Vibration measurement and analysis can provide important information about the device’s current condition. It also enables the identification of the device’s critical operating points, where increased vibration accelerates its ageing. Therefore, continuous vibration data inspection can serve as a foundation for predictive maintenance, which is increasingly used in various fields due to its efficiency.
A system for vibration analysis of axial fans with an electronically commutated motor was designed. It comprises an accelerometer and a microcontroller, which are implemented on the fan’s printed circuit board and connected via the I2C bus. An algorithm was developed, which identifies resonance operating points of the fan and does not allow their use. It is based on the calculations of the root-mean-square value of the read acceleration signal over the fan’s whole speed range. Consequently, the life span of the fan increases due to reduced vibration exposure. Furthermore, another algorithm was developed, which detects unbalance of the rotor, based on the frequency analysis. Unbalance causes the increase in the amplitude of the frequency component, corresponding to the rotating frequency. In that way, the foundations for predictive maintenance of axial fans were laid.
Measurements in the laboratory environment confirmed appropriate design and correct operation of the developed algorithms, which enabled their actual implementation in the products of the company Hidria d.o.o.
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