Electrical Signature Analysis: How does it compare to Machinery Vibration Analysis and where does it fit in your plant's Reliability Program?

摘要

It is well known that rotating machinery exhibit specific characteristics when faults cause the geometric centerline of the shaft to periodically move. For more than 70 years, Machinery Vibration Analysis (MVA) has been used to identify and determine the severity of these faults and is an integral part of many successful plant reliability programs. Recent experience and research has proven that many of these same faults can be identified using Electrical Signature Analysis (ESA). ESA also evaluates and identifies faults with power coming into the plant, the power supplied to the motor, as well as electrical and mechanical faults within the motor system. Moreover, ESA is emerging as a very important technology within some Electrical Reliability programs. Some plants are using it as the main detection tool to identify both electrical and mechanical problems on machines, which are driven by electric motors. This paper will examine both of these dynamic Predictive Maintenance Program (PdM) technologies and identify the strengths and weaknesses of each technology and try to determine where these two technologies best fit into a Reliability Program.