Basics Vibration Measurement
Basics Vibration Measurement
Basics Vibration Measurement
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INSTRUMENTATION TOOLS
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Vibration
What Is Vibration
What is Vibration
Vibration is static and dynamic imbalance of equipment.
Vibration is the oscillation, or moving back and forth of an object. The word vibrations
consciously or unconsciously use it as a measure of how well things are running. For vibration
to get start it takes some effort, either external or internal to get vibration going, some input of
energy through an applied force. Once we have put energy into the system to make it vibrate,
how do we characterize the vibration? Amplitude and frequency are common characteristics.
When we deal with several vibration phase also will becomes important.
The force we apply to vibrate directly affects the
vibration. The more force we apply, the greater
the vibration amplitude. But what acts to limit the
vibration? As we make stiffer, like a spring, the
amplitude of vibration decreases. We can say that
3 physical characteristics control the vibration.
Mass
Stiffness (spring)
Damping
Vibration measurement
The principle characteristics of the vibration signal
that we measure are
AMPLITUDE
FREQUENCY
PHASE
Amplitude
Amplitude is a measure of how severe the vibration is and can be expressed in 3 different ways:
Peak to peak, Zero to peak and RMS, depending on what signal we are measuring.
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Each vibration transducer measures the vibration in a different way, either a relative
measurement or an absolute measurement.
Relative measurement
The proximity transducer system measures the motion of the shaft relative to the transducer tip.
As the transducer is located close to the bearing (less than 6) the proximity probe can be
considered to measure the motion of the shaft relative to the bearing. This gives an indication of
the amount of available clearance taken up by the shaft motion. If the transducer mounting is in
motion due to vibration, this will result in an output from the transducer which will appear as if
the shaft is moving.
If the shaft and the transducer mounting are moving together in phase, the resultant output from
the probe will be zero as if there is no shaft vibration. Great care in mounting should be taken to
ensure that this situation will not arise.
Absolute measurement
Absolute measurement or seismic measurement are made using either a velocity or
acceleration transducer mounted on the bearing housing or machine casing. Absolute
measurements are needed where casing or housing motion is significant. The velocity or
acceleration transducer measures motion relative to free space, with the coil as reference for
the velocity transducer and the mass as reference for the acceleration transducer.
Shaft absolute measurement is made by measuring the shaft relative displacement using a
proximity probe and the bearing displacement using either a velocity probe or accelerometer.
The velocity or acceleration measurement are integrated (or double integrated in the case of
acceleromter) and then subtracted from the shaft relative displacement.
Only in rare cases is the shaft absolute displacement required or machine measurement, shaft
relative displacement usually provides sufficient information.
Position measurement
Axial Thrust position
This is a measurement of the rotor within the thrust bearing clearance. The measurement is
usually made using two proximity probe mounted in the thrust bearing observing the thrust
collar.
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increase to the second preset level the monitor will indicate the alarm but unless both this
signals exceeds this value the relay will not change its state.
Radial Position
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