13-Jul-19

Different Types of Equipment

Used for Vibration Analysis

Introduction
• Excessive vibration is most often caused by misalignment of equipment or
components, unbalanced rotating equipment, or loose components (e.g. bolts).
• If not addressed, prolonged vibration can result in damage to equipment and may
even cause system failure. Fixed, rotating, and structural assets are all susceptible to
problems caused excessive vibration.
• Vibration analysis is an important element in reliability centered maintenance,
condition monitoring and predictive maintenance programs.
• The purpose of these Vibration Analysis is to determine how equipment will respond
to an applied load or external force. Vibration analysis can also be used to determine
the root cause of failure
• The key benefits of identifying and mitigating vibration problems include reducing
the risk of failure, extending the life of equipment, and lowering overall maintenance
costs.

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Introduction
• In its simplest form, vibration is a repetitive motion of a structure and can occur in numerous
forms.
• Various types of vibration (e.g. free vibration, forced vibration, flow-induced vibration, random
vibration, etc.) can be measured for analysis.
• The purpose of these Vibration Analysis is to determine how equipment will respond to an
applied load or external force.
• Vibration analysis can also be used to determine the root cause of failure.

Why is vibration testing important?

• Predictability. Studies have shown that vibration testing can provide early
warnings of impending machine failure, giving maintenance staff time
to schedule required repairs and acquire needed parts. One customer
saved thousands of dollars a year by eliminating unneeded PMs on
just 1 machine all with no failures in over 3 years.
• Safety. Having information about machine health enables operators to
take faulty equipment offline before a hazardous condition occurs.
• Revenue. Well-maintained machines have fewer unexpected and
serious failures, helping to prevent production stoppages that cut into
the bottom line. One customer increased annual production by 4 days
adding millions to the company’s bottom line

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Why is vibration testing important?

• Increased maintenance intervals. When machine health is being tracked,
maintenance can be scheduled by need, not just by accumulated hours of
operation. One customer increased intervals by almost 3 years on hundreds of
pumps
• Reliability. Monitored machinery has fewer unexpected or catastrophic
failures. One customer reduced almost daily outages to near zero

Why is vibration testing important?

• Cost savings. Running machinery until failure often results in more expensive
repairs, overtime, excessive energy waste, and forced purchases. One customer
dropped the annual maintenance budget on a large group of critical pumps in
half – hundreds of thousands $
• Peace of mind. A better understanding of machine health builds confidence in
maintenance schedules, budgeting, and productivity estimates.

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Who can best use vibration tools?

• Entry-level technicians use the screening tool to screen for potential problems
• Experienced technicians use the tester to diagnose common faults and root cause

• Finally, call in a service provider if needed for the few machines at the top of the
pyramid or machines with complex faults.

Who can best use vibration tools?

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How is Vibration testing performed

Vibration analysis basics
• Vibration for a moving object can best be illustrated as a sine wave
that repeats over and over along the horizontal axis. See below the
mass on a spring that generates a sine wave of vibration as it moves
up and down over time. One complete sine wave is a cycle. The time
it takes for the cycle to repeat is the frequency or speed of the
waveform.

How is Vibration testing performed

Vibration analysis basics
• The vibration waveform also has an amplitude or magnitude that can be
measured in the vertical axis. There are three ways that the waveform’s
amplitude can be reported

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Equipment's used for vibration analysis

• Vibration Surveying and Monitoring
• Experimental Modal Analysis (EMA)
• Operational Modal Analysis (OMA)
• Computer Simulations
• Frequency (spectrum) analysis

Vibration Surveying and Monitoring

• Monitoring is the simplest way identify vibration problems.
• Inspectors will install portable vibration sensors (e.g., probes) in multiple
locations to acquire data about the type and magnitude of vibrational
modes.
• The recorded data provides information to inspectors on the severity of
the problem and on what type of analysis should be performed next.
• Sometimes, long-term monitoring is necessary.
• Vibration monitoring allows operators and inspectors to determine
appropriate inspection and maintenance intervals as well as identify causal
relationships between facility operating conditions and vibration problems.

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Vibration Surveying and Monitoring

We have several dedicated staff in the Monitoring

Department consisting of:
• Project managers for both on-site and off-site
management of manual monitoring and automated
monitoring systems including liaising with clients on a
day-to-day basis for peace of mind
• Database and processing technicians for management of
monitoring databases, websites and reporting
• Monitoring surveyors to provide consistency and
precision in manual monitoring projects

Experimental Modal Analysis (EMA)

• EMA is type of vibration test that involves applying various loads to a
sample and measuring the resulting vibration signals.
• The applied loads simulate what the sample would experience in
operating conditions.
• This method provides a theoretical solution that is used to correct
vibration problems or calibrate computer models.
• Additionally, this technique is applied when equipment is not in
service.

