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1. Vibration Measuring Instruments

Generally in vibration measurement scheme, motion (dynamic force) of the vibrating body is converted into an electrical signal using a vibration transducer or a pickup. A transducer is a device that transforms changes in mechanical quantities such as displacement, velocity, acceleration or force into changes in electrical quantities such as voltage or current. Since the output of a transducer is too small to record directly, a signal conversion instrument is used to amplify the signal to the required level.

Machine or structure

Vibration transducer

Signal conversion instrument

Data analysis

Display unit recorder or computer

Fig. 1. Basic vibration measurement scheme

The output from the signal conversion instrument can be presented on a display unit for the visual inspection or can be recorded by a recording unit or stored in a computer for later use. The data can be analyzed to determine the desired vibration characteristics of the machine. Depending upon the quantity measured, vibration measuring instrument is called vibrometers, velocity meter, accelerometer, phase meter or frequency meter. In some applications the structure or the machine is to be vibrated to find its resonance characteristics. Electrodynamic or Electrohydraulic vibrators and signal generators are used for this purpose.

2. Transducers
Transducer is a device that transforms values of the physical variable into equivalent electrical signals. Several types of transducers are available. Some of the transducers used in vibration measurement are discussed in the following sections. 2.1 Vibration Pickups When a transducer is used in conjunction with another device to measure vibrations, it is called a vibration pickup. The commonly used vibration pickups are known as seismic instruments. A seismic instrument consists of a mass-spring-damper system mounted on a

vibrating body. The vibratory motion is measured by finding the displacement of the mass relative to the base on which it is mounted. Fig. 2.1 shows a seismic instrument which consists of a mass m , suspended on a spring stiffness k and a dashpot of damping coefficient c inside a cage. And the cage can be fastened to the vibrating body. Assuming a harmonic motion for the vibrating body as

y(t) = Y sin t
The equation of motion of the seismic mass is

(3.1)

& & m&& + c(x y) + k(x y) = 0 x

Defining z as the relative displacement, the equation of motion become

& m&& + cz + kz = m&& z y

(3.2)

Range of accelerometers
Z Y
x(t) m c y(t) 1.0
= 0.5 = 0.8 0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 r =0 = 0.1 = 0.2 = 0.3

Range of vibrometers

Fig. 2.1 Seismic instrument

Fig. 2.2 The response of a seismic instrument

(3.3) (3.4)

& m&& + cz + kz = m 2Ysin t z

The response of seismic mass is

z (t) = Z sin ( t )
where

Z =

Y r2 (1 - r 2 )2 + (2r)2

= tan 1

2r 1- r2

2.2 Vibrometer
A Vibrometer or a seismometer is an instrument that measures the displacement of a vibrating body. It can be observed from Fig. 2.2 that Z Y 1.0 , when n 3.0 . Thus the relative displacement between the mass and the base is essentially the same as the displacement of the base. Thus Eqn. (3.4) can be written as

z (t) = Y sin ( t )

(3.5)

If

r2 (1 - r 2 ) 2 + (2r) 2

1.0

Comparison of Eqn. (3.1) and (3.5) shows that the recorded displacement z(t) is lags behind the displacement being measured y(t) . Here r = n has to be large and the value of is fixed, the natural frequency of the n = k m of the spring-mass-damper system must be low. This means that mass must be large and the stiffness of the spring must be low. This results in heavier instrument which is not desirable in many applications. Example 1.1: A Vibrometer having a natural frequency of 3.8 rad/s and damping ratio 0.15 is attached to a machine that subjected to a harmonic excitation. If the peak to peak of the recorded vibration is 6.8 mm, find the amplitude of motion of the machine structure when the frequency of excitation is 20 rad/s? Solution: Given data The amplitude of the recorded motion Z = 3.4 mm , Damping factor = 0.15 , Excitation frequency = 20 rad/s , Natural frequency n = 3.8 rad/s , The frequency ratio r = 20 3.8 = 5.263

Z =

Y r2 (1 - r 2 ) 2 + (2r) 2 Y 5.263 2 (1 - 5.263 2 )2 + (2 0.15 5.263) 2

Z =

Z = 1.0356 Y
The amplitude of vibration of the structure Y =

3.4 = 3.283 mm 1.0356

2.3 Accelerometer

Fig. 3 Accelerometers

An accelerometer is an instrument that measures the acceleration of a vibrating body. Accelerometers are widely used for vibration measurements and also to record earthquakes. From the accelerometer record, the velocity and displacement can be obtained by integration. From Eqn. (3.4)

z(t) =

Y r2 (1 - r ) + (2r)
2 2 2

sin ( t )

2 z(t) n =

1
(1 - r 2 ) 2 + (2r) 2

{ Y sin ( t )}
2

It shows that if

MF =

1
(1 - r 2 ) 2 + (2r)2
2

1.0 then

2 z(t) n =

{ Y sin ( t )}

(3.6)

The second derivative of Eqn. (3.1) gives

&& = 2Y sin t y

(3.7)

1.05 1.04

= 0.0 = 0.6

MF 1.03
1.02 1.01 1.00 0.99 0.98 0.97 0.96 0.95 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 = 0.9 = 0.8 0.4 0.5 = 0.7

= 0.65

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

r Fig.4 Characteristics of an accelerometer

Comparing Eqn. (3.6) and (3.7) shows that LHS of Eqn. (3.6) gives the acceleration of the base

&& , except the phase lag . The variation of the magnification factor against low frequency ratio y
for various damping ratios are plotted in Fig. 4. (Refer to the initial portion of the plot of the Magnification factor versus frequency ratio i.e. MF =

1 (1 - r ) + (2r)
2 2 2

) . It can be seen

that the magnification factor lies between 0.96 and 1.04 for 0 r 0.6 if the value of lies between 0.65 and 0.7. Since r is small, the natural frequency of the instrument has to be large compared to the frequency of vibration to be measured. Therefore the mass of the instrument is to be low and the stiffness of the spring needs to be large. So instrument will be smaller in size. Due to the small size and high sensitivity, accelerometers are preferred in vibration measurement.