VIBRATION DATA COLLECTION & ANALYSIS

FOR
DIESEL ENGINES

Prepared By: Paul L. Deo

Senior Reliability & Vibration Engineer

1
 CLASSROOM INTRODUCTION

• Name
• Position in your organization
• Experience with Vibration Analysis on Reciprocating Machinery

2
 TRAINING OBJECTIVES

To share our Knowledge & Experience gathered over many years in the
Field of Vibration Analysis working with many Models & Makes of Diesel
Engines in the Marine & Ship Industry as well as Oil & Gas On-shore fields &
Offshore Platforms
This session is meant to be a very Interactive Training Session
The focus of the information shall be relevant to the CAT 3406 Model &
Detroit 4000 Series to build or Improve your Reliability & CBM Program
3
 INTRODUCTION TO RECIPROCATING
ENGINE VIBRATIONS
Diesel Engines in general normally display higher vibration levels in comparison to Rotating
Equipment as the piston is driven by explosions (Block & Structure Resonates)
Reciprocating Diesel Engine Vibrations are very complex in nature
There is little known forcing frequencies to analyse for fault detection and this poses another
challenge for the Analyst
Therefore, analysis must be based on “variations” from the “normal” signatures
There is also the presence of ½ Order spikes in Engine Data as this is normal by virtue of their
operation
The use of Dampers are normally implemented to minimize Engine Vibrations
Auxiliary Equipment such as Oil Pump, Water Pump & Gear Train Transmissions should also be
monitored
4
 HALF ORDER VIBRATIONS (1/2X)

Excessive 1/2X Vibration may indicate a problem within the Engine

They Include: Plug Misfire, broken ring, clogged injector, leaking valve or
low compression in a cylinder
All of the above will cause lack of power in the cylinder
Usually, if all cylinders produce nearly identical pulses then half order
vibration forces will be balanced and lower in amplitude

5
 WHERE DO YOU NORMALLY TAKE
VIBRATION DATA ON DIESEL ENGINES?

6
 FORMULA FOR ENGINE FAMILIES

Number of Main Bearings = No. of Common Cylinders + 1

There is Main Bearing support of each Connecting Rod on the Crankshaft
Example:
CAT 3406 with Six Common Cylinders residing in the block will have Seven
(7) Main Bearings to Monitor on the Crankshaft

7
LOCATION OF MAIN BEARINGS

8
ILLUSTRATION OF MAIN BEARING

9
 HYDRODYNAMIC LUBRICATION

Fluid film or hydrodynamic lubrication is the term given when a shaft

rotating in a bearing is supported by a layer or wedge of oil so that the shaft
is not in contact with the bearing material.

10
LUBRICATION OF MAINS

11
SIX “V” CYLINDER ENGINE MAINS

12
Sensor Position/Orientation On Diesel Engines

So we want to place our Accelerometer in a position as practically possible

and as best as we can along the Centre-Line Axis of the Crankshaft
Also, as close as possible to each Main Bearing on the Diesel Engine in
Horizontal & Vertical Directions of the Crankshaft
Axial Data can be acquired from positions at the Inboard and Outboard of
the Engine in a direction that is parallel to the Centre-Line Axis of the
Crankshaft

13
VIBRATION TEST POINTS CONVENTION FOR
ENGINES

14
 Consistency & Repeatability of
Diesel Engine Vibration Data
To identify faults in the Engine where they are most likely to occur eg. Bad
Main Bearing Vibrations
To ensure that other Analysts can perform the data collection in consistent
positions along the Engine at exact locations every time
To ensure that the data collected yields maximum information with
minimum time consumption & efforts
To Avoid the possibility of acquiring “Bad Data”
To collect data at safe positions along the Engine

15
 IMPORTANCE OF ENGINE RPM

Be mindful of IDLE SPEED when collecting data

Load Conditions during data collection
Is the Engine de-clutched?
What Engine RPM are we measuring at?
Is the data normalized to actual running speed?
Is the Tachometer on the Engine functional & accurate?
Is the RPM changing during data collection?
16
 IDENTIFYING BAD DATA

Does the Vibration Data make sense to the Analyst?

