Vibration analyzing device

• US 20070062291A1
• Filed: 09/16/2005
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Doosan Babcock Energy Limited (Altrad Investment Authority SAS)
• Original Assignee: Doosan Babcock Energy Limited (Altrad Investment Authority SAS)
• Inventors: Hutchison, I.A., Mitchell, D.H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,430,914 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/649
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 7/08 Shock-testing

Abstract

A vibration analysing device for determining the vibrational response of a structural element, comprising: a vibration sensor for providing an output in response to a force input imparted to the structural element; processing means adapted to determine one of a plurality of classifications in response to the output, each classification corresponding to a condition of the structural element; and display means for displaying the determined classification.

Claims

1. A vibration analysing device for determining the vibrational response of a structural element, comprising:

a vibration sensor for providing an output in response to a force input imparted to the structural element;

processing means adapted to determine one of a plurality of classifications in response to the output, each classification corresponding to a condition of the structural element; and

display means for displaying the determined classification

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of classifications corresponds to a different probability of failure of the structural element.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plurality of different probabilities of failure correspond to different predetermined vibration criteria.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the structural element comprises a pipe.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the structural element comprises a part of the body of a human operator.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vibration sensor comprises an accelerometer and the output comprises acceleration data.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vibration sensor is a tri-axial sensor for providing an output for each of three orthogonal axes.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1, including a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analyser for providing frequency response data corresponding to the output of the vibration sensor.

9. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing means is provided by a computer.

10. A device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the computer comprises a portable computer.

11. A device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the display means comprises the display of the computer.

12. A device as claimed in claim 1, including transmitting means for transmitting vibration data to a third party.

13. A device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the vibration data comprises at least one of the output from the vibration sensor, the frequency response from the FFT analyser and the classification.

14. A method of determining the vibrational response of a structural element, comprising the steps of:

sensing an output of the structural element in response to a force input imparted to the structural element;

determining one of a plurality of classifications in response to the output, each classification corresponding to a condition of the structural element; and

displaying the determined classification.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of classifications corresponds to a different probability of failure of the structural element.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the plurality of different probabilities of failure correspond to different predetermined vibration criteria.

17. A method as claimed in claim 14, including using colour coding for each of the classifications.

18. A method as claimed in claim 14, including using the actual loading conditions of the structural element as the force input.

19. A method as claimed in claim 14, including determining frequency response data for the structural element from the sensed output of the structural element.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19, including determining a peak frequency for the structural element.

21. A method as claimed in claim 20, including integrating one of the acceleration data and the frequency response data determined from the acceleration data to determine velocity data for the structural element.

22. A method as claimed in claim 21, including determining a single Root Mean Square (RMS) amplitude value from the velocity data.

23. A method as claimed in claim 22, including associating the single RMS amplitude value with the peak frequency.

24. A method as claimed in claim 23, including providing at least one predetermined vibration criterion, wherein the or each criterion comprises a plurality of amplitude values, each value having an associated frequency value.

25. A method as claimed in claim 24, including comparing the single RMS amplitude value with the amplitude value of the vibration criterion which is associated with the peak frequency to determine the classification.

26. A method as claimed in claim 25, including transmitting vibration data to a third party.

27. A method of determining the vibrational response of a structural element, comprising the steps of:

sensing an output of the structural element in response to a force input imparted to the structural element;

calculating frequency response data for the structural element from the sensed output of the structural element;

determining a single amplitude value from the frequency response data;

determining a peak frequency from the frequency response data;

associating the single amplitude value with the peak frequency;

providing at least one predetermined vibration criterion, the or each criterion comprising a plurality of amplitude values, each amplitude value having an associated frequency value; and

comparing the single amplitude value with the amplitude value of the or each criterion associated with the peak frequency.

28. A method as claimed in claim 27, wherein the step of sensing an output of the structural element comprises sensing an acceleration of the structural element to provide acceleration data.

29. A method as claimed in claim 28, including integrating one of the acceleration data and the frequency response data determined from the acceleration data to determine velocity data for the structural element.

30. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the single amplitude value is a Root Mean Square (RMS) value of the velocity data.

31. A method as claimed in claim 27, including determining one of a plurality of classifications in response to the comparison, each classification corresponding to a condition of the structural element.

32. A method as claimed in claim 31, including presenting the classification to the user.

33. A method as claimed in claim 32, including transmitting vibration data to a third party.