Fault Analysis

z Unbalance
z Misalignment
z Eccentricity
z Bent shaft
z Shaft crack
z Mechanical looseness
z Journal bearing faults
z Rolling element bearing faults
z Rotor rub
z Cavitation
z Electrical motor problems
z Gear faults

The main advantage of making vibration measurements on rotating

machinery, is the possibility to detect faults, before they make the
machine break down, and thereby reduce economical losses, such as
damaged equipment and production loss. To this the constant percentage
band width spectrum has shown to be the most efficient.

When a fault is detected, vibration analysis can be used to diagnose the

fault.

Making diagnosis using vibration analysis requires skill and experience.

Additional measurements of FFT spectra and phase measurements is
often required.

In the following some simple rules for the most common machine faults
are drawn up giving the fault type and a characteristic vibration
measurements.
The spectra in the examples are all made as drawings, in order to
emphasize the typical feature of each fault.

Page 1
 Unbalance

Static Unbalance
•Equal phase on Typical
Typical
each bearing Unbalance
Unbalance
•Mainly radial Spectrum
Spectrum
vibration

RPM
Dynamic Unbalance Radial

• Phase changes 180 ° Please Note:

across bearing Strong
• Mainly radial unbalance
vibration cause
harmonics

Overhung Rotor Unbalance

• Both Radial and horizontal vibration
• Often both Static and Dynamic unbalance
are seen together

Unbalance is the most common fault associated with rotating shaft.

Unbalance vibration is mainly radial. On overhung rotor axial components
may be present as well.
High 1X is often believed to be unbalance, however it can be
misalignment, bent rotor or cracked shaft, and further investigation of what
may cause the defect is often necessary.
Often Static Unbalance and Dynamic Unbalance are seen together. The
phase difference across the shaft therefore may vary.

Page 2
 Misalignment
mm/s
A. Parallel misalignment
10

3.1

0.31

mm/s 1X 2X 3X

Radial Vibration approx. 180 ° phase shifted

10
2X often highest peak
3.1

B. Angular misalignment 1

0.31

1X 2X 3X

Please
PleaseNote:
Note:
Misalignment
Misalignmentoften
oftenappears
appearson
on1X
1X
Axial Vibration approx.. 0 ° phase shifted component
componentonly
only
1X , 2X or 3 X highest

Misalignment is traditionally associated with a 2nd harmonic component,

which according to some sources is due to to 2 times the stress reversal
during one rotation. More probably the harmonic occurs due to distortion
of the ideal sinusoidal vibration signal.
It is quite common that misalignment occurs on the 1st harmonic only in
the spectrum. An investigation of the phase relationship across the rotor
and across the coupling should therefore always be carried out for
distinguishing misalignment from unbalance.

A misaligned rotor tend to wear in. That is after a while the bearing will get
deformed after the misalignment. In the spectrum this is seen as the 2nd
order component will decrease and the third order will increase as wear
develops.

Page 3
 Bent Shaft

mm/s

10

3.1

0.31

1X 2X

• Axial And Radial Vibration

• 180 ° Phase shift in Axial Vibration
• 0 ° Phase shift in radial vibration

A Bent Shaft to many extents is looking like a misalignment in the

spectrum.
A phase measurement for axial vibration across the shaft will distinguish
between misalignment and bent shaft as the bent shaft will produce a 180
Degrees Phase shift.

Page 4
 Eccentricity

10

3.1

0.31

Fan Motor
RPM RPM

• Center of rotation different

from geometrical center
•Vertical an horizontal phase
either equal or 180 ° different

The Eccentric rotor will produce high vibration at the rotation speed.
The Phase will be the same in both horizontal and vertical direction.
If you try to balance an eccentric rotor, you may reduce the vibration
readings in one direction, but the readings will increase in the other.

