VIBRATION SIGNAL

FUNDAMENTALS

June 2, 2014
 OBJECTIVES

• Discuss the fundamentals of vibration.

• Define the measurement terminologies to
be used extensively in the later parts of the
training.
• Differentiate relative phase from absolute
phase.
• Use a computer based training software to
increase the learning process.
 IMPORTANT TERMINOLOGIES

• Amplitude • Overall vibration

• Frequency • Filtered vibration
• Phase • Node
• Form • Mode shape
• Position • Relative phase
• Peak to peak • Absolute phase
• Zero to peak
• Root mean squared
 WHAT IS VIBRATION?

Vibration is the mechanical oscillation around

a reference position.

VELOMITOR

MOTOR PROBE

ROTOR
 WHY MEASURE VIBRATION?

Two reasons in measuring vibration:

1. To determine the machine condition -

whether the vibration is acceptable or not.

2. To diagnose a mechanical problem – to

answer: “what is causing the vibration?”

Vibration is only a symptom!

 WHAT ARE STATIC & DYNAMIC
SIGNALS?
A Static signal slowly varies with time (e.g.
process variables) while Dynamic signal varies
with time (e.g. transient vibration).
 VIBRATION PARAMETERS

• Displacement - the change in position of a

body from rest position (μm, mm, mils)
• Velocity - the time rate of change of
displacement (mm/s, in/s)
• Acceleration - the time rate of change of
velocity (ms2, g’s).
MATHEMATICAL RELATIONSHIP
 CONVERSION

V D = displacement
D
2f V = Velocity
A = Acceleration
A
V 
2f
f = frequency

A  2πfV
VIBRATION SIGNAL CHARACTERISTICS
• Amplitude – the magnitude of vibratory motion
(peak-to-peak, zero-to-peak, root mean squared).
• Frequency – the repetition rate of a periodic event
(Hertz, cpm, orders).
• Phase – the angular or timing relationship between
two signals (degrees).
• Form (e.g. Orbit) – the shape representation of
vibration.
• Position (e.g. Gap voltage, shaft centerline) – the
location of the shaft at certain time or speed
plotted using x versus y probe.
 AMPLITUDE MEASUREMENT

HARMONIC MOTION

RMS 0 - pk
-10Vdc pk - pk
DC GAP Voltage

Peak to peak = 2 x peak

Peak = 1.414 x RMS

0 RMS = 0.707 x Peak
 OVERALL & FILTERED VIBRATION

• Overall vibration is the amplitude within a specified

frequency range. For casing vibration measurements,
the typical frequency range is from 10 to 1,000Hz (600 –
60,000 cpm) based on ISO to cover all the frequency of
interest. However, this bandwidth is not applicable for
low speed equipment in BGI.

• Filtered vibration is the amplitude that is multiple of

running speed (e.g. 1x, 2x, 3x…).
 FREQUENCY
Frequency is the repetition rate of vibration per unit of
time (Hertz, cpm and orders).
PERIOD, T

1
F=
T

0 90 180 270 360

 WHAT IS PHASE?

Phase is the timing relationship between two

events.

Two types of measurements:

• Relative phase – from 0 to 180 degrees.

• Absolute phase – from 0 to 359 degrees

RELATIVE PHASE
 RULES FOR RELATIVE PHASE
MEASUREMENT
A. There must be two filtered vibration signals.
B. These two signals must have the same frequency.
C. Either of these signals may be the reference signal.
D. Relative phase is measured between 0 and 180
leading or lagging, in-phase or out-of-phase.
 DATA INTERPRETATION

• Amplitudes are ‘In-Phase’ if cross-

phase = 0° to 40° or 320° to 360°.
• Amplitudes are ‘Out-of-Phase’ If cross-
phase = 140o to 220o.
ABSOLUTE PHASE
EXAMPLE
 RULES FOR ABSOLUTE PHASE
MEASUREMENT
A. Two signals (filtered vibration and a reference signal)
B. The frequency of the filtered vibration signal must be
an integer multiple of the reference signal.
C. Absolute phase is measured from the reference signal
and is therefore always a lag angle, measured from o
to 360.
D. The 0 location is defined as the point on the shaft
under the reference vibration transducer when the
keyphasor pulse occurs.
MODE SHAPE
 WHAT IS A NODE?
A node is a location of zero dynamic motion
for a given modal shape.

A) Below first critical

NODE NODE

B) Between first & second critical

C) Between second & third critical

 WHAT IS OPERATING DEFLECTION
SHAPE (ODS)?
ODS is a method or feature in a portable
analyzer for identifying the mode shape of a
machine or structure at operating condition
with the use of software animation.
 USES OF PHASE ANGLE
MEASUREMENTS
1. Rotor balancing
2. Shaft crack detection
3. Shaft/structural resonance detection
4. Shaft mode shape
5. Direction of vibration
6. Location of fluid induced instability sources
DIRECTION OF VIBRATION
END OF PRESENTATION