, the result will
be similar to Figure 6. This gives the impression the critical
speed is lurking just above operating speed when in fact it is
not. If just a flexible pedestal is added, the predicted critical
speed could drop down to operating speed, which does not
happen in practice unless the pump is run dry. Thus the need
to understand seals.
figure 6. Predicted unbalance Response of SSOh
Pump without Pedestal and Seal effects
The first critical speed of an overhung rotor will be pivotal,

as illustrated in Figure 4. The maximum radial motion is at
the impeller eye with a nodal point between the two bearings.
Because there is large amplitude at the wear ring, any stiffness
and damping effect generated by this seal will have an effect
on this resonance. Note that, in this relatively rigid body
mode, there is very little bending in the shaft at resonance. On
most single-stage overhung pumps, the first critical speed is
above operating speed. This does not mean that this resonance
cannot affect the vibration of the pump.
Figure 5 shows the mode shape of the second critical speed.
Here the impeller has almost no motion. This means that
stiffness and damping from the eye-seal would have minimal
effect on this mode. This critical speed is usually many times
the operating speed of the pump. However, if this resonance
were to coincide with a system frequency like vane-pass
frequency, it could cause high vibration at that frequency.
This phenomenon has been observed in pumps in the field,
especially when they are operated off-BEP, which tends to
magnify the vane-pass pulsations. If the internal construction
in a pump is not optimized, vane-pass frequency can be
magnified.
8 | Vibrations
SealS and the lOMaKIn effect
Liquid annular seals are designed to restrain liquid flow

from the discharge area of the pump to the suction area (eye
seals) and the area behind the impeller (hub seals). These
seals are almost always plain flat rings, as this is a simple
and efficient design. Lomakin [10] explained that these seals
work because of the pressure drop across the seal creates an
apparent stiffness and damping restraining force. This occurs
when the rotating part of the seal moves eccentrically in the
annulus. On the side with the greater radial clearance, the
pressure will be reduced and an apparent restoring force will
be generated on the side with the smaller clearance.
Some damping is also generated by this type of seal. The
pressure drop across the seal from one end to the other is the
same at the narrow gap as at the large gap. Thus, a higher
flow velocity occurs in the higher gap than in the lower gap.
Bernoullis equation tells us that this gives higher pressure
applied at the smaller gap than at the larger gap. The net force
MARCH 2012
3/20/12 11:20 AM
from these two pressures causes a centering direction force.

The restoring forces are proportional to the displacement,
velocity and acceleration. In this respect, the seals resemble
fluid-film bearings. However, the governing equations for an
annular seal are quite different from the normal turbulent
Reynolds equations used in a bearing analysis. Quite a few
researchers have refined the work of Lomakin, most notably
Black and Jenssen [11], who applied bulk flow analysis, and
later by Childs [12], who applied Hirs lubrication equation,
which includes the influence of fluid inertia terms and inlet
swirl. The mathematics involved in these analyses is fairly
complex. The details are readily available from many Internet
sources.
Taking an example eye-seal for the pump in Figures 7 and

8, assume a diameter of 12 inches, an axial length of 1 inch,
hot water with a density of 8.821 X 10-5 lb/in3 and a viscosity
of 3.307 X 10-8 Reyns, an inlet swirl ratio of 0.5 and a radial
clearance of 0.01 inches. The pressure drop across the seal
is assumed to be a function of speed squared. Assuming the
full-speed BEP pressure drop is 200 psi, and using the method
of Black and Jenssen, Figure 7 is the calculated stiffness and
Figure 8 is the calculated damping. Using Childs method, the
direct stiffness is 30 to 40 percent higher and the cross-coupled
stiffness and direct damping are about 8 percent higher.
Per Lomakin, if the impeller perturbations are small, the

radial stiffness (KR) of a seal can be estimated if the pressure
drop (P), radial clearance (C), length (L) and diameter (D)
are known. The more refined methods give better results
and should be used. Thus the longer the seal, the bigger the
diameter of the seal, the larger the P and the smaller the
clearance, the stiffer it will be.
When the seal and pedestal effects are included, the model
changes to look like Figure 9. Here the numbered black boxes
represent the pedestal mass, stiffness and damping. One
percent of critical damping (CC) was used where CC = 2(KM)
SSOh PuMP wIth Seal and PedeStal

effectS
figure 9. complete Model with flexible Pedestals and

Seals
KR = 0.2(PDL/C)
In practice, the stiffness and damping generated by a liquid
annular seal are a function of the geometry (length, diameter),
fluid viscosity and density, and pressure drop. The inlet-swirl
ratio is usually assumed to be 0.5 unless swirl brakes are
used. Reducing the inlet swirl through the seal will reduce
the cross-coupling generated and increase stability, although
pump instabilities are relatively rare compared to machines
handling compressible fluids like compressors.
figure 7. typical Seal direct Stiffness
This model will show that the critical speed is eliminated,
as shown in Figure 10. However, this is for synchronous
unbalance as the forcing function. This curve is really valid
only up to the operating speed of the pump (3,580 rpm).
figure 10. Predicted unbalance Response of SSOh
Pump with Seal and Pedestal effects
figure 8. typical Seal direct damping
MARCH 2012
Vibrations | 9
3/20/12 11:20 AM
ReSPOnSe tO Vane-PaSS fRequency
To consider the effect of vane-pass frequency on the example

pump rotordynamics, a 5X tracking force was applied at the
impeller location and the speed was varied from 2,000 to 4,000
rpm meaning that the forcing function varied from 10,000
to 20,000 cpm. Since any system like this does have some
resonances, any natural frequency in this frequency range will
be excited, as Figure 11 shows. It doesnt take too much
imagination to realize that, with the right pedestal stiffness
characteristics, vane-pass could easily tuneup a structural
resonance. Indeed, this author has seen this phenomenon
more than a few times.
figure 11. SSOh Pump Vibration due to 5X Vane-Pass
frequency excitation
RefeRenceS lISt
1. Nicholas, J.C., and Barrett, L.E., The Effects of Bearing Support