Page 5
 Looseness
mm/s

Loose Foundation
10
2X often high
Sub-harmonics 3.1

0.31

.5X 1X 1.5X 2X 3X

Loose shaft mm/s

Often series
of sub harmonic 10

components 3.1
½, 1/3, ... 1/n
1

0.31

.5X 1X 1.5X 2X 3X

Mechanical looseness produce a strongly distorted signal. The inter

harmonics (½, 1/3 etc.) are attributable to the fact that the loose part
bounces and thus does get excited every 2nd or 3rd revolution of the
shaft.

Page 6
 Rotor Rub

mm/

10

3.1

0.31

Truncated Wave form

.5X 1X 1.5X 2X 3X

• Symptoms same as Mechanical

Looseness
• Subharmonics ½ ,1/3 etc.
• Strong Harmonic pattern
Caused by truncation

The characteristics of Rotor Rub are very similar to mechanics looseness.

Page 7
 Shaft Crack
X/Y Position History
Shaft
ShaftCracks
Cracksmaymaybebedetected
detected
by monitoring
by monitoring ofof
••Amplitude
Amplitudeand andPhase
Phaseofof
1X first and 2X and
1X first and 2X and
second
secondharmonic
harmonicof ofRPM.
RPM.
Longitudinal Crack ••Monitoring
Monitoring of Coastdown
of Coast down
and
andRun
Run- -up
upcharacteristics
characteristics
when
whenpassing
passingthrough
through
resonance
resonance

Radial Crack

Nyquist Bode

1X Run Up

Shaft Cracks have been detected by continuously monitoring of 1st and

2nd harmonics, or by comparing run ups and coast down, where a
cracked shaft will change the characteristic curve as it passes through the
resonance.
Shaft Cracks are often mistaken for the far more common misalignment.

Page 8
 Journal Bearings
wo= 0
Oil Instability
10
• normally 42 %- 47 % of
wo= ws running speed 3.1

• May appear from 0.3 -0.7X 1

in some occasions 0.31
• Non Synchronous
wo ~ 0.3 - 0.5 ws 0.43X 1X 2X

mm/

Wear 10

Clearance Problems 3.1

• Harmonic Series 1

of Rotation Speed 0.31

1X 2X 3X 4X 5X 6X 7X 8X 9X 10X...

Oil Whirl
Simplified explanation.
In a journal bearing the shaft is “surfing” on an oil wave.
Let us look at the speed profile of the oil film.
At the boundary of the shaft the oil film has the same speed as the shaft.
At bearing boundary the oil film is stationary.

Some bearing designs may develop instability at certain conditions of oil

viscosity and bearing load. In such cases the oil film will pump around the
shaft with about the average speed of the oil film speed profile.
The speed of such pumping normally appears around 42 % - 47% of the
shaft speed though instability has been reported in the range 30% to 70 %
of shaft speed.

Clearance Problems
In a worn journal bearing harmonics up to 10 or 20 times the running
speed may be seen.

Page 9
 Rolling Element Bearings
Faults in Rolling Element Bearings
are Detected with CPB in the High
frequency range

Envelope Spectra can be used both

for Detection and Diagnosis of
Rolling Element Bearing Faults

No Defects on Rolling Element

Bearing

“Flat” Envelope Spectrum.

Rolling element bearing faults normally start with small cracks or spalls,
which produce very hard impacts by the passing of the balls.
As the bearing impacts are very short, they will contain energy in very high
frequencies - the resonances of the force path will be excited and ring.
Detection of bearing wear is done by seeing increases of the resonances
of the bearing and the machine structure in the 2kHz -
14 kHz frequency range.
Using Envelope analysis the modulation of the high frequency can be
analyzed. Envelope analysis provides thus an excellent tool for both
detection and diagnosis of bearing signals.
If no modulation is present in the signal. There will be no peaks in the
envelope spectra.