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Operational Modal Analysis (OMA)

• Compared to EMA, OMA is performed when background noise signals
make it difficult to distinguish from actual vibration signals.
• OMA is also performed while equipment is in service
• This method is achieved by installing vibration sensors to measure
operating vibration modes and natural frequencies.

Computer Simulations
There are two components of computer simulations :

Finite Element Analysis (FEA)

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)

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Finite Element Analysis (FEA)

• FEA has the ability to simulate real-world situations.
• Additionally, various operating conditions can be tested before the
component is in service.
• This means that modifications can be made in a computer system rather
than an actual component.
• Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is a computerized system of theoretical
modeling used to predict stress locations and causes of failures in different
materials.
• This method is useful for simulating, modeling, and analyzing problems
that could affect complicated systems, such as oil pipelines or oil platforms.

COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS (CFD)

• This is a specialized analysis of fluid flow and heat transfer applications.
• The technique optimizes the design and performance of critical components such
as compressors, coolers, pulsation control elements and piping systems. Wood
Group can provide CFD analysis for your design projects.
• CFD is also a valuable tool that simulates flow-induced vibration problems often
found in a petroleum refinery or chemical processing facility.

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Spectrum analyzer
 it is the device which is used to analyses signal amplitude with respect to
frequency. The primary use is to measure the power of the spectrum of known
and unknown signals
Optical spectrum analyzers also exist which use direct optical technique such as
monochromator to make measurement
Monochromator is a technique exist to separate out the wavelength

Spectrum analyzer
An electro-optical detector is used to measure the intensity
of light by using refractive or reflective techniques to
separate out wavelength of light
The display of a spectrum analyzer has frequency on the
horizontal axis and amplitude displayed on the vertical axis.

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Spectrum analyzer
The same thing is seen in the spectra from a real rotating machine:
 These peaks are at specific frequencies that represent vibrations
going on in the machine.
 Machine diagnostics involves matching the peaks in the spectrum
with events that exist in the machine
 Spectral analysis is the primary tool we use to diagnose the condition
of rotating machines

Overall Vibration (OV) analysis

Overall vibration analysis is much simpler, but there is no detail:
• From the same vibration data, one single overall vibration value is calculated, which represents
the average energy of the vibration sample.
• The meter uses this single value as an indicator of the overall health of the machine (trend graph)
and compares it to standards (ISO 10816-1)
• The tester uses this single value to help confirm the diagnostic report to and to indicate if a
problem other than a fault (foundation, resonance) may be present.

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Overall Vibration (OV) analysis

Industry Application

• Vibration analysis can be performed on all equipment that is subject

to vibration problems.
• Piping that transports fluid, equipment that cycles between different
temperatures and pressures, and rotating equipment are among the
most susceptible components to experience vibration.
• This analysis should be performed shortly after start-ups and repairs
to ensure equipment is operating within integrity operating windows.

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Different ways to find speed for a shaft

• Laser tachometer
• Contact tachometer
• Stroboscope
• Display on the variable frequency drive

Laser tachometer

• Need to stop machine and attach reflective tape

• Very accurate and easy to use (Spikes Per Minute =
RPM)
• Preferred method but not always convenient

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Contact tachometer

• No need to stop machine to attach

reflective tape
• Not always the best method – limited
access & safety concerns
• Need to have physical contact with
rotating component
• No limit of shaft speed or lighting
conditions (like stroboscope)

Stroboscope

• No need to stop machine to attach

reflective tape
• Best method unless shaft speed is
very low (< 500 RPM)
• FPM (Flash Per Minute) = RPM

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Display on the variable frequency drive

• Display on the variable frequency drive

(just do some quick math – it doesn’t
have to be exact, just in the ball park) VFD
% X motor nameplate speed

Use the 810 to find the speed

• (just setup a test for a small stand-alone motor) Take
one measurement from the motor bearing, Diagnose,
and find 1X peak (biggest peak). The speed of the
peak will be shown in Cycles Per Minute (RPM)

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Why a vibration tester is needed

• A simple three step process provides machine condition answers
without difficult analysis.
• Repairing machines only when they fail decreases production
revenue while increasing energy waste and maintenance costs.
• Seeing early warnings of impending machine failure empowers
maintenance staff time to schedule repairs.
• Most machine failures come from four common faults: imbalance,
misalignment, bearings and looseness.

Why a vibration tester is needed

• Just like a doctor that diagnoses most problems without the need to
see a specialist—90 % of machines are standard motors, pumps, fans,
compressors, blowers, gears, belts that have very few variables.
• The vibration tester has a proven auto diagnostic program based on
30 years of machine baselines to analyze machines for you and get
you back to work.

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Why a vibration tester is needed

Reduce training costs:
• Easier and faster measurement using the triaxial sensor
• Automated built-in expert diagnostic engine
• Extensive setup, trending, analysis, on-site expert not needed to get
machine answers
• Training is the key to a successful proactive maintenance program —
easy to learn the steps to review diagnostic results

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