Are there damage to the cables?
Is the sensor calibrated or suspected to be faulty?
Damaged or Defective cables can result in a high level of Low Frequency
Vibrations and elevated Noise Floors
Is there a “Ski Slope” profile in the Engine Spectrum?
Are there any normal Rotational Frequencies & Harmonics generated by
the Engine 17
SKI SLOPE PROFILE

18
SKI SLOPE CASE ON CAT 3406 ENGINE
v rms [mm/ s] Fire W a t e r P9 0 2 0 (D ie se l En g )\ En g in e \ 2 n d b rg \ 1 0 2 6 Sp e c L o w Fre q 2 0 / 0 7 / 2 0 1 3 0 1 : 1 3 : 2 3 PM
M

14.0
13.5
13.0
12.5
12.0
11.5
11.0
10.5
10.0
9.5
9.0
8.5
8.0
RPM : 1745 (29.08Hz)
7.5 M(x) : 14.00 Hz (0.48 Orders)
7.0 M(y) : 12.06 mm/ s
6.5
6.0
5.5
5.0
4.5
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
20/ 07/ 2013
1.0
0.5
0.0 21/ 10/ 2013
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600
19
f [Hz]
 LOOSE SENSOR
Loose mounting can result in unexpected harmonics in the Engine Spectral
Data
This typically occurs when a sensor is not attached firmly to the Engine
Poor mounting can also prevent the sensor from detecting certain
frequencies
The Vibration Data may be compromised

20
 SENSOR & MAGNETIC MOUNT CASE

While acquiring Vibration Data on a CAT Diesel Engine on-site in a

troubleshooting exercise we found loose magnet to the sensor mount

21
SPECTRUM EXAMPLE OF LOOSE SENSOR
ON ENGINE 1ST MAIN BEARING
v rms [mm/ s] Fire W a t e r P9 0 2 0 (D ie se l En g )\ En g in e \ EOH \ 1 0 2 6 Sp e c L o w Fre q 2 1 / 1 0 / 2 0 1 3 1 0 : 4 1 : 3 3 AM
M
4.4

4.2

4.0

3.8

3.6

3.4

3.2

3.0

2.8

2.6

2.4
RPM : 1745 (29.08Hz)
2.2 M(x) : 29.00 Hz (1.00 Orders)
M(y) : 0.57 mm/ s
2.0

1.8

1.6

1.4

1.2

1.0

0.8

0.6

0.4
22
0.2

0.0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600
f [Hz]
 Confirming Validity & Trends of Reciprocating Data

Always ensure that Vibration Data Plots are consistent with historical &
past data for the Engine
Normalize Engine Data
A Waterfall Plot works well for the above once set up correctly the first time

23
 ILLUSTRATION OF GOOD ENGINE DATA
v rms [mm/ s] Fire W a t e r P9 0 2 0 (D ie se l En g )\ En g in e \ 3 rd b rg \ 1 0 2 6 Sp e c L o w Fre q 2 0 / 0 7 / 2 0 1 3 0 1 : 1 3 : 5 9 PM
M

4.0

3.8

3.6

3.4

3.2

3.0

2.8

2.6

2.4
RPM : 1745 (29.08Hz)
2.2 M(x) : 1.00 - (29.00 Hz)
M(y) : 3.32 mm/ s
2.0

1.8

1.6

1.4

1.2

1.0

0.8

0.6
20/ 06/ 2013
0.4
20/ 07/ 2013 24
0.2

0.0 21/ 10/ 2013

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54
Orders [-]
 Importance of Process Parameters on Diesel
Engines
Will Vibration Analysis alone assist the Analyst in making decisions on the Condition of a
Diesel Engine?
Other Tools that can be used are: Lube Oil Analysis, IR, Coolant Analysis, Fuel Analysis,
Visual Inspections, Performance Testing, Exhaust Gas Analysis, RECIPTRAP etc
During Data Collection it is also wise to record: Oil Pressure, Jacket Water Temps, Engine
RPM, Load Percentages, Oil Temp etc
Record Cylinder Temps at steady state conditions and Plot Trend date on Excel Spreadsheet
We’ve found some instances that Temperature has a good relationship with Vibration Data
for Reciprocating machinery
Normally most of these parameters can be recorded from Gauges on the Engine during
data collection
25
 Defining Set Up in FFT Analyzer for Reciprocating
Data Collection

Data Quality vs Data Quantity

Some Analysts believe that more data means better results
More Data means more time for collection, analysis & report generation
For Diesel Engines we should have at least: Overall Acceleration, Overall
Velocity, Acceleration Time Waveform, Acceleration Spectrum, Velocity
Spectrum, Velocity Time Waveform

26
 Frequency Spans for Diesel Engines

What are the sources of Vibration from the Engine?

