Power Spectral Density
Power Spectral Density
Power Spectral Density
By Tom Irvine
Email: [email protected]
March 18, 2000
_____________________________________________________________________
Introduction
Random vibration is represented in the frequency domain by a power spectral density
function. The overall root-mean-square (RMS) value is equal to the square root of the
area under the curve. The purpose of this tutorial is to explain the integration procedure.
0.1
ACCELERATION (G /Hz)
2
0.01
0.001
10 100 1000 2000
FREQUENCY (Hz)
Figure 1.
1
2
Note that the power spectral density amplitude is represented in units of (G /Hz). This is
2
an abbreviated notation. The actual unit is (GRMS /Hz).
Derivation
The equation for each segment is
y
y( f ) = 1 f n (1)
f1n
The exponent n is a real number which represents the slope. The slope between two
coordinates ( f 1, y 1 ) and ( f 2 , y 2 ) is
y
log 2
y1
n= (2)
f
log 2
f1
f 2 y1 n
a 1= ∫
f1
n f df (3)
f 1
y1 1 n + 1 f 2
a1 = f , for n ≠ − 1 (4)
n +
f 1 n 1 f1
y
a1 = 1
n
f 1
[
1 n+ 1
n + 1 f 2 ]
− f 1n + 1 , for n ≠ − 1 (5)
2
The second case is
f 2 y1 − 1
a1 = ∫ f1
− 1 f df , for n = − 1 (6)
f 1
∫f 1 [y1f1 ] f
f2 df
a1 = , for n = − 1 (7)
[ ]()
f2
a 1 = y1f 1 ln f , for n = − 1 (8)
f1
[ ]
a 1 = [y1 f1 ] ln( f 2 ) − ln( f 1 ) , for n = − 1 (9)
f
a 1 = [y1 f1 ] ln 2 , for n = − 1 (10)
f 1
[ ]
yi 1
n f i + 1n + 1 − f i n + 1 , for n ≠ − 1
f i n + 1
a i= (11)
f
[ i i ] f , for n = − 1
y f ln i + 1
i
m
L = ∑ ai (12)
i= 1
3
Example
Consider the power spectral density function in Figure 1. The breakpoints are given in
Table 1.
Table 1.
Power Spectral Density
Freq Level
(Hz) (G 2/Hz)
10 0.002
100 0.04
1000 0.04
2000 0.02
2
f 1 = 10 Hz y 1 = 0.002 G /Hz
2
f 2 = 100 Hz y 2 = 0.04 G /Hz
0.04
log
0.002
n= (13)
100
log
10
n = 1.3 (14)
0.002
a1 =
101.3
1
1.3 +
1
[
1001.3+ 1 − 101.3+ 1 ] (15)
0.002 1
a1 =
10
1.3 [
2.3
2.3 100 − 10
2.3
] (16)
a 1 = 1.726 G 2 (17)
4
Consider the second pair:
2
f 2 = 100 Hz y 2 = 0.04 G /Hz
2
f 3 = 1000 Hz y 3 = 0.04 G /Hz
0.04
log
0.04
n= (18)
1000
log
100
n = 0. (19)
0.04 1
a2 =
100 0 + 1
0 [
10000 + 1 − 1000 + 1 ] (20)
0.04 1
a2 = 10001 − 1001 (21)
1 1
a 2 = 36.000 G 2 (22)
2
f 3 = 1000 Hz y 3 = 0.04 G /Hz
2
f 4 = 2000 Hz y 4 = 0.02 G /Hz
0.02
log
0.04
n= (23)
2000
log
1000
n = -1. (24)
5
Substitute into equation (11).
2000
a 3 = [( 0.04)(1000)] ln (25)
1000
a 3 = 27.726 (26)
6
APPENDIX A
0.1
Overall Level = 6.0 grms
2
0.04 g / Hz
+3 dB / octave -3 dB / octave
PSD ( g / Hz )
2
0.01
0.001
20 80 350 2000
FREQUENCY (Hz)
Figure A-1.
Derivation
2
Assume that a1 and a 2 each has an amplitude in G /Hz. The difference in dB between
a1 and a 2 is
a
∆ dB = 10 log 2 (A-1)
a1
7
Furthermore,
a 2 = a1 10 ∆ dB / 10 (A-2)
a
log 2
N= a1 (A-3)
f
log 2
f1
Solve for a 2 .
f a
N log 2 = log 2 (A-4)
f1 a1
N
f 2 a
log = log 2 (A-5)
f1 a1
N
a 2 f 2
= (A-7)
a1 f1
Thus,
N
f
a 2 = a1 2 (A-8)
f1
8
Now consider a one-octave frequency separation.
f 2 = 2 f1 (A-9)
a
log 2
N= a1 (A-10)
log[]2
∆ dB / 10
N= (A-11)
log[]
2
Note that ∆ dB represents the dB/octave slope in equation (A-11). Again, equations
(A-10) and (A-11) assume a one-octave frequency separation.
Now substitute equation (A-11) into (A-8).
∆ dB / 10
f 2 log[]2
a 2 = a1 (A-12)
f1
Example
Calculate the amplitude at 2000 Hz for the power spectral density in Figure A-1. The
slope is -3 dB/octave.
Note
f1 = 350 Hz
f 2 = 2000 Hz
a1 = 0.04 G 2 / Hz
9
− 3 dB / 10
2 2000 Hz log[]
2
a 2 = 0.04 G / Hz (A-13)
350 Hz
Now calculate the amplitude at 20 Hz for the power spectral density in Figure A-1. The
slope is +3dB/octave.
Note
f1 = 80 Hz
f2 = 20 Hz
a1 = 0.04 G 2 / Hz
Substitute into equation (A-12). Note that this equation allows f 2 < f1 .
+ 3 dB / 10
20 Hz log[] 2
a 2 = 0.04 G 2 / Hz (A-15)
80 Hz
a 2 = 0.01 G 2 / Hz at 20 Hz (A-16)
10