Flexibility on Critical Speed Prediction, ASLE Transactions, 29 (3), July
1986
11. Black, H. F. and Jenssen, D. N., Dynamic Hybrid Bearing Characteristics

of Annular Controlled Leakage Seals, Proc Instn Mech Engrs, Vol. 184, pp.
92-100, 1970
12. Childs, D. W., Dynamic Analysis of Turbulent Annular Seals Based On
Hirs Lubrication Equation, ASME Journal of Lubrication Technology, Vol.
105, pp. 429-436, 1983.
13. Corbo, M.A., Malanoski, S. B., Pump Rotordynamics Made Simple,
Proceedings of the 15th International Pump Symposium, Texas A&M
University, 1998
14. Leader, M. E., Introduction to Rotordynamics of Pumps without Fluid
Forces, Proceedings of the 1st International Pump Symposium, Texas A&M
University, 1984
Malcolm Leader, P.E. owner of Applied

Machinery Dynamics Company in Durango,
Colo., has been a turbomachinery consultant
for 25 years. Focusing on providing practical
solutions, he specializes in lateral rotordynamics
including bearing and seal optimizations and
steady-state and transient torsional analyses.
Leader holds BSME and MSME degrees from the University of
Virginia. He is a Certified Vibration Analyst Category IV by the
Vibration Institute and is a member of the Institutes board of
directors. He has more than 28 publications in the machinery
and rotordynamics fields and holds one patent. He is an ASME
Fellow and a registered Professional Engineer in Texas. He
can be reached at mleader@rotorbearingdynamics.com
2. Leader, M.E., Practical Rotor Dynamics, Proceedings of the Vibration

Institute 26th Annual Meeting, June 2002
3. Leader, M.E., Rotor Dynamics as a Tool for Solving Vibration Problems,
Proceedings of the 27th Vibration Institute Annual Meeting, July 2003
4. Leader, M.E., Rotordynamics of Semi-Rigid and Overhung
Turbomachinery, Proceedings of the 28th Vibration Institute Annual Meeting,
July 2004
5. Kirk, R.G. and Gunter, E.J., The Effect of Support Flexibility and
Damping on the Synchronous Response of a Single Mass Flexible Rotor,
ASME Journal of Engineering for Industry, 94(1), February 1972
6. Nicholas, J.C., Whalen, J.K., and Franklin, S.D., Improving Critical
Speed Calculations Using Flexible Bearing Support FRF Compliance
Data, Proceedings of the 15th Turbomachinery Symposium, Texas A&M
University, pp. 69-80, 1986
7. Leader, M. E., A Solution for Variable Speed Vertical Pump Vibration
Problems, Proceedings of the 2nd International Pump Symposium, Texas
A&M University, 1985
8. Rotordynamics Tutorial: Lateral Critical Speeds, Unbalance Response,
Stability, Train Torsionals, and Rotor Balancing, API RP684, American
Petroleum Institute, August 2005
9. Chen, W. J., and Gunter, E. J., Introduction to Dynamics of Rotor Bearing
Systems, Trafford Publishing, 2005
10. Lomakin, A.A., Calculation of the critical speed and the conditions to
ensure dynamic stability of the rotors in high pressure hydraulic machines,
taking account of the forces in the seals (in Russian). Energomashinostroenie,
14, No.4, pp. 1-5, 1958
10 | Vibrations
certification Surveillance
In order to protect the Institute members who have
justly earned certification as a Vibration Analyst, the
Vibration Institute wants to pursue individuals who
falsify Institute certification in any manner.
If you are aware of any instance in which you believe an
individual is falsifying their certification status, please
call or contact the Vibration Institute immediately.
If you are aware of any individual whom you believe
is violating basic ethics, please contact the Institute
as soon as possible. Failure to do so degrades the
reputation of your certification and the Vibration
Institute.
(630) 654-2254
information@vi-institute.org
MARCH 2012
3/20/12 11:20 AM
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MKT10214
3/20/12 11:20 AM
caSe Study
Bearing Clearance
Issue in Blower
by greg henson
Elanco/Eli Lilly
ecently the utility section of a manufacturing plant site

chose to upgrade the vibration supervisory systems on
some large blowers installed in 1976. The project was
very straightforward: replace the existing proximity probes
and replace the old supervisory system with a new modern
system that allows live data to be taken directly from the panel.
This would create a reliable system, with no power board or
miscellaneous board failures to worry about causing false trips
on the blowers. Seems simple, right?
figure 1. Photo of blower Showing Motor and

gearbox
Figure 1 is a picture of the blower units. The blower units

provide a high-volume, low-pressure air supply for the sites
fermentation operation. The machines installed in 1976 are
single-stage blowers with a 24,000 ACFM rating. The inlet
pressure is ambient air and the discharge pressure is 27.2 psia.
The blowers are driven with a 1750 hp, 4160V, 1800 rpm
motor with a gearbox that increases the speed of the blower
to 11000 rpm.
The sites vibration monitoring system was old enough that, if
a component failed, replacement parts might not be available,
and the manufacturer no longer had trained or qualified people
to work on the systems. A new system was purchased and
installed. When qualifying the system on start-up, alarms went
14 | Vibrations
off on several of the units. The probes were placed in the same
location as the previous probes. So why were the readings
so much higher than before? Were the signature patterns
different? What was causing the change?
MARCH 2012
3/20/12 11:20 AM
The blower uses a pressure-feed oil system. The blower

impeller is attached directly to the output shaft of the gearbox.
The bearings in the gear case are tilting pad bearings. The
machine also has set points that do not allow for start up until
certain parameters are met, one of these being oil temperature.
In an effort to complete the project, the machine was started as
soon as the parameter was met.
Figure 2 illustrates a vibration spectrum that shows the
result of this start up. The peak at approximately 50 percent
of operating speed was suspected to be a subsynchronous
resonance, possibly caused by the low oil temperature. Even
before the project, this machine had suspect indications of
bearing wear. It was in probable need of inspection soon.
mils (peak-peak)
figure 2. frequency Spectrum of Vibration
Greg Henson received his degree in

mechanical engineering from Rose-Hulman
Institute of Technology, he spent almost
20 years with PSI and Cinergy, helping
to establish their predictive maintenance
practices. After leaving the power industry,
Henson has been with Elanco/Eli Lilly and
Company for the past 13 years, improving
their reliability and predictive maintenance practices across
the manufacturing organization. He has had multiple
papers published at both local and national conferences.
Henson also holds certifications from the Vibration Institute
as a Vibration Analyst Category III and SMRP Certified
Maintenance Reliability Professional. He can be reached at
henson_gregory_e@elanco.com
Frequency (cpm)
With the signature pattern indicating possible subsynchronous

resonance due to excessive clearance, it was decided to warm
the oil 5-10 degrees above the initial start up temperature
and try to restart the machine. Figure 3 shows the vibration
spectrum for that start up. The subsynchronous peak and other
associated amplitudes were reduced or gone.
mils (peak-peak)
figure 3. frequency Spectrum of Vibration after

