Measurement of Speed &

Acceleration
 Speed : rate of change of displacement

• Like displacement speed can also be of two

types:
• 1) Linear speed, m/s, v
• 2) Angular speed, rad/s, ω
• In the context of measurement schemes the
terms speed and velocity are used
interchangeably.
 Linear Speed Measurement:
Four types :
• Electromagnetic type
• Seismic type
• Doppler Effect type
• Digital type
Electromagnetic Velocity Meters
Seismic Velocimeter
Doppler type
 Angular Speed measurement
• Angular speed measurement is more common
than linear speed measurement. This can be
measured mechanically and electrically .
• The device which measures angular speed is
known as tachometer.
• Essentially tachometers have been classified
as : 1) Mechanical tachometer
2) Electrical tachometer
 Mechanical Tachometers:

• Revolution Counter
• Hand held speed indicator
• Centrifugal force/Fly-ball tachometer
• Vibrating reed tachometer
 Revolution counter

Can measure speed up to 50 rps, not a good method

because requires a counter that works in sync with the
gear rotation.
 Hand held Speed Indicator

Can measure speed up to 500 rps accuracy depends on the accuracy of

watch Both these arrangements measure avg speed
Centrifugal Force /Fly ball tachometer

Can be used up to 750 rps . Measures

instantaneous speed Used in automobile
industries
 Vibrating Reed Type

Approximate measurement of speed up to 150 rps

 Electrical Tachometer
• They are further classified as :
1) Contact type
2) Non contact type/ contact less
 Contact type tachometers
• Drag cup type tachometer
• Commutated capacitor type tachometer
• DC Tachogenerators
• AC Tachogenerators
 Drag Cup type tachometer

Instantaneous speed up to 200 rps. Used in vehicle

speed measurement
Drag cup type: rotor type

V0 = k. ω(t)
DC Tachogenerator

Produces an output of 0.15 – 0.2 mV/rps

 AC Tachogenerators

PMMC meter is calibrated to read the speed directly. A range up

to 10 rps is quite common
 Contact less
• Variable reluctance or inductance type
• Variable capacitance type
• Opto-electric/Photo electric type
• Stroboscope
Variable reluctance type tachogenerator

Speed = Pulses per sec/No of Teeth

N= P/T
If no of teeth are 60 , then the speed can be directly
given by pulses/sec
Variable capacitance type

Speed = Pulses per sec/No of vanes

N= P/T
Similar to the earlier calculations
Photo electric type tachometer

The output of light sensor can be given to the wave shaper

circuit, which is amplified and counted by the counter
Another type of optical tachometer
 Stroboscope
• These are also of two types :
• Mechanical
• Electrical
Former one is more obsolete than the later one.
It is based on dynamic vision of human eye.
Principle: If a moving (rotating) object is being incident
with strong flashes of light of fixed frequency and if
the object occupies the same position at the time of
each flash, the object will appear stationary and rate
of rotation of object is equal to the flashing rate
Mechanical disk type stroboscope
Flashing rate = Frequency of shaft
Use of strobocope
 Vibration and acceleration
• Vibration : rapid motion of the object around a
position
• Acceleration: rate of change of velocity
• //for a vibrating platform both the terms can be
used interchangeably
• Vibration or acceleration amplitude is measured
as m/s2
• Vibrometers or accelerometers are designed for
the purpose
 Need of Vibration Measurement:
• Vibration in a machine is quite serious problem
because it can cause:
• 1. disastrous failure when resonance and fatigue are
induced due to it.
• 2. Faulty production, by incorrect operation of
equipment
• 3. Excessive wear and tear
• 4. Human discomfort such as motion sickness,
breathing and speech disturbance
 Units and Characteristics of Vibration
• i) frequency , Hz
• ii) amplitude of measured parameter which may be
displacement, velocity or acceleration
Vibrating motions can be simple harmonic motions:
Displacement x = A sinωt
Velocity v= dx/dt = Aω cosωt
Acceleration a = dv/dt = -A ω2 sinωt
Vibration level = 20 log10 A1/A2 dB
The internationally accepted reference values are:
v = 10^-3 m/s
a = 10^-5 m/s2
 Accelerometers

• Piezoelectric accelerometer
• Seismic mass accelerometer
• Strain gauge based accelerometer
• Capacitive vibrometer
• Inductive vibrometer
• Reed type vibrometer
Piezoelectric and seismic mass
Strain Gauge Accelerometer
Vibrometers : Inductive & capacitive
 Condition for measurement
• If we want to measure vibration than input
frequency must be higher than the natural
frequency of the vibrating element. i.e.
ω>>ωn
• If we want to measure acceleration than input
frequency must be lower than the natural
frequency of the vibrating element. i.e.
ωn >> ω
Applications areas of vibration measurement
• Engineering
• Biology
• Industry
• Building and structural monitoring
• Medical
• Navigation
• Transport
• Volcanology
• Consumer Electronics & Gravimetry