Time Domain Analysis and Spectral Methods for Determining Rotational Speed of Rotary Machines

Accurate estimation of rotational speed of rotary machines has usually high priority in technical applications. This information should be calculated for many diagnostic algorithms, control or regulation processes. Incorrectly estimated values could occur serious disturbances in the operation of machines. Additional instrumentation often may be obstructed due to lack of space, but the construct of the machine may also affect the accuracy of measurement. In such cases, vibration diagnostic tools can be the disposal of difficulty. Mounting an acceleration sensor onto the outer surface of the measured device is not a major challenge. In most cases using time, frequency or quefrency domain analysis, it is possible to estimate the rotational speed of the analysed rotary machine. The calculated spectra and cepstra can help to determine the rotational speed more easily and more accurate than the time domain methods. This paper presents the comparison of these methods in terms of their usability and rotational speed estimation accuracy. A possible error of traditional optical measurement due to misalignment and benefits of the other methods are illustrated in this article via measured data series of a Brushless DC (BLDC) motor driven system