For Crankshaft set minimum 10 x Maximum Running Speed (Vel)
For Oil & Water Pump set 3 x No. of Vanes (Vel)
For Main Bearing set minimum of 5000 Hz in Acceleration
For Turbo-Charger set very High Fmax
For Transmission set 3 x Gear Mesh Frequency (Vel)
Acceleration Spectrum & Wave Forms should also be used to detected any signs of
looseness or impacting of machine parts in the Engine
27
 Load Trends During Data Collection on Diesel
Engines

The Vibration of the Engine may vary significantly with change in Loading
conditions
Be Mindful that Changing Load may also cause a shift in Engine RPM
If possible, develop a Trend for the Engine in an excel spreadsheet of %
Load vs Overall Vibration Levels
Spectrum amplitudes may increase or decrease when load changes in some
cases as well
A well develop trend of data equips the Analyst to make better judgements
28
and recommendations
 Day 2

Vibration Data Collection & Analysis of Diesel Engine Data

29
 FAULT ANALYSIS
Normal Mechanical Defects such as: Unbalance, Crankshaft Misalignment, Loose
Base Bolts, Worn coupling can be detected using Velocity Spectrum (1x,2x,3x,4x).
Ref. to Case Study
Condition of the Main Bearings are determined by comparison of Acceleration
Waveform & Acceleration Data plots to Baseline
Each Main Bearing should be compared to one another for one particular engine.
Eg. Overlay Acceleration Spectrum for MB1 + MB2 + MB3 + MBn
Healthy Main Bearings in the Engine should display very similar patterns
A Main that suffers wiping of the babbit displays noisy Acceleration Data Plots
30
 CASE STUDY - UNBALANCE

Fire Water Pump – CAT 3406 Driven

Randolph Right Angle Gearbox
Submersible Pump
Problem – Upon Investigation by Maintenance the shaft was damaged

31
 HIGH 1X VIBRATION
v rms [mm/ s] FI R EW AT ER PU MP EN GI N E\ 1 5 0 0 g b 2 h . srv e a s 0 9 / 1 2 / 2 0 1 3 1 0 : 4 2 : 4 9 AM
M
30

28

26

24

22

20

18

16
RPM : 1500 (25.00Hz)
M(x) : 30.00 Hz (1.20 Orders)
14 M(y) : 26.62 mm/ s

12

10

0 32
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600
f [Hz]
PICTURE OF FAULT

33
 CASE STUDY- CRANKSHAFT MISALIGMENT
& FAULTY VIBRATION DAMPER

See Case Study Report for Caterpillar Engines on RIG

This is a Classic Example of the application of collecting data in a vertical
direction at the base bolts when high 1X Vertical Vibration is seen by the
Analyst
The Dampers were replaced by CAT Technicians from Louisiana and levels
dropped off significantly

34
 STAGES OF MAIN BEARING WEAR

Most bearing failures are caused by two factors which are lubrication &
bearing material fatigue failure
(1) Accelerated Wear
(2) Wiping
(3) Severe Wear
35
 ACCELERATED WEAR

This occurs when the bearings are not overheated and only a shiny
appearance of the bearing surface is observed

36
37
 WIPING

This appears in the form of overheating and partial melting of the overlay

38
 SEVERE WEAR

This type of wear shows areas of torn surfaces, severe overheating, melted
overlay and lining material

39
40
41
 FAULT DIAGNOSTIC GUIDE FOR DIESEL
ENGINES

This guide is meant to be useful to Analysts for trending of possible faults

using Vibration Analysis that can be detected by WaveForm & Spectrum
Data

42
43
 WHAT IS PISTON SLAP VIBRATION?

Piston Slap is the impact of the piston against the cylinder wall in a Reciprocating
Engine
This condition is caused by excessive clearance between the piston and the
cylinder wall
The pistons rattles or slaps against the cylinder wall and makes a muffled, hollow
bell like sound
It can be detected using trends of Acceleration Time Waveform for Impacting
Energy
Severe cases can also be seen in Velocity Time Waveforms
44
ILLUSTRATION OF PISTON SLAP

45
 CASE STUDY – PISTON SLAP IN VELOCITY
v [mm/ s]
TIME WAVEFORM
3 2 -Z AN 9 1 0 0 \ En g in e \ EOA\ 1 8 2 Ma c h in e t ime sig n a l > 6 0 0 1 9 / 0 9 / 2 0 0 7 1 1 : 3 1 : 5 8 AM
M
30

25

20

15

10

RPM : 1200 (20.00Hz)

