analysis easier
•
Tony DeMatteo, 4X Diagnostics, LLC
Tags: vibration analysis, condition monitoring, predictive maintenance
The vibration analysis process involves determining the vibration severity, identifying
frequencies and patterns, associating the peaks and patterns with mechanical or
electrical components, forming conclusions and, if necessary, making recommendations
for repair.
Everybody involved in vibration analysis knows that analyzing vibration is not easy nor
automated. Have you ever wondered why? Here are a few reasons:
1) Machines Have Multiple Faults: The vibration patterns we learn in training and
read about in books just don’t look the same in the real world. We learn how mechanical
and electrical faults look in the purest form – as if there was always only that one
problem on the machine causing vibration. Machines usually have more than one
vibration-producing fault. At a minimum, all machines have some unbalance and
misalignment. When other faults develop, the waveform and spectrum quickly become
complicated and difficult to analyze. The data no longer matches the fault patterns we
have learned.
2) Cause and Effect Vibration: For every action, there is a reaction. Some of the
vibration we measure is the effect of other problems. For example, the force caused by
rotor unbalance can make the machine look like it is out of alignment, loose or rubbing.
Consider all of the things that shake and rattle on your car when one tire goes out of
balance.
3) Many Fault Types Have Similar Patterns: Because machine rotors rotate at a
particular speed, and vibration is a cyclical force, many mechanical and electrical faults
exhibit similar frequency patterns that make it difficult to distinguish one fault from
another.
Learning to analyze vibration just takes time. Training courses, technical publications and
other resources such as online resources and commercial self teaching material are
available that can improve analysis skills and shorten the learning curve.
There is one diagnostic technique which quickly gets to the source of most vibration
problems. It is possibly the most powerful of all vibration diagnostic techniques. It has
been around as long as vibration analysis itself yet hasn’t gotten a lot of attention, and
it’s rare to find good information about the subject. What is this technique? It’s called
phase analysis.
What is Phase?
Phase is the position of a rotating part at any instant with respect to a fixed point. Phase
gives us the vibration direction. Tuning a car engine using a timing light and inductive
sensor is an application of phase analysis (Figure 2).
Absolute phase is measured with one sensor and one tachometer referencing a mark
on the rotating shaft (Figure 3). At each measurement point, the analyzer calculates the
time between the tachometer trigger and the next positive waveform peak vibration. This
time interval is converted to degrees and displayed as the absolute phase (Figure 4).
Phase can be measured at shaft rotational frequency or any whole number multiple of
shaft speed (synchronous frequencies). Absolute phase is required for rotor balancing.
Figure 4. Absolute phase is calculated between the tach signal and vibration
waveform.
Soft Foot
The term soft foot is used to describe machine frame distortion. It can be caused by a
condition where the foot of a motor, pump or other component is not flat, square and
tight to its mounting, or many other things, such as machining errors, bent or twisted
feet and non-flat mounting surfaces. Soft foot increases vibration and puts undue stress
on bearings, seals and couplings. Soft foot on a motor distorts the stator housing
creating a non-uniform rotor to stator air gap resulting in vibration at two times line
frequency.
A good laser shaft alignment system should be used to verify soft foot by loosening the
machine feet one at a time.
Phase can be used to identify soft foot while the machine is in operation. Measure vertical
phase between the foot and its mounting surface. If the joint is tight, the phase angle is
the same between surfaces. If the phase angle is different by more than 20 degrees, the
foot is loose or the machine frame is cracked or flimsy. Figure 8 is an example of the
phase shift across a soft foot.
Figure 8. A phase shift between the foot and mount may indicate soft foot.
Confirm Imbalance
A once-per-revolution radial vibration usually means rotor unbalance. Use phase to prove
imbalance is the problem. To confirm imbalance, measure the horizontal and vertical
phase on a shaft or bearing housing. If the difference between the phase values is
approximately 90 degrees, the problem is rotor unbalance (Figure 10). If the phase
difference is closer to zero or 180 degrees, the vibration is caused by a reaction force. An
eccentric pulley and shaft misalignment are examples of reaction forces.
Shaft Misalignment
Shaft misalignment is easily verified with phase. Measure each bearing in the horizontal,
vertical and axial directions. Record the values in a table or bubble diagram as shown in
Figure 12. Compare the horizontal phase from bearing to bearing on each component
and across the coupling. Repeat the comparison using vertical then axial data. Good
alignment will show no substantial phase shift between bearings or across the coupling.
The machine in Figure 12 has a 180-degree phase shift across the coupling in the radial
directions. The axial directions are in-phase across the machine. The data indicates
parallel (offset) shaft misalignment.
Figure 13 is a simple ODS of three direct-coupled shafts. Phase and magnitude were
measured from permanently mounted X and Y displacement probes on a turbine
generator. The values listed in the table were used in ODS software to animate a stick
figure drawing of the high- and low-pressure turbine shafts and the generator shaft. The
picture to the right of the table is a capture from the ODS animation showing the
vibration pattern of each shaft and the relative motion between shafts at 3,600 cycles
per minute (turning speed).
Conclusion
Condition-based vibration testing is a vital component of a reliability based maintenance
program. Vibration sensors, instruments and software are able to provide key
information about machine health. The weak link in the chain is the analyst’s ability to
interpret the data, accurately diagnose the problem and trend the fault until it is time to
recommend corrective action. Phase analysis is a very powerful diagnostic tool. Every
vibration analyst should be using phase to improve vibration analysis accuracy.