Bently Nevada

The Plant Asset Management Company

SM

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods
Presented by:
Timothy S Irwin, P.E.
Machinery Management Engineer
Bently Nevada, Machinery Diagnostics Group
Ph: 803-408-3079
[email protected]

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods

Odontics
Websters Dictionary Pertaining to the teeth
May be used to describe the branch of kinematics that is
concerned with the transmission of continuous motion
from one body to another by means of projecting teeth.

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods

Safety First!!!
Awareness of equipment surroundings:
Temperature extremes.
Exposed rotating components.
Access to installed equipment.
Unusual operating conditions.
Local operational equipment.
HEARING PROTECTION!
Keep yourself out of the Line of Fire as much as possible!!
Stay along the shaft axis as much as possible.
Installed equipment inspections
Proper Lock-out/Tag-out process.
Do not take unnecessary risks.
Get the job done and get out.

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods

Five Fundamental Gear Frequencies

Additional Component Frequencies
Fundamental Frequency Analysis
Transducer Selection and Monitoring

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods

The Five Fundamental Frequencies

Gear rotational frequency, Hz...................(f rg)
Pinion rotational frequency, Hz.................(f rp)
Mesh frequency, HZ................................(f m)
Tooth repeat frequency, Hz......................(f tr)
Assembly phase passage frequency, Hz.....(fa)

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods

To develop the five fundamental

frequencies you need the following
information:
Number of teeth on the pinion...................(N p)
Pinion speed, rpm......................................(R p)
Number of teeth on gear............................(N g)
Gear speed, rpm........................................(R g)
Ratio, Ng/Np or Rp/Rg..............................(M g)
Additional helpful information is: rotor
arrangement, bearing configuration, shaft rotations,
etc. Basically any technical detail you can find.

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods

Calculating the Fundamentals:

Gear Frequency, Frg = Rg / 60 (Hz)
Pinion Frequency, Frp = Rp / 60 (Hz)
Tooth Mesh Frequency,
Fm = Frp x Np (Hz) or Frg x Ng (Hz)
Assembly Phase Frequency, Na =
Product of the common prime factors:
Fa = Fm / Na (Hz)
Tooth Repeat Frequency (Hunting tooth),
Ftr = (Fm x Na) / (Ng x Np) (Hz)
Tooth Repeat & Assembly Phase AVI

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods

Fundamentals Example
Gear Frequency (Frg), 18 = 1080 / 60 (Hz)
Pinion Frequency (Frp), 30 = 1800 / 60 (Hz)
Tooth Mesh Frequency (Fm),
270 (16,200 cpm) = 30 x 9 (Hz) or 18 x 15 (Hz)
Assembly Phase Frequency (Fa), Na =
Product of the common prime factors:
90 (5,400 cpm) = 270 / 3 (Hz)
Tooth Repeat Frequency (Hunting tooth) (Ftr),
180 (10,800 cpm) = (270 x 90) / (15 x 9) (Hz)

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods

Gear Frequency Relationships

To Obtain

Ftr

Frg

Frp

Fa

Na/Ng

1/Mg 1

Frg

Na/Np

Fm

Na/(Ng x Np) 1/Ng 1/Np 1/Na

Fm

Multiply
Frp

by

Mg

Np/Na Np
Ng/Na Ng
1

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods

Additional Component Frequencies

Tooth Problems
Alignment
Cracked
Broken
Wear
Bearings
Sleeve
Rolling Element
Resonances
Balance

Eccentricity/Backlash
Pitch Line Runout
Apex Runout
Rubs
Ghost

Frequencies

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods
Additional Component Frequencies
Tooth Problems
Cracked or Broken
Typically should be seen as an increase in 1x of the running
speed of the gear or pinion that has the problem. Can be hard to
distinguish from other 1x problems.
Should be seen easier in the Waveform as a spike with a frequency
of 1x of the running speed of the gear or pinion that has the
problem.

Wear
Overall energy levels are increasing.
Can be seen as an increase in 1x of the damaged component.
If the wear is severe enough can also be seen to excite a gears
natural frequency. May see sidebands of damaged gear.

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods
Additional Component Frequencies
Tooth Problems - continued
Alignment - Internal

Higher amplitudes at multiples of gear mesh

frequency.
Running speed sidebands around the GMF multiples.

Alignment External
Cross coupling phase change.
Increased 2x of the coupling running speed.
This condition if severe enough may cause internal
misalignment of the gearing causing additional issues.

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods
Additional Component Frequencies
Bearings
Sleeve
Oil Whirl Approximately 0.35 to 0.45x of
running speed.
Excessive shaft to bearing looseness
Increased 1x, multiples of 1x
Mechanical looseness 1x multiples

Rolling Element Bearings

BPFI, BPFO, BSF, FTF
Looseness issues

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods
Additional Component Frequencies
Resonances
Perform resonance studies or calculations to
identify frequencies in question.
Structural
Fabricated gearbox panels
Rotor/Gears

Balance
Rotor/Gears
Coupling

Eccentricity/Backlash
Higher amplitudes of GMF
Sidebands around GMF

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods
Additional Component Frequencies
Pitch Line Runout
This is an similar to an eccentricity issue
Shows higher GMF and sidebands

Apex Runout
Double Helical or Herringbone gears
May show axial frequencies at 1x of the problem gear,
multiples of 1x, and if errors occur on both gears possibly
sum and difference frequencies.

