UK Power Station Vibration Analysis Using WiSER 3x
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The world has changed; social distancing and new working rules brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic has meant that maintenance and reliability professionals must think differently.
Monitoring machine condition remains important, but it is now crucial to be able to do so without barriers; we cannot be tied-in to software licenses, equipment must be easy to use and not restricted to “CM-experts”, auto-diagnostics and remote analysis must be reliable to give us confidence in the outputs.
Case Study: A Simple Example of How Erbessd Instruments’ Solutions Are Addressing the Challenges With the WiSER 3x and “Wiser-Vibe”App:
The WiSER 3x is a wireless accelerometer that sends 3-axis vibration data + 1 additional channel simultaneously to any data collector in the market. WiSER 3x is a wireless ultra-low noise accelerometer with 15 kHz bandwidth that exceeds the characteristics above all of most conventional accelerometers.
Combined with Erbessd’s DigiVibeMX software, WiSER 3x is one of the most powerful and flexible condition monitoring tools available; standing alongside other “expert VA systems”.
Salvtech are a family run business, primarily focused on supplying a wide variety of machinery and services to the paper, recycling, and waste industries. In March 2020, we were approached by them to support their maintenance specialists by performing vibration analysis on a number of critical fans at a power station in the UK.
Salvtech’s own engineers are experienced in VA and have vibration analyzers, but it was unlikely that they would have the time to carry out the full scope of work given the increasing restriction on available site time.
As the pandemic “lockdown” became tighter, it was becoming clear that we would not be able to deploy a VA engineer on site even though the activity was deemed critical. Together with Salvtech we hatched a plan to mail one of our demo Wiser 3x’s to their office in Wales, provide training through video-conference to enable them to easily collect data that could be analyzed by us remotely.
The Salvtech engineer downloaded the free WiSER Vibe app onto his iPhone. The routes were set up, data was collected and WiSER Vibe gave immediate machine condition status. The vibration readings were easily downloaded to the cloud for remote analysis support if the engineer thought it may be required.
Subsequent to the trip and on an initial analysis using WiSER Vibe, we were asked to use our DigiVibeMX analysis software to investigate one fan with audible noise and a slightly elevated vibration (although not “in alarm”).
Our consultant analyzed the data remotely and provided the confidence that the machine was in satisfactory condition, a lack of lubrication was the likely cause of the noise and elevated vibration: a combination of the H, V, and A axis for the aux motor drive end gives us an accurate “snapshot” of the condition of the machine. There is slight evidence of harmonics at around 1,143 rpm (2x ,3x, and possible 4x) in the axial direction. The dominant frequency on each axis is 12,080 CPM which would equate to approximately 11x 1,143cpm
The raised carpet levels between 50,000 CPM and 140,000 CPM would indicate that lubrication is required; all readings are very low and not of significant concern.
The audible squeak therefore is likely to be caused by friction due to the lack of lubricant.
Recommendations
- If possible, take another reading in the same operating condition immediately. Compare the readings to determine a degradation path and if any consequential bearing damage has been caused. Otherwise, get the bearing lubricated as soon as possible.
- If possible, take a vibration reading to confirm that lubrication has resolved the fault.
- Check the lubrication regime/SOP and make sure it is fit for the purpose and applied consistently to all machines.
Martin Christmas, Managing Director of Salvtech, Spoke on the Challenge and WiSER 3x:
“Here’s one of our engineers using it yesterday at a power station. We are currently trialing the system. It dramatically increased the number of readings we took during this visit as part of a day of fan inspections.
The engineer was able to collect and check the results on his iPhone and I simultaneously interrogated the data on the laptop via the online software in the van. We even had time to take more readings to help us investigate a few issues. Erbessd have been really helpful in supporting us adopting a new system in these challenging circumstances”.
Salvtech subsequently purchased a WiSER 3x and DigivibeMX M20 data collector/analyzer and are now self-sufficient in terms of vibration analysis.
Oliver Mottersead, B.Sc, stands out as an expert in predictive maintenance and a respected leader in the industry. Originally from the United Kingdom, he is a Certified Maintenance and Reliability Professional, as well as a Certified Vibration Analyst. In his role as Managing Director of Erbessd Instruments – Europe, Oliver oversees sales support and distribution, in addition to handling training and technical services for the European market. His leadership and technical knowledge solidify him as a key figure in the evolution of predictive maintenance in Europe.
ERBESSD INSTRUMENTS® is a leading manufacturer of Vibration Analysis Equipment, Dynamic Balancing Machines, and Condition Monitoring with facilities in Mexico, the USA, England, and India.
