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Transducer typologies | Power-MI

Aug 21, 2023 2:16 PM

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Vibration sensors and measurement devices

Transducer typologies
By Alfonso Fernandez

Introduction to maintenance

Vibration analysis fundamentals

Vibration sensors and measurement devices

Transducer typologies

Displacement sensors

Seismic velocity transducers

Piezoelectric transducers

Sensor mounting techniques

Vibration measuring instruments

Vibration standards

Imbalance and phase measurement

Low frequency fault diagnosis

Plain bearings

Gears
Rolling element bearings

AC induction motors

Resonance

The transducer is the element that transforms the mechanical vibration into an
analog electrical signal, to be processed, measured and analyzed. Taking into
account its constructive principle, there are vibration displacement, velocity and
acceleration transducers, each of them more or less suitable for every specific
industrial application.

All transducers must be accurate when taking amplitude readings, offering

repeatability (two input signals with the same amplitude generate the same
transducer voltage output). Vibration transducers must also be very accurate
regarding the frequency information contained in the mechanical signal. This is
fundamental because in many mechanical defects, the relationship between the
frequencies associated to the defect and the rotating frequency of the shaft used as
a reference provides the analyst with precise information to determine the nature of
the mechanical defect originating the vibration.

The different types of transducers respond to different vibration physical quantities,

as shown in the following table:

Type Sensitive to

Displacement sensor or proximity probe Displacement

Seismic velocity transducer or velometer Velocity

Piezoelectric transducer or accelerometer Acceleration

Table 3.1: Vibration transducer types

Displacement measurement values are especially suitable for low frequency vibration
or when the analyst needs to know precisely the movement of a rotor and not just the
 transmitted
part of the vibration Product Learn support.
to the bearing Sign These
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English are
taken directly with displacement transducers and are an indicator of the stress or
strain the machine is suffering.
Power-MI in it
Velocity
IN THISreadings
PAGE: are generally those of wider use, since velocity is an indicator of the
level of vibration severity and is proportional to the level of fatigue that a mechanical
Introduction
free
system is sustaining. These can be taken with a seismic velocity sensor, although
Transducer
accelerometers are more often used for their better frequency response and lower
types
cost. The accelerometer signal is processed to be converted to velocity units.
Unit
conversion
Acceleration is the parameter that gives the best indication of the internal forces
associated with a particular source of vibration (F = m × a).

The procedure of converting a displacement signal to velocity, or a velocity one to

acceleration is equivalent to mathematical differentiation. Conversely, the
acceleration to velocity or velocity-to-displacement conversion is mathematical
integration. It is possible to carry out these operations with instruments that measure
vibration and in this way convert the data from any system of units to any other. From
a practical point of view differentiation is a noisy procedure in itself, and used in very
rare occasions. Integration, on the other hand is carried out very accurately, with a
cheap electronic circuit or via software. That is one of the main reasons why the
accelerometer is the standard transducer for vibration measurements, since its
output signal can be easily integrated once or twice to obtain velocity or
displacement. The integration is not suitable for signals with a very low frequency
(typically below 1 Hz), since in this area the noise level progressively increases and
the accuracy of the integration procedure greatly reduces.

Most commercially available integrators work well above 1 Hz, which is low enough
for almost all industrial machinery diagnosis applications.

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