Nine Minutes of Knowledge
Polarization Index Profiles
A polarization index is a 10-minute timed insulation test using a megohmmeter to measure resistance to ground. If you plot or graph the results incrementally, it will give you a profile of the resistance to ground. There are five distinct patterns that we'll get...
- Don Donofrio
- The Snell Group
Tank Levels
The reliability of tank level indicators has improved significantly over the past few decades. This tip will discuss how taking advantage of differences in thermal