Two Minute Tips  

Machine Train: Gears

Noah Bethel | Vice President-Product Development, PdMA Corporation

This next tip focuses on the machine train analysis tools of the Emax Current Demodulation technology starting with gears. Reduction gears play a key role in industry to control shaft rotation speeds of various applications. Knowing a little bit about the gear application being tested you can rely on the Emax Current Demodulation test to accurately trend changes in the condition of the gears. The current being measured is feeding the stator windings. However, changes in torque due to load or fault anomalies will transfer through the gear box to the motor rotor, into the air gap between the rotor and stator, finally impacting the stator current. Gear box related anomalies will result in elevated peaks correlating to the reduced output shaft speed of the gear box. It is important to establish proper baseline amplitudes and build band alarms around these known frequencies on the current demodulation spectrum.

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About the Author

Noah Bethel Vice President-Product Development, PdMA Corporation

Noah has over twenty-five years of broad operations and electrical systems maintenance experience in industrial, commercial, and military settings ranging from nuclear submarines to world class amusement parks. His experience includes high and low voltage, AC and DC, power generation, power distribution, motors, and motor controllers. Noah is currently in charge of product development for new and existing PdM technology at PdMA Corporation.

Noah is a graduate of the University of the State of New York and the Naval Nuclear Power School and Training Unit. He is a Certified Maintenance Reliability Professional, with field experience in motor circuit analysis, current signature, power analysis, thermography, vibration analysis, oil analysis and ultrasonic testing.