Increasing Oil temperature
Frequency (cpm)
The bearings were inspected and replaced, and at the time

of replacement, the bearing nearest the blower was found to
have more than a 0.010-inch clearance. This is at least 0.004
inches more than recommended. After bearing replacement,
the machine has not experienced any of the previous issues.
MARCH 2012
Vibrations | 15
3/20/12 11:20 AM
caSe Study
Coupling Related
Vibration in MG Set
by Scott M. tilley
Burford Electric Service
y company, Burford Electric Service, was asked to

troubleshoot a vibration problem in a customers
DC generator driven by an AC motor, commonly
referred to as an MG set. The generator provides DC power
to a carriage drive at a hardwood sawmill that, in turn, runs
logs back and forth across a band saw. The AC motor is rated
at 350 hp and 880 rpm and is coupled to the generator with
a rigid-style coupling. The motor rotor is supported on both
ends with rolling element bearings, and the generator rotor is
supported on the outboard end with a rolling element bearing.
The drive end of the generator shaft has no bearing support. It
is supported by the coupling and the inboard motor bearing.
Figure 1 shows the MG set in question. The 350 hp AC motor
is located on the left-hand side of the picture, and the DC
generator on the right-hand side.
figure 1. Photo of the Mg Set
The customer had noticed a lot of vibration in the unit during a

coast down after the power was shut off. The MG set is located
on the second floor of the mill, and the customer informed
us that the whole floor vibrated during the coast down. The
customer requested that we check the vibration during a coast
down. Since we arrived on-site early, it was decided to acquire
vibration readings on the MG set while it was still running
under normal conditions.
Table1 lists the overall vibrations levels acquired from the unit
while it was operating. These data clearly indicated that the MG
set not only had high vibration when it was coasting down but
also had high vibration while it was running. Overall vibration
levels exceeded 1.2 ips peak velocity at the outboard horizontal
measurement point on the AC motor. Over 90 percent of the
vibratory energy was occurring at 1x turning speed, which was
recorded at 892 rpm using a strobe light.
16 | Vibrations
MARCH 2012
3/20/12 11:20 AM
Elevated vibration was seen throughout the motor and the

generator, with the highest readings recorded in the horizontal
direction
figure 2. Photo of the Mg Set Rigid coupling
table 1. Mg Set Overall Vibration amplitudes

Vibration Amplitude
Measurement Point
In/sec peak
Motor Outboard Horizontal
1.28
Motor Outboard Vertical
1.06
Motor Outboard Axial
0.27
Motor Inboard Horizontal
0.87
Motor Inboard Vertical
0.89
Motor Inboard Axial
0.22
Generator Outboard Horizontal
0.56
Generator Outboard Vertical
0.56
Generator Outboard Axial
0.15
Table 1 shows the overall vibration levels were much higher
than recommended for reliable operation. This supported an
initial diagnosis that damage or excessive material build-up in
the rotor body might be causing imbalance and amplifying the
vibration. To investigate the validity of this diagnosis, crosschannel phase readings were obtained at different locations on
the motor and generator. The phase readings began telling an
interesting story.
The phase across the coupling in the radial direction was
between 160 and 170 degrees. The radial vibration was outof-phase, prompting a closer investigation of the coupling. By
means of a strobe light, the display of coupling rotation was
slowed down without completely freezing the shaft. Allowing
the display of the shaft to continue turning while viewing it
with a strobe light can help reveal excessive amounts of runout or eccentricity. As the rotation of the shaft was slowed
down with the strobe light, it was obvious the generator shaft
and coupling were not running true with the motor shaft and
coupling.
The unit was shut down. A dial indicator placed on the
couplings to measure the amount of radial run-out revealed a
large amount of coupling run-out (0.075 inch) on the generator
as well as run-out on the motor coupling (0.007 inch).
Figure 2 is a picture of the coupling. It is a rigid-style coupling
that bolts up tight. Apparently, over time, wear on the inside
of the coupling had allowed the generator coupling and shaft
to move, resulting in the excessive vibration amplitudes.
Based on this study, we recommended that the coupling be
repaired or replaced. We advised that the coupling could
probably be reset into its proper position, which would likely
lower the vibration amplitudes. The customer agreed to reset
the coupling and asked us to perform the work. To reset the
generator coupling and shaft, we measured the coupling runout on the generator and put the high point at top dead center.
The next step was to loosen all of the coupling bolts until
MARCH 2012
they were completely backed off the lockwasher, revealing

that all the bolts were already slightly loose, which may have
contributed to the onset of the vibration problem. Once all
the coupling bolts were completely loosened, the generator
coupling and shaft dropped into its proper position and the
coupling bolts were retightened. With the coupling bolts tight,
the radial run-out was remeasured with a dial indicator. The
motor and generator couplings run-outs were both recorded at
0.002 inch. We were confident this adjustment would lower
the vibration amplitudes toward acceptable levels. After the
work was completed, the MG set was restarted. And, in fact,
the overall vibration amplitudes were much lower.
Table 2 compares vibration levels before and after the work.
The highest vibration amplitudes dropped from over 1.2 ips
to less than 0.1 ips after the excessive run-out was removed.
The overall vibration amplitudes were much lower at all
data locations once the excessive coupling/shaft run-out was
removed from the generator.
table 2. Mg Set Vibration amplitudes before and after
corrections
Vibration Amplitude
In/sec peak
Measurement Point
BEFORE
AFTER
Motor Outboard Horizontal
1.28
0.08
Motor Outboard Vertical
1.06
0.09
Motor Outboard Axial
0.27
0.06
Motor Inboard Horizontal
0.87
0.07
Motor Inboard Vertical
0.89
0.05
Motor Inboard Axial
0.22
0.05
Generator Inboard Horizontal
0.56
0.07
Generator Inboard Vertical
0.56
0.05
Generator Inboard Axial
0.15
0.05
Figures 3 and 4 show the frequency spectra and time waveforms
of data acquired from the outboard horizontal location on the
motor before and after the work. Note that the vibration scale
in Figure 3 is different from the one in Figure 4.
Vibrations | 17
3/20/12 11:20 AM
PK Velocity in In/Sec
figure 3. ac Motor Vibration before corrections

