Vibration

Measurement
Sensors

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 Who is Wilcoxon Research?

Started in 1960 by engineers from United

States Navy Research Laboratory
Developed Accelerometers, Impedance
Heads, and Reaction Shakers

Primary sales are to industrial customers

Pulp & Paper
Machine Tool
Power Generation
Petrochemical
Food Processing
Steel & Aluminum

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 Who is Wilcoxon Research

Early Markets were Naval Engineering and

Test for US, French, and British Navies
Entered Condition Monitoring in the early
1980s with Palomar, Scientific Atlanta,
and CSI

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 Wilcoxon Research Today

Worlds largest manufacturer of industrial

accelerometers
Located in Metropolitan Washington DC
along the I 270 Technology Corridor
Approximately 120 employees

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 Basic Vibration Sensors

Ele c tro dynamic

Velocity Trans duc e r
Acc e lerome te r
Noncontacting
Displacement
Transducer

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 Eddy Current Probe Fabrication

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 Eddy Current Probe - How It Works

Three matched components - Driver, probe and extension cable

Voltage applied to the Driver causes an RF signal to be generated
Signal is transmitted to the probe by the extension cable
Coil inside probe tip serves as an antenna and radiates high frequency
energy into free space
Any conductive material within the field absorbs energy and causes
output of probe to decrease proportional to gap distance

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 Eddy Current Probe

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sensors.ppt Page 9
 Eddy Current Specifications

Calibrated Range 80 mils beginning at approx. 10 mils

Scale Factor 200mV/mil over a 80 mil range
Linearity 200 mV/mil straight line +/- 0.8 mils
Frequency Response 0 to 600,000 CPM (Theoretical)
Temperature Range Driver
-60 F to +212 F
Probe and Cable
-30 F to +350 F
Relative Humidity to 95% noncondensing

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 Fabrication of Electrodynamic Velocity Sensor

Housing vibrates while the spring-suspended coil remains stationary

Amplitude of the output voltage is proportional to the velocity of the
vibration

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 Types of Accelerometers

Piezoelectric
Charge mode
Internally amplified

Strain Gauge
Piezoresistive
Variable Capacitance
Others

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 Piezoelectric Accelerometers
Mo unting
Measures Acceleration Co nn e c to r
Am plifie r S c re w

P ie zo c e ram ic

Velocity or Displacement
S e is m ic
Output Available Mas s

Co nne c to r
Mo unting Bas e
Very Sensitive 2339b

Contacting S e is m ic Ma s s
Am plifie r
P ie zo c e ra m ic s

Measures Absolute Casing

Motion Co nne c to r
Mo u nting
B as e

23 3 9a

Measures Very Low

Frequency Am plifie r
P ie zo c e ra m ic s

Measures Very High Mo unting

S e is m ic Ma s s

Frequency Ba s e
2208a - R1

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 Piezoelectric Accelerometer - How It Works

Piezoelectric material (sensing element) is

placed under load using a mass Co nne c to r

As stack vibrates, crystal is squeezed or

released S e is m ic Ma s s
Am plifie r
Charge output is proportional to the force P ie zo c e ram ic s

(and acceleration)
Mo unting
Bas e
Electronics convert charge output into 2339a

voltage output

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 Operational Range

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 Vibration vs. Frequency

1,000
Very Little Vibration
100 Displacement (mils pp)
Amplitude in terms of
10 Acceleration is Produced
EU 1.0
at Low Frequencies
(mils pp)
(ips)
(g) 0.1
Much Larger Amplitudes
Velocity (ips)
are produced in terms of
.01 Displacement
Acceleration (g)
.001

.0001
.1 1 10 100 1,000 Hz
.6 60 600 6,000 60,000 cpm
FREQUENCY 1607-R1

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 Eddy Probe

Advantages Disadvantages
Low frequency response Difficult to install
(to 0 Hz) Practical limits of high
Can measure relative frequency displacement
displacement measurement
Useful as a key phasor Calibration dependent
for dynamic balancing & on shaft material
analysis Shaft runout / glitch
Reliable if property produces false signals
installed and maintained

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 Electrodynamic Velocity Transducer

Advantages Disadvantages
No external powering Not useful for very
Powerful signal Output low frequency

Easy to use (not as Not useful for very

sensitive to mounting high frequency
problems as alternative) Moving parts wear
Ability to operate at Mounting orientation
elevated temperatures may be important
Size
Accuracy (resolution /
noise as compared to
alternatives)

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 Internally Amplified Accelerometer

Advantages Disadvantages
Very wide frequency Not responsive to 0 Hz
Wide amplitude range Internal Amplifier
Broad temperature limits temperature
range
Velocity or
displacement output
available
Rugged, industrial
design

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 Low Frequency
Accelerometer Considerations

High Sensitivity Co nne c to r

Low Noise
Am plifie r
Low Pass Filter P ie zo c e ram ic s

Environmental Protection S e is m ic Mas s

Mo unting
B as e
Overload Protected 2208a - R1

Resists Thermal transients

Low Strain Sensitivity
Limited Amplitude Range

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 Sensitivity Selection

799M

793, 786A
797, 736

732A, 732AT

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 Electronic Sensor Noise

Sets the Absolute

Measurement Floor
Increases as
Frequency Decreases
Dependent on Charge
Sensitivity

PZT Piezoceramics are very sensitive and must be

used for Low Frequency Accelerometers

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 500 mV/g

100 mV/g

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 Electronic Sensor Noise
Electronic Sensor Noise can be Improved by using
more Lines of Resolution
The Cost is greater Measurement Time
Data Acquisition Time = Lines/Fmax
Lines of Res olution 400 800 1600 3200 3200
Electronic Spectral Noise of
a Low Frequency Sensor 0.16 g 0.11 g 0.79 g 0.056 g
(1 g/
Hz)
Measurement Time 40 sec 80 sec 160 sec 320 sec (5.3 min)
Per Data Set
Measurement Time for
Four (4) Averages Without 160 sec 320 sec 640 sec 1,280 sec (21.3 min)
Overlapping
Measurement Time for
Eight (8) Averages Without 320 sec 640 sec 1,280 sec 2,560 sec (42.7 min)
Overlapping
2348a - R1

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 Summary of Concepts

Reminder - very little motion in terms of acceleration is

produced at low frequencies

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 Strain Gage Accelerometers

Metal (wire or foil) strain gages on a beam or diaphragm

structure
Measure strain caused by inertial forces on mass
Low sensitivity and/or low natural frequency
Rarely used; being replaced by PR and VC

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 Piezoresistive Accelerometers

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 Variable Capacitance

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 Servo Force Balance

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