0
M(x) : 42.73 ms
M(y) : 15.23 mm/ s

-5

-10

-15

-20

-25

46
-30
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 220 230 240 250
t [ms]
 CRANKSHAFT END FLOAT

Also called axial misalignment. It is a condition where shafts could be in

angular and parallel alignment
Spectral patterns are similar to those for Rotating Equipment Axial
Misalignment but stronger at the “Free End” of the Engine

47
 POINTS TO NOTE
Ensure that the accelerometer can withstand the High Temperatures of the
Turbo-Charger
Work safely around Diesel Engines and avoid contact with Coupling &
Flywheel if guards are not present
Also, be aware of very hot surfaces and exhaust lines
Always use “double” ear protection when working around Diesel Engines
(Both Ear Plugs and Muffs)

48
CONSISTENT OVERALL ENGINE VIBRATION
(OIL LOADING PUMP)
v [mm/ s] 3 2 -P7 0 0 \ En g in e \ EOA\ 1 0 1 Ov e ra ll v e lo c it y >6 0 0
M
20

19

18

17

16

15

14

13

12

11

10

2
49
1

0
28/ 07/ 2007 01/ 08/ 2007 05/ 08/ 2007 09/ 08/ 2007 13/ 08/ 2007 17/ 08/ 2007 21/ 08/ 2007 25/ 08/ 2007
date
 CONSISTENCY OF ACCELERATION DATA FOR
GOOD MAIN BEARINGS
a [g] 3 2 -P3 0 3 - N EW \ EN GI N E\ M B1 H \ 1 7 7 2 Ac c . Sp e c t ru m >6 0 0 2 1 / 1 1 / 2 0 0 7 0 1 : 3 4 : 4 6 PM
M

3.4
3.2
3.0
2.8
2.6
2.4 RPM : 1800 (30.00Hz)
M(x) : 1545.31 Hz (51.51 Orders)
2.2 M(y) : 0.996 g
2.0
1.8
1.6
1.4
21/ 11/ 2007
1.2
1.0 18/ 12/ 2007

0.8 22/ 01/ 2008

0.6
19/ 05/ 2008
0.4 50
24/ 06/ 2008
0.2
0.0 08/ 08/ 2008
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000
f [Hz]
 ACCELERATION TIME WAVEFORM FOR
ENGINE MAIN BEARINGS
a [g] 3 2 -P3 0 3 - N EW \ EN GI N E\ M B5 H \ 1 7 7 3 W a v e f o rm Ac c . > 6 0 0 2 2 / 0 1 / 2 0 0 8 1 1 : 4 7 : 0 0 AM
M
100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10
RPM : 1800 (30.00Hz)
0
M(x) : 12.56 ms
M(y) : 57.122 g
-10

-20

-30

-40

-50

-60

-70

-80

-90 51
-100
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60
t [ms]
 COMPARISION OF ACCELERATION
SPECTRUM FOR EACH MAIN BEARING
a [g] 3 2 -P3 0 3 - N EW \ EN
a GI
[g]N E\
32M-P3
B4 0H3\ -1 7
N7EW
2 Ac
\ EN
a
c [g]
.GI
SpNe
E\
3c2
tMru
-P3
B6m0>6
H
3 \-010
N
7 EW
7
028 / \0
Ac
EN
8a/c[g]
2GI
. 0Sp
0
N8E\
e
30c2M
9
t-P3
ru
:B5
5m
50:H
3
>6
22\-1
0AM
N7
0 EW
7028 /\Ac
0
EN8
ac/[g]
GI
.2 0
Sp
N0 E\
8
e3c
20M
t-P3
9ru
B2
:5m8
0H:3
>6
3\4
-1
0N7
0
AMEW
7028 /\Ac
0
EN8
ac/[g]
GI
.2 0
Sp
N0 E\
8
e3c
20M
t-P3
9ru
B3
:5m6
0H:3
>6
4\4
-1
0N7
0
AMEW
7028 /\Ac
0
EN8c
/ GI
.2 0
Sp
N0 E\
8
e c0M
t9
ru
B1
:5
m 2H
:>6
5\21
070
AM702
M
3.0 2.2 2.4
5.4 0.54 4.4
2.1 2.3
5.2 0.52
4.2 2.8
5.0 0.50 2.0 2.2
4.0
4.8 0.48 2.6 2.1
1.9
4.6 0.46 3.8
2.0
1.8
4.4 0.44 3.6 2.4 1.9
4.2 0.42 1.7
3.4 1.8
4.0 0.40 2.2 1.6
3.2 1.7
3.8 0.38 1.5
3.0 2.0 1.6
3.6 0.36
1.4
3.4 0.34 2.8 1.5
1.8 1.3
3.2 0.32 2.6 1.4
3.0 0.30 1.2 1.3
2.4 1.6
2.8 RPM : 1800 (30.00Hz) 0.28 RPM : 1800 (30.00Hz) RPM : 1800 (30.00Hz) RPM : 1800 (30.00Hz) RPM : 1800 (30.00Hz) RPM : 1800 (30.00Hz)
2.2 Orders) 1.1 1.2
M(x) : 1685.94 Hz (56.20
2.6 0.26 1.4
M(y) : 0.452 g 1.0 1.1
2.4 0.24 2.0
0.9 1.0
2.2 0.22 1.8 1.2
2.0 0.20 0.8 0.9
1.6
1.8 0.18 1.0 0.8
1.4 0.7
1.6 0.16 0.7
1.2 0.8 0.6
1.4 0.14 0.6
1.2 0.12 1.0 0.5
0.6 0.5
1.0 0.10 0.8 0.4
0.4
0.8 0.08 0.3
0.6 0.4 0.3
0.6 0.06
0.4 0.2 0.2
0.4 0.04 0.2 52
0.2 0.02 0.2 0.1 0.1
0.0 0.00 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
0 5000 0 5000 0 5000 0 5000 0 5000 0 5000
f [Hz] f [Hz] f [Hz] f [Hz] f [Hz] f [Hz]
 CASE STUDY – MAIN BEARING WEAR