upper Plot: frequency Spectrum
lower Plot: time waveform
01
1.6
Route Spectrum
07-Oct-11 09:03:15
OVERALL= 1.28 V-DG
PK = 1.27
LOAD = 100.0
RPM = 892. (14.87 Hz)
1.2
0.8
0.4
0
Acceleration in G-s
20000
40000
Frequency in CPM
60000
0.6
80000
Route Waveform
07-Oct-11 09:03:15
RMS = .2355
PK(+/-) = .4796/.4239
CRESTF= 2.04
0.4
0.2
0.0
-0.2
-0.4
-0.6
0
0.3
0.6
0.9
Time in Seconds
1.2
Freq: 892.24
Ordr: 1.000
Spec: 1.259
1.5
PK Velocity in In/Sec
figure 4. ac Motor Vibration after corrections

upper Plot: frequency Spectrum
lower Plot: time waveform
01
0.10
SMT - MG SET
-MOH MOTOR OUTBOARD BRG HORZ
Route Spectrum
28-Oct-11 11:01:35
OVERALL= .0865 V-DG
PK = .0862
LOAD = 100.0
RPM = 899. (14.99 Hz)
0.08
0.06
0.04
0.02
0
Acceleration in G-s
20000
40000
Frequency in CPM
60000
0.18
80000
Route Waveform
28-Oct-11 11:01:35
RMS = .0399
PK(+/-) = .1223/.1102
CRESTF= 3.06
0.12
0.06
0.00
-0.06
-0.12
-0.18
0
0.3
Recertification Requirements
SMT - MG SET
-MOH MOTOR OUTBOARD BRG HORZ
0.6
0.9
Time in Seconds
1.2
1.5
Freq: 898.43
Ordr: .999
Spec: .06559
This case history demonstrates that, along with analysis of

the vibration signature, utilizing some fairly simple diagnostic
tools such as phase angle, a strobe light and a dial indicator
will help find and correct many vibration problems.
Certification as a Vibration Analyst is valid for five

years from the date of current certification level. After
five years, and in compliance with ISO 18436: Part
I, certified Vibration Analysts are required to recertify.
Re-certification at the current level of certification can
be achieved in one of two ways:
Renewal. You may provide evidence of continuing
education experience, training and/or technical activity.
Points for renewal can be earned for vibration-related
activities including work experience, professional
development, attending industry, association or
chapter meetings, and vibration-related presentations
and published articles.
Re-examination. You may take the certification exam
at the level you are currently certified. This requires
scheduling an examination and securing a proctor per
established Vibration Institute protocol.
Vibration Analysts are certified on the basis of ability
to function at a specified level. The motivation for recertification is to ensure that the Vibration Analyst
maintains the capability to function at the level certified.
Points toward recertification can be earned in various
ways. The Vibration Institute Certification Committee
has approved renewal requirements as follows:
Category I:
Category II:
Category III:
Category IV:
24 points (beginning January 2011)

Visit www.vi-institute.org and click on Certification to

learn more about earning points for re-certification!
Scott M. Tilley has performed field service

work in vibration analysis, balancing
and laser alignment for Burford Electric
Service, an electric motor repair shop in
Columbus, MS, for 14 years. A graduate of
Mississippi State University, Tilley earned
his initial Vibration Analyst Certification
with the Vibration Institute in 2001, and
Category III certification in 2002. Mr. Tilley can be reached
at scott@burfordinc.com.
18 | Vibrations
MARCH 2012
3/20/12 11:20 AM
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caSe Study
Resonance: Cutting
It Down to Size
by ashok bhogle
Predictive Maintenance Engineer
igh vibrations due to resonance in variable speed machines

are not uncommon in industry. Simple solutions are
available to correct these issues. A resonance problem in
the motor support of variable speed pumps was identified by the
Condition Monitoring Team at the Minara Resources Limited
Murrin Murrin site in Western Australia, whose primary business
is to produce nickel, cobalt and ammonium sulphate from nickel
laterite ore. The six first-stage pumps in the Ore Leach Plant
were all displaying similar vibration characteristics.
Figure 1 illustrates one of the pumps. The pumps are pulleydriven with a variable speed motor, with a pulley ratio of 1:1.
The motors are supported by four threaded rods extending from
a fabricated steel base. (Note that the picture of the pump was
taken at the conclusion of this study, after modifications had
been made. The threaded fasteners supporting the motor were
longer before modification.)
Figure 2 shows a survey of vibration levels versus speed that
indicates the motors were probably resonant between speed
ranges of 1024 rpm and 1278 rpm, with vibrations reaching 63
mm/sec (2.48 ips rms).
figure 1. Photo of first Stage Pump
Motor Lowered by 175 mm

belts changed from
SPC3150 to SPC 2800
The conclusion was that the length of the threaded fasteners

caused the stiffness of the structure supporting the motor to be
low. The natural frequency (fn) of the motor support equals:
Figure 3 is a frequency spectrum of vibration at the most

sensitive speed. It is dominated by response at the rotation speed
of the pump and motor.
20 | Vibrations
MARCH 2012
3/20/12 11:20 AM
figure 2. Motor Vibration versus Pump Speed