Page 10
 Rolling Element Bearing
Frequencies

D1 D2

D1 + D 2
PD =
2
n = number of balls

f r = rotation frequency

The rolling element bearing can be considered as a planetary gear with

the inner ring as the sun weal and the balls as planets. Different defects
will be repeated at frequencies which can be calculated with above
formulas. The Ball Diameter and the Race diameters, as well as the
contact angle beta is normally given by the manufacturer. The number of
balls is given in newer literature from the bearing manufacturers. You may
use the mounting diameters of the bearing for calculating the Pitch
Diameter if the Outer and Inner Race diameter is not available.
It is general experience that these frequencies show up in a FFT spectrum
at a very late stage of bearing wear.
With envelope analysis the bearing frequencies are seen at a very early
stage of fault development however. The envelope analysis can be used
for accurately predicting the breakdown of a bearing.
It should be noted that the balls will slip few percents in the bearings
specially when lightly loaded.

Page 11
 Typical Bearing Defects
Development Envelope Analysis
1. Outer Race Faults
• Lead Time Month’s
• Ball Pass Frequency Outer Race
( BPFO) and Harmonic BPFO

RPM
2. Inner Race Faults
• Lead Time Days - Weeks
• Ball Pass Frequency Inner Race
(BPFI) With Side bands BPFI

of Rotation speed

3. Ball Defects
• Requires Immediate action
• Ball Spin Frequency
BSF with Harmonics. BSF
• Often in combinations with
above with various inter-harmonics.

The typical bearing fault start as a crack or spall in the outer race.
Depending on bearing load a rolling element bearing can “survive” long
time with an outer race fault.

An outer race spall will eventually develop to a wear. This can be seen in
the envelope spectrum by the reduction of harmonics of the BPFO and an
increase of the BPFO itself.

At as certain stage the balls off tracked by the outer race fault will cause a
fault in the inner race. As the fault in the inner race is rotating into and out
of the load zone, the fault frequency will be modulated with the rotation
speed, and thus produce side bands with RPM spacing.
An inner race fault is often faster growing than an outer race fault.
In the end of a bearing fault, often faults and the balls are seen as well as
inter modulation frequencies between the different fault types.

Page 12
 Bearing Mounting Defects
Analyzed With Envelope Analysis
Rotor Misalignment
1*RPM
Rotor Unbalance
RPM

Radial Tension 2*RPM

of Bearing
2*RPM

Misalignment of
2*BPFO
outer Race
2*BPFO

Slip of Race in Harmonics

the Mounting Seat of RPM
RPM

Increase of
Lubrication Defect Background
level

The earliest detection of bearing fault is done by placing the envelope filter
on a resonance of the bearing. By doing so however, one miss the
opportunity of classifying the defect depth, by the height of the peaks in
the envelope spectrum.
Also one misses the opportunity of being able to analyze above defects in
the envelope spectra.

For getting the best information about modulations of random noise

produced by a rolling element bearing, it is recommended to place the
envelope filter in the high frequency at a place where signal is available,
but not amplified by resonances. (There should be maximum 10dB
variation across the envelope filter range).

Page 13
 Electrical Motor
Cracked Rotor Bars
Broken Rotor Bars Lin freq.
Stator
Stator Rotors spacing

Rotors Cracked Rotor Bar

Bars
Bars Bars
Bars Loose Rotor Bar
Shorted Rotor Laminations
Poor End Ring Joints 1X 2X RBPF

• Side bands of Slip Freq Loose

LooseRotor
RotorBars
Barsmay
may
around 1X, 2X 3X etc. also
alsocause
causeSidebands
Sidebandsofof
< - 35 dB = Serious Line
Linefrequency
frequencyaround
aroundRotor
Rotorbar
bar
passing
passingfrequency
frequencyand
and2*RBPF
2*RBPF
> - 45 dB = OK.