CAT Diesel Engine Loading Oil Pump

Increased Overall Acceleration Levels detected on Main Bearing (Almost
Doubled PK-PK)
Increased and Elevated Noise Floor in Acceleration Spectrum detected on
the same Main Bearing
Increased Cylinder Temperature also measured while collecting data
Decision made to take this Engine Offline and Inspect the Crankshaft
53
 INCREASE IN OVERALL ACCELERATION
a [g]
TRENDS
3 2 -P6 0 0 \ Ge a rb o x\ L o a d in g Pu mp En g in e 3 2 P\ 1 0 7 Ov e ra ll a c c e l. >1 2 0
M
14.0
13.5
13.0
12.5
12.0
11.5
11.0
10.5
10.0
9.5
9.0
8.5
8.0
7.5
7.0
6.5
6.0
5.5
5.0
4.5
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0 54
06/ 08/ 2007 20/ 08/ 2007 03/ 09/ 2007 17/ 09/ 2007 01/ 10/ 2007 15/ 10/ 2007
date
 INCREASED ACCELERATION DATA FOR
ENGINE
a [g] 3 2 -P3 0 5 - N EW \ EN GI N E\ M B2 H \ 1 7 7 2 Ac c . Sp e c t ru m >6 0 0 2 2 / 0 1 / 2 0 0 8 1 2 : 1 3 : 1 6 PM
M

2.4
2.3
2.2
2.1
2.0
1.9
1.8
1.7
1.6
1.5
1.4
RPM : 1800 (30.00Hz)
1.3
M(x) : 2521.88 Hz (84.06 Orders)
1.2 M(y) : 2.116 g
1.1
1.0
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
22/ 01/ 2008
55
0.2
0.1
0.0 08/ 08/ 2008
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000
f [Hz]
 SPECTRUM ANALYSIS REVIEW

The Analyst must notice an abnormal increase in Noise Floor Vibration

The amplitudes on that particular Main have increased as well
Temperature Data Plot Trends should be also considered
Oil Pressures and Loading Conditions should be verified
The remaining Main Bearings should consistently hold Trend unless there are
indications of Wiping
Vibration Data should be re-taken to confirm and closely monitored 56
 ALARMS FOR DIESEL ENGINES
See Manufacturers Recommended Alarm Policy for Units (OEM Specifications)
This is the most difficult to set up with the highest likelihood of error, especially for
Reciprocating Engines
Normally the Analyst can adjust the Initial Warning Alerts using historical data
trends once the Engine’s Vibratory Behaviour is understood
It is Recommended that Alarm Values be adjusted after 6 Months of Actual
Machine Data and reviewed once per year after
A General Rule of Thumb Alarm Limit which is normally used for Recips are:
Alarm 1 - 5 mm/s PK or 0.2 IPS PK
Alarm 2 – 10 mm/s PK or 0.4 IPS PK
57
 END OF SESSION

QUESTIONS?
58