Velometers

• The instruments that measure the velocity of

a vibrating body are known as velometers or
velocity pick-ups.
• There are two types of velometers :-
1. Active type pickup
2. Passive type pickup
 Working of Velometers
• A secondary strain sensing transducer in which a magnet is
rigidly fixed to a seismic mass in a coil fixed to the frame.
• The output voltage at the ends of the coil will be
proportional to the relative velocity of the vibrating body.
• Keeping the ratio of vibrating frequency and natural
frequency very large, the relative velocity so obtained will
be equal to input voltage, i.e the velocity of vibrations.
• Hence, the output voltage can be calibrated and amplified
to give velocity of vibrations.
 Passive type pickup
• A coil is made to move in a magnetic field or conversely a magnet
is made to move in a stationery coil.
• When an electric conductor in the form of a coil moves in a
magnetic field, an EMF is generated depending upon the magnetic
flux, length of coil and velocity of motion of coil.
• By calibrating the generated emf the velocity can be found and
hence electromagnetic transducers are used as velocity pick ups
 Active type pickup
• The construction is similar to Seismic vibration instrument with a slight modification.
• It consists of a seismic mass ‘m’ with wire coils, supported by spring ‘K’ and dashpot
‘c’. The magnet is fixed to the frame and frame is fitted on the vibrating body.
• Due to the relative motion between coils and magnet, a voltage is induced across the
coil. The output voltage across the coil is proportional to the relative velocity. The
output voltage signal is calibrated to give the velocity of vibration. The damping
factor is kept about 0.7 or less than 0.7.
 Accelerometer
• It is an instrument used to measure the acceleration of a
vibrating body.
• The natural frequency (wn) of accelerometer is kept very
high as compared to that of the vibrating body, which
means that frequency ratio is kept small.
• A light mass is suspended on a short spring having high
stiffness to increase value of (wn).
• This is commonly used to measure vibrations as after the
acceleration is recorded, the velocity and displacement
can be obtained using electronic integration devices.
 Working of accelerometer
•• The
  accelerometer is fixed on the base so when the base
vibrates, the mass also vibrates. This change in acceleration of
mass, changes the magnitude of force exerted on the crystals.
• This affects the output voltage from the crystals which on
calibration gives the magnitude of acceleration on the system.
• We know that relative amplitude of steady state vibration is ,
D=Yr2Ω=
• As the value of is very small, D is very small, D=
Yr2Ω=YΩ
• Therefore, D=Y * Ω, this means the recorded acceleration is
the product of actual acceleration * .