35 dB
45 dB
Pole
PolePass
PassFreq.
Freq.==Slip
SlipFreq.*
Freq.*No.
No.ofofPoles
Poles
Slip
SlipFreq.
Freq.==Synch
SynchSpeed
Speed - -RPM
RPM
Rotor
RotorBar
BarFreq.
Freq.==No.
No.ofofrotor
rotorBars
Bars**RPM
RPM

(1X- n*Slip Freq) 1X (1X+n*Slip Freq) Zoom

Zoom
Spectrum
Spectrum

A motor with loose, broken or shortened rotor bars will produce modulation
of the rotation speed with the slip frequency.
An efficient way of analyzing this fault is making zoom FFT around the
motor rotation speed of the motor current.
The motor current can be analyzed using a current probe on one of the
motor current supply lines.

If the side bands appear less than 45 dB below the RPM component, alert
caution should be taken.
Side bands appearing less than 35 dB below the RPM component should
be regarded as shut down criteria.

Please refer to the application note BO 0269 “ Vibration Diagnostics for

Industrial Electric Motor Drives” for a detailed description of diagnostics of
electrical motors.

Page 14
 Electrical Motor Problems
mm/s

Stator Eccentricity 10

Looseness of Stator Support 3.1

Shored Stator Laminations 1

• 2nd Harmonic 0.31

of line frequency
1X Line 2x 2*Line freq.

mm/s

Eccentric Rotor (Statical) 10

• 2 * Line frequency and 3.1

Sidebands of Pole Pass Freq. 1

around 2 * line frequency 0.31

1X Line 2X 2*Line freq.

Pole
PolePass
PassFreq.
Freq.==Slip
SlipFreq.*
Freq.*No.
No.ofofPoles
Poles
Slip
SlipFreq.
Freq.==Synch
SynchSpeed
Speed - -RPM
RPM

The electrical magnets of an electric motor are contracting twice for every
period of the net frequency. Thus electrical faults are appearing at twice
the net frequency.
The slip frequency is the difference between the rotation frequency of the
rotor and the net frequency.
The pole pass frequency is the number of poles times the slip frequency.

An eccentric electric motor will produce side spaced with the pole pass
frequency around twice the net frequency.
Zoom is required to analyze these faults.

Page 15
 Synchronous Motors, DC Motors
Synchronous Motors
1 RPM
Loose Stator Coils spacing

• RPM spaced Sidebands

around Coil Pass Frequency.

1X 2X Coil Pass Freq.

DC Motors
Silicon Controlled Rectifiers (SCR)
SCR firing frequency increase may show:
• Bad SCR
•Loose Connections
•Broken Field Windings

1X 2X SFC Freq.= 6*Line freq. 2*SCR

Loose stator coils in synchronous motors may generate high vibration at

the coil passing frequency which is the number of stator coils times the
RPM.
Modulation is often present and can be seen as side bands spaced with
RPM.

DC motors are often controlled by Silicon Controlled Rectifiers ( SCR ).

At the SCR frequency which is usually 6 times the line frequency,

increases will show problems with the SCR.

Page 16
 Cavitation
Cavitation is caused by the collapse
of small bubbles that occurs during
local boiling at certain condition of the
fluid (low dynamic pressure)
The Collapses are short in time
and thus wide in Frequency.
• The resonances are exited throughout
the spectrum
• Specially high Frequencies are exited
• In Envelope Spectra an increase of the
background level with no distinct lines
are seen.

CPB Spectrum Envelope Spectrum

The faster a fluid travels by an object the lower the pressure will be, this
phenomenon is well known as Bernoullis law, and it is the reason that
aero planes can fly and turbo machines are working.
The lower the pressure, the lower the boiling temperature of water.
In some instances the water of a pump may start boiling locally as a result
of the local fluid speed will decrease local dynamic pressure and hence
decreased the boiling point below the fluid temperature.
When the local pressure increases again the small bubbles formed in the
boiling process collapses very rapidly. The rapid collapse causes shock
pulses which may be strong enough to break apart fragments of metal on
the location it occurs - cavitation wear.
The collapsing bubbles also induce shock waves which are transferred
through the structure. Since the pulses are very short, they have a very
high frequency content, and they will excite resonances throughout the
spectrum range.

Page 17