(before Modification)
figure 4. Sketch of Modification to Motor Support
note: Vertical axis: Vibration (mm/sec)

horizontal axis: Pump Speed (rpm)
Motor Lowered by
175 mm, belts
changed from
SPC3150 to SPC 2800
figure 3. frequency Spectrum of Motor Vibration

before Modification
figure 5. Motor Vibration versus Pump Speed (after

Modification)
note: Vertical axis: Vibration (mm/sec)
horizontal axis: Pump Speed (rpm)
The two options considered for correcting the resonance

problem concentrated on increasing the natural frequency by
increasing the stiffness of the motor support. These options
were:
1. Stiffening the motor support by welding cross braces
between the base to which the motor is attached and the
fabricated steel base that supports the threaded fasteners.
2. Lowering the motor by 175 mm (6.89 inches) and change
the belts. A sketch of this option is included in Figure 4.
The second option was selected for the trial since it did not
require major mechanical work. It required only modification
of the guard and replacement with a shorter belt when the
motor was lowered. Since the type of belt was not modified,
the load factors for the belt did not change.
Ashok Bhogle is a predictive maintenance

engineer for the Murrin Murrin operations
of Minara Resources Limited in Western
Australia. He has been actively involved in
the field of condition monitoring for over
21 years in the petrochemical and mining
industries. He is certified by the Vibration
Institute as a Vibration Analyst: Category
III. He can be reached at abhogle@minara.com.au.
Follow-up vibration surveys confirmed that the equipment

was no longer resonant at operating speeds. Figure 5 shows
a survey of vibration levels versus speed after modification.
Vibration reduction from levels of 63 mm/sec (2.48 ips) to 5
mm/sec (0.20 ips) was a success for the Condition Monitoring
Team. The solution was implemented for the rest of the pumps
of the same design with resonance issues.
MARCH 2012
Vibrations | 21
3/20/12 11:20 AM
Newly Certified Individuals

2011-2012
newly ceRtIfIed IndIVIdualS
December 1, 2011 February 29, 2012
categORy I eXaM
Juan Carlos Albavera Hernandez, Juan
Manuel Almeida Lugo, Jose De Jesus
Avina Cueto, J. Jesus Ayala Medina,
Noel Belmonte Gonzalez, Sergio GPE
Bio Felix, Ismael Damian Calderillo,
Sergio Gabriel Calvillo Rodriguez,
Keith Camara Loria, Luis Antonio
Camerana De La Fuente, Ing. David
Campos Villagomez, Delfino Carmona
Ramirez, Jose Manual Augusto Carreto
Fernandez, Ricardo Everado Carrillo
Napolez, Alejandro Cerda Lopez, Eric
Cervantes Cruz, Angel Enrique Chavez
Valdes, Erick Paul Contreras Rivera,
Ivan Cortes Pelaez, Jorge Jesus Damian
Loyola, Ricardo Delgado Arellano,
Jose Luis Dominguez Mendez, Naveen
Avil Oswald Dsouza, Hector Duran
Novelo, Ricardo Elias Espino Osuna,
Keith Falcao, Rafael Guadalupe Flores
Revoreda, Eloy Alejandro Flores
Ruiz, Eloy Alberto Garcia Villanueva,
Juan Carlos Gutierrez Bautista, Jorge
Antonion Herrera Cahuich, Eugene Lai,
Roberto Christian Lara Roldan, Ing.
Alejandro Lopez Ramirez, Hemanath
Manohar, Jesus Alberto Mariscal Garcia,
Victor Hugo Mata Ibarra, Armando
Mendoza Nava, Jorge Armando Michel
Diaz, Juan Manuel Monroy Violante,
Jose Oscar Moreno Cortes, Juan Pablo
Naarro Orozco, Antonio Esteban Neria
Merino, Juan Manuel Olvera Olvera, Juan
Osorio Ontanon, Alfredo Ortiz Oviedo,
Ruben Pecero Sobrevilla, Jazz Keith
Peters, Hector Efrain Prado Sanchez,
Alfredo Rivera Feregrino, Jesus Enrique
Rodriguez Campos, Carlos Roberto
Rodriguez Cardenas, Javier Alejandro
Rodriguez Govea, Angel Antonio Salas
Perez, Ing. Eleuterio Santiago Ramirez,
Mike Skvarka, Oscar Solar Campa, Brian
Tafolla, Gustavo Adolfo Valenzuela
22 | Vibrations
Cueva, Abraham Vidal Peralta, Christian

Henry Villadonga Guzman, Pedro Zapata
Menchaca, Jose Arturo Zea Monhera,
Jose Arturo
categORy II eXaM
Dan Addington, Michael Akin-femi
Akinuli, Nasser Hamed Al-Hinai,
Amr Hassan Ali, Yousuf Mohammed
Al-Jabri, Nasser Sulaiman Nasser
Alkhanjari, Tariq Khalifa Ahmed AlSabahi, Bader Monsour Salim Al-Salmi,
Chinniah Amburose, Doug Ayers,
Ghouse Shahinshah Basha, Gautam
Nikhilchandra Bhattacharya, Andrew
Boggs, David Bray, Neil Brooks, Andres
Caceres Lara, Justo Canales Ferre,
Brian Cary, Carolina Izquierdo Castilla,
Henry Cruz Huiman, Justin Davis, Steve
Deases, Serief Atef El Beshlawy, Osama
Elbshir Elnahrawy, Beau Fulford, Barry
Gallant, Juan Jose Gambos, Suryakant
Vithal Gawde, Charles Lee Henderson
II, Mohamed Hussein Abdel Rahman
Hussein, Kuddush Syed Ibrahim,
Jobin P. Jacob, Dinesh Bhawarlal Jain,
Balasubramanian Krishnakumar, Sujit
Kshatri, Pathakota Sudheer Kumar
Reddy, Luis Torres Lagos, Arshad
Mansoor, Hecner Merino, Youssef
Ibrahim Mikhail, M. Meeran Mohideen,
Abel Ortega Mollar, Muhamad Saiin
Mustofa, Thangavelu Muthukumaran,
Abdulrahman Noordeen Shamsudeen,
Christopher Olsen, Joseu Rosemberg
Coutino Ozuna, Alex Rogelio Pachas
Sulca, Pratap Ramrao Patil, Richard
Earl Pratt, Alex Quispe Quispe, Sudhar
Rajagopalan, Palanisamy Ravi, Imanel
Kostany Rebello, Purushotham Reddy,
Wilmers Cruz Rodriguez, Rafael Rozo,
Mohamed Salahudeen K.H., Ghilmar
Jhonatan Santos Chauca, Manish
Kumar Saxena, Lawrence V. Seger,
Scott Self, Murugesan Sellapillai,
Ramasany Senthil Kumar, Rajeev
Rajkumar Singhai, Phil Slifkin, Kevin
Small, Mark V. Stokley, Scott Stranford,