Rubs
Seals
Lack of lubrication to bearings/gears
Can show fractional 1x frequencies

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods
Additional Component Frequencies
Ghost Frequencies
A relatively rare defect that shows up as a frequency typically
higher than GMF, but is not high enough to be a GMF multiple.
Manufacturing errors that are driven by vibration from the
manufacturing drive train. Typically can be traced to the number of
teeth on driving the cutter and cutter rpm.

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods
Fundamental Frequency Analysis
How do we go about identifying and evaluating the problem?
Gather Known Facts
Nameplate data
Equipment component information
Equipment maintenance history
Include equipment repair costs
Equipment operating and historical data
Include production loss costs
Available vibration data
Area Inspection
Use all appropriate safety precautions
Inspect the equipment installation; look, listen, and feel.
Notice any structural (floor) changes in vibration close to
or farther away from the machine

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods
Fundamental Frequency Analysis
Additional Vibration Data
Collect any additional vibration data that is desired.
Horizontal, vertical, axial
Phase
Various frequency spans and resolutions
Waveforms
Evaluation
Is the issue a nuisance problem?
Is the issue a critical equipment problem?
Is the problem a recent or gradual change?
Are all the frequencies of interest identified?
What are the vibration energy levels?
Is there a large difference between the waveform overall
energy and the spectral overall energy?
Is the equipment unique or one of many?
Is there available data on similar machines?

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods
Fundamental Frequency Analysis
Recommendation will be based on the following:
Available Information and Resources.
Available Analysis Tools.
Analyst Experience.
Criticality of Machine and Process.
Availability of Repair Opportunities.
Goals of the Maintenance and Operations Groups
Do they want early indications?
Do they want to know I need to do something now?
Cost Variabilities Production loss, repair/replacement, etc.

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods
Transducer Selection and Monitoring
Transducer Selection
Be aware of the data collection transducers (and
systems) limitations relative to the monitoring
application.
Frequency Range
Sensitivity Range
Natural Frequency Range
Mounting Sensitivity
Weight and Size
Temperature limitations
Measurement Units vs. Desired Analysis Units
Typical Transducers
Accelerometers General, high frequency, and low frequency
Velocity Probes Seismic and Piezoelectric
Non-contact Eddy Current

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods
Transducer Selection and Monitoring
Transducer Selection - continued
What do we want from the measurements and monitoring?
Repeatability
Reasonable Accuracy
Effective Measurements

Can the monitoring equipment measure the typical

changes that may occur in the vibration signature?
Need to compare the monitoring system design with
the equipment design and typical fault development.

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods
Transducer Selection and Monitoring
Transducer Selection - continued
Casing Measurements Accelerometers and Velocity Probes
Very good for equipment with rolling element bearings.
Can be limited when dealing with sleeve bearing equipment.
Non- Contact Eddy Current Probes
Very good for equipment with sleeve bearings.
Can be limited on higher frequencies such as GMF.
Can be limited on obtaining bearing defect frequencies from
Rolling Element Bearings

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods
Transducer Selection and Monitoring
Example Sleeve bearing equipment and use of
accelerometer vs. eddy current probe.
Accelerometer will show you the casing movement, not
the direct shaft movement.
How much of the shaft movement is transmitted (or damped,
or multiplied)?
Many of the frequencies will be transmitted, the concern is
what is the real energy level of the shaft vibration.
Orbit (movement shape) of the shaft within the bearing
clearance is also inferred and not directly measured.

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods
Transducer Selection and Monitoring
Example cont. Sleeve bearing equipment and use of
accelerometer vs. eddy current probe.
Eddy current probe will show you the actual shaft
movement within the bearing clearance relative to the bearing
housing (or mounted location).
Shaft movement within the bearing is directly measured.
Position of the shaft within the bearing and shape of the
movement (orbit) can be very useful.
Phase reference of the shaft movement can also be
critical during analysis of changing vibration signature.
Location of the shaft at standstill can also be used to
determine whether sleeve bearing has significantly wiped
or not.

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods
Transducer Selection and Monitoring
Eddy Current Probe vs. Accelerometer
Amplitude level variations
Have seen reductions and increases in amplitudes shown
in casing dependent on machine design, installation, and
fault.
Large 650 MW Turbine 25+ mils on shaft during balance
resonance, 3+ mils measured on bearing pedestal.
14,000 HP Boiler Feed Pump 1.4 mils on casing during
steady operation, 5+ mils on shaft.
However, casing or support resonances can appear to
reverse this condition and allow shaft and housing to reach
extreme amplitude levels.

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods
Transducer Selection and Monitoring
Monitoring
Once you have reliable, accurate, and effective data

We are looking for Change!!

Set up the desired functions in the monitoring database
Various alarms
Various plots
Various trends

Set

up the desired functions for the most likely faults

first and leave yourself some leeway for the unexpected!

Gearbox Spectral Components

and Monitoring Methods

The End

Any Questions?