Edwin Eugene Todd Jr., Jose Torres
Mejia, Subramanian K. Vaidyanathan,
Vijayakrishnan Venugopal, Mukesh D.
Vyas, Manojkumar B. Wagh, Tiffany
Ann Ward, Dan West, Prasada Rao
Yaramatti, K.S. Mohamed Yasar Ali,
K.S. Mohamed
categORy III eXaM

Amr Hassan Abayazeed, Mitchell
Anderson, Bernard Boueri, R. Dennis
Conroy, Shawn Covington, Shawn
Michael
Feuser,
Ahmed
Sayed
Mohamed Ismail, Roshan Joseph, Jeff
Kenney, Steve Kouma, Sudalaimuthu
Muthusamy, Brian Pae, Dakshina Murthy
Ram Sekar, Guna Sager Malla, Ramesh
Seshan, Muthusamy Vaikundam,
categORy I balancIng eXaM

Fredy Sansom
MARCH 2012
3/20/12 11:20 AM
Certification Corner
Vibration Institute Vibration

Analyst Certification Renewal
Requirements Explained
by brian biby
ArcelorMittal
by nancy denton, P.e.
Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Technology
Purdue University
abStRact
The renewal process within the Vibration Institutes Vibration

Analyst certification program is in place to offer a path to
recertification of certificants who are competent and current in
their knowledge at a specific level without the burden of taking
another examination. There have been recent changes to the
Vibration Institutes Vibration Analyst certification renewal
form and underlying policy. These changes are designed for
continued compliance with the intent of the renewal process, to
be more equitable to certificants, and to continue to satisfy the
needs of industry and other stakeholders. This article explains the
motivation behind the changes to the renewal process and how
they will affect certificants.
bacKgROund
The Vibration Institute is accredited by ANSI to operate in

accordance with ISO/IEC 17024 [1] as a third-party certification
body for Vibration Analyst classification. The certification
scheme used is based on ISO 18436 [2, 3], which states that
certificates issued may be valid for no more than five years.
The Vibration Institute vibration analyst scheme complies with
Parts 1 and 2 of the ISO 18436 standard; Part 2 is specific to
Vibration Analyst classification, while Part 1 contains additional
language regarding the requirements for certification bodies that
deal with the ISO 18436 Condition monitoring and diagnostics
of machines family of standards. These standards come with
requirements for clear audit processes, separation of certification
and training programs, definition of the relevant body of
knowledge and specific certification exam criteria.
In compliance with these standards, the Vibration Institute
has long offered a methodology to renew vibration analysts
certificates without requiring the certificant to recertify by
MARCH 2012
examination, providing certain criteria are met. The criteria

are primarily continued work in the field without significant
interruption, ongoing ethical behavior and verifiable evidence
that the certificant has engaged in activities that serve as evidence
the certificant continues to comply with the current certification
requirements. Some of this evidence is obtained through
proactive surveillance activities; some evidence is documented
and declared by the certificant on the renewal application. To
date, no specific training or examination in specific Body of
Knowledge (BOK) subjects is required for renewal.
The purpose of any personnel certification scheme is to provide
value to industry and stakeholders by certification of individuals
to their various classifications based upon a standardized body
of knowledge, job description, and task summary for each.
Certification to such an established standard or other set of
criteria offers confidence that certified individuals can adequately
perform all the job functions safely and correctly, and require
no further training to do so. Certification must serve both the
industry and the stakeholders; therefore, a certification body must
be responsive to industry, stakeholders and the standards.
MOtIVatIOn fOR change
Feedback received by the Vibration Institute and its vibration

analyst scheme committee revealed a potential disparity in
renewal point requirements between the different classification
categories of vibration analysts. The same 30-point requirement
was being applied to all four classification categories. This was a
simple implementation, but based on the experience, training and
depth of knowledge a certificant in each category must possess,
clearly too much was being asked of entry-level certificants and
too little of more advanced certificants. In addition, confusion
about the interpretation of some of the point-eligible activity
listings on the renewal process form needed to be addressed.
Renewal POlIcy change
In response to industry and stakeholder needs, the Vibration

Institute vibration analyst scheme committees diverse,
international and seasoned subject matter experts collaborated to
resolve this disparity. (Figure 1 offers more information about
the Vibration Analyst Certification Scheme Committee). The
solution is a tiered renewal-point requirement based on certificant
category, where increasing point values apply as certificants
Vibrations | 23
3/20/12 11:20 AM
move to more advanced categories. Although certification

category may have little effect on vibration-related experience
points, category does have a marked effect on the amount of
participation in technical activities a vibration analyst must
exhibit to demonstrate continued compliance with certification
requirements. The revised point requirements of 24, 28, 32
and 36 based on certification category are being rolled out in
progressive stages and are being advertised. The category I
and II reductions are already in effect; the Category III and IV
increases will be effective at the beginning of 2013 and 2014,
respectively.
figure 1. Vibration analyst Scheme committee
Roles and Responsibilities
Vibration analyst (Va) certification Scheme

committee Roles and Responsibilities
The VA Scheme Committee is a group of approximately
25 Category III and IV certificants who are Vibration
Institute members. This committee is responsible for
the development, ongoing review, and maintenance
of the certification scheme. They meet regularly to:
Develop, review and revise vibration analyst
certification exam questions
Propose certification policies and procedures to the
board of directors
Ensure compliance with applicable standards
Address any ethics and/or misconduct issues
related to exam takers, certificants and proctors/
invigilators
Questions about certification and the renewal
process should be submitted Karen Bresson,
Vibration
Institute
executive
director.
Exam
applications and renewal forms are available online at
www.vi-institute.org or call (630) 654-2254.
ReVISed Renewal fORM
A review of the renewal application form layout, instructions

and related details was part of the VA Certification Scheme
Commities effort to improve the renewal process. Again, the
focus of the review is to better serve industry and the certificant
while maintaining the integrity of the certification scheme. Table
1 compares key elements of the legacy and current renewal
forms. The current renewal form, VI_Form_CF024_R3_201107-10 [4], is now available as a fillable PDF document on the
Vibration Institute website.
One challenge of the legacy form was its layout. The format
of four half-pages has been modified to four full-size pages
to accommodate both typed and handwritten entry. Another
challenge was the lack of point limits and requirements in each
section. The form has been modified to make it clear to the
certificant how many points are required and how many points
may be earned from each experience and technical activity
section. The current renewal form should be quite adaptable
24 | Vibrations
to online application if the Vibration Institute chooses to

accommodate online submission.
The term vibration-related appears in both Experience and
Technical Activities sections of the form. The legacy forms
use of this term without explanation created confusion. On the
revised form, it is well-defined for better understanding and
usability by the certificant. Vibration-related includes all
the subjects and topics of the Body of Knowledge and job task
analysis. As reminders, some often overlooked BOK-related
items such as alignment, mechanical work electrical work, and a
host of companion PdM technologies are listed. Each grouping
has its own point cap reflecting the job task analysis and the
breadth of the Body of Knowledge. The Institute interpretation
of vibration-related has not been altered, but now the
certificant has a much better understanding of its relationship
to the Body of Knowledge, companion technologies, specific
maintenance and repair corrective activities and particular point
limits attributable to these non-core activities.
The distribution of experience points earned was slightly
increased to better reflect the value of ongoing vibration-related
work experience. Investment of 10 percent of a work year into
vibration-related activities is now recognized with 1 point,
while an investment of 60 percent of a work year is needed to
earn 4 points. A maximum of 20 points may be earned from
work experience during the five-year certification period.
The three sections related to Technical Activities are more
comprehensible and better spelled-out to the certificant:
The Documented Training technical activity now contains
more descriptive language about the types of training
eligible, points earned, frequency and value of points earned
for similar activities, and a cap of 16 points earned from
Documented Training activities.
The Meeting and Conference Attendance technical activity
now contains more descriptive language about the eligible
activities, points earned, frequency and value of points earned
for similar activities, annual point caps on the subcategories
of meetings and conference attendance, and a cap of 16 points
earned from Meeting and Conference Attendance activities.
The Presentations and Publications technical activity now
contains more descriptive language about eligible activities,
points earned, frequency and value of points earned for similar
activities, and a cap of 16 points earned from Presentations
and Publications activities.
The update to the renewal application form and its point system
has effectively addressed the concerns raised by industry
and certificants about the potential disparity and difficulty of
renewal for a certificant who in fact had adequate experience
and technical activities but was taxed to support his/her efforts
appropriately on the form.
The only significant change to the certification renewal policy
is the implementation of tiered increasing point requirements,
MARCH 2012
3/20/12 11:20 AM
which better reflect the participation in technical activities a

vibration analyst must exhibit at each classification category
to demonstrate continued compliance with certification
requirements. The interpretation and evaluation of items on
the renewal application by the Vibration Institute remains

essentially the same. What has changed is the ability of the
certificant to better understand the criteria and be more aware
of the eligible activities and their limits.
table 1. Renewal Of Vibration analyst certification Policy/form comparison
Legacy Renewal Policy/Form

Four pages, 5.5 x 8.5 size, application format.
Paper fill-in format only; difficult electronic use.
Unclear, easy-to-miss subcategory items.

Single, non-dated, certificant signoff.
2011 Revised Renewal Policy/Form
Form Layout
Four pages, letter size, application format.

Paper and electronic fill-in format.
Easily adaptable for online submission.
Form Summary and Attestation
Clear and concise; easy to understand layout.

Certificant verification initials and date each page.
25% of work/year to earn 1 point/year.

50% of work/year to earn 2 points/year.
>50% of work/year to earn 4 points/year.
20 points maximum over 5 years.
Significant interruptions not noted on form.
Vibration-Related Experience
10% (220 hours) work/year to earn 1 point/year.

20% (440 hours) work/year to earn 2 points/year.
40% (880 hours) work/year to earn 3 points/year.
60% (1,320 hours) work/per year to earn 4 points/year.
20 points maximum over 5 years.
Disqualification for significant interruption noted.
Technical Activity - Documented Training
Points earned stated, but not for which activities.

Underlying limit of similar, repeated activities only valid once
per 5 year period.
Very limited space for documenting activities.
No cap on points earned by documented training.
Points earned stated clearly per activity.

Clear limits on repeated activities, with some relief for multiple
activities.
Ample space for documenting activities.
Cap of 16 points by documented training.
Technical Activity - Meeting and Conference Attendance
Unclearly defined point-earning activities.

Silent on point limits of similar, repeated activities per time
interval.
Vibration-related committee work status unclear.
Very limited space for documenting activities.
No cap on points earned in each subcategory; No cap on
points earned per year; No cap on combined points for
meeting and conference attendance.
Clearly defined point-earning activities.

Clear direction on points earned from repeated activities per
time interval.
Vibration-related committee work included in scope.
Per-year caps on points earned in each subcategory; Cap of
16 points combined for meetings and conference
attendance.
Technical Activity - Presentations and Publications
Points earned per original presentation and original article are

clearly stated.
Technical publication clearly defined.
Silent on points limit of similar, repeated activities and on
when points are not earned for each.
Very limited freeform space for documenting activity.
No cap on points earned by presentations and publications.
Points earned per original presentation or original article are

clearly stated.
Technical publications are clearly defined.
Clear stated point limits for similar, repeated activities and
clearly stated that no points earned are earned from
repeated activities.
Cap of 16 points earned from presentations and publications.
Informative Text and Information
Few instructional reminders to aid for completion.

Clear appeals and complaints information.
Silent on definition of vibration-related activities.
Silent on companion PdM activities; no point caps.
Silent on corrective activities; no point caps.
MARCH 2012
Instructional reminders to aid in form completion.

Clear appeals and complaints information.
Clear instruction on local definition of vibration-related
activities.
Clear inclusion of companion PdM activities and cap on
applicable points earned due to these technologies.
Clear inclusion of certain equipment corrective activities and
cap on points earned due to those activities.
Vibrations | 25
3/20/12 11:20 AM
Certificants will likely find it easier to qualify for renewal using

the revised form and tiered point system. However, this should
not be seen as lowering standards or sacrificing of the integrity
of the certification scheme. On the contrary, responding to the
needs of all stakeholders by modifying the required points and
better educating certificants about the renewal process produces a
more robust and equitable method to assess and verify continued
compliance with current certification requirements.
The Vibration Institute remains responsive to the needs of industry
and certificants alike and will continue to improve and adapt its
policies and practices to better serve stakeholders, comply with
applicable standards such as ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024 and ISO
18436, reinforce the integrity of its certification schemes, and
remain relevant to all parties. As times change, both standards and
stakeholder needs change. The Vibration Institute will respond to
these changes, ensuring the Vibration Institute remains a premier
accredited certification body.
RefeRenceS
1. ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024 Conformity assessment - General requirements for

bodies operating certification of persons
2. ISO 18436-1 Condition monitoring and diagnostics of machines Requirements for training and certification of personnel - Part 1: Requirements
for certifying bodies and the certification process
3. ISO 18436-2 Condition monitoring and diagnostics of machines Requirements for training and certification of personnel - Part 2: Vibration
condition monitoring and diagnostics
4. Vibration Analyst Certification Renewal form CF024. http://www.viinstitute.org/assets/1/7/VI_FORM_CF024_R3_2011-07-10.pdf.
Brian Biby holds a B.S. in Electrical Sciences

and Systems Engineering from Southern
Illinois University. For the last 20 years he has
focused on condition diagnostic technologies,
vibration analysis, and related supporting
technologies and systems. Currently employed
by the worlds largest steel producer, he holds a
Category IV vibration analyst certification, is a
member of the Vibration Institute board of directors and chair of
the Vibration Institutes vibration certification scheme committee.
He also holds a Certified Lubrication Specialist certification, is
active on and has chaired the NWIBRT Reliability Subcommittee,
participates on the AIST Maintenance and Reliability Technical
Committee and is a member of SMRP. He can be reached at
brian.biby@arcelormittal.com
Nancy L. Denton, P.E., is professor and
associate department head for mechanical
engineering technology at Purdue University,
where her special teaching and research
interests are machinery health-monitoring and
data acquisition. Her industrial experience
includes design engineering for the Naval
Avionics Center and acoustical engineering
for Digital Equipment Corporation. A member of the Vibration
Institutes board of directors, she chairs the academic committee,
serves on the vibration certification scheme committee and is a
Category III Vibration Analyst . She is a member of ASME and an
ASEE fellow. She can be reached at dentonnl@purdue.edu.
5. Certification and Accreditation for Condition Monitoring and Diagnostics;

David A. Corelli and Brian G. Biby, 2 pp, Sound and Vibration, November
2010. http://www.sandv.com/downloads/1011edit.pdf.
June 19-22, 2012

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Register Today for the

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One-day tRaInIng SeSSIOnS:
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Acceptance Testing
Basic Monitoring
Electro Static Technology
Journal Bearing Monitoring & Analysis
Machine Condition Evaluation
Machine Vibrations Standards & Guidelines
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Orbital Analysis
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Signal Processing
Time Waveform Analysis
For more information or to register: (630) 654-2254 information@vi-institute.org

www.vi-institute.org
26 | Vibrations
MARCH 2012
3/20/12 11:20 AM
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Vibrations
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5 Successful Predictive Vibrations - March - 2012

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Vibrations

March 2012 | Volume 29, Number 1

For the Vibration Analyst Community

146273 Vibrations r7.indd 1

Meggitt Sensing Systems,

lity & Serv

LifeTime Warranty adds to Meggitts

146273 Vibrations r7.indd 2

Practical applications. expert Knowledge. Real-world Solutions.

april 10-13, 2012

december 4-7, 2012

april 10-13, 2012

May 15-18, 2012

May 15-18, 2012

September 11-14, 2012

October 1-4, 2012

ROtOR dynaMIcS (Rd)

July 24-27, 2012

november 6-9, 2012

July 24-27, 2012

For more information or to register: (630) 654-2254 information@vi-institute.org www.vi-institute.org

146273 Vibrations r7.indd 3

146273 Vibrations r7.indd 4

letter from the President

managers want and need is information, not merely data. They

On our new website, you will soon find

letter from the President

146273 Vibrations r7.indd 5

newly certified Individuals

Malcolm leader, P.e.

he rotordynamics of pumps covers a wide range of

For the purposes of this paper, a pump is defined as a device

146273 Vibrations r7.indd 6

in general. The two primary factors that differentiate the

many seals, the pump rotordynamics are often much more

SMall SIngle-Stage OVeRhung PuMPS

Single-stage overhung pumps (SSOH) are ubiquitous. A

figure 1. cutaway View of Simple Single-Stage

Figure 1 illustrates a simple single-stage centrifugal pump.

146273 Vibrations r7.indd 7

This generic pump rotor example is completely fictitious but

The actual bearing loads can be affected by hydraulic loads

figure 5. Second critical Speed Mode Shape of SSOh

Modeling a small SSOH pump without the eye-seal effects and

The first critical speed of an overhung rotor will be pivotal,

146273 Vibrations r7.indd 8

SealS and the lOMaKIn effect

Liquid annular seals are designed to restrain liquid flow

from these two pressures causes a centering direction force.

Taking an example eye-seal for the pump in Figures 7 and

Per Lomakin, if the impeller perturbations are small, the

SSOh PuMP wIth Seal and PedeStal

figure 9. complete Model with flexible Pedestals and

figure 8. typical Seal direct damping

146273 Vibrations r7.indd 9

ReSPOnSe tO Vane-PaSS fRequency

To consider the effect of vane-pass frequency on the example

1. Nicholas, J.C., and Barrett, L.E., The Effects of Bearing Support

11. Black, H. F. and Jenssen, D. N., Dynamic Hybrid Bearing Characteristics

Malcolm Leader, P.E. owner of Applied

2. Leader, M.E., Practical Rotor Dynamics, Proceedings of the Vibration

146273 Vibrations r7.indd 10

Your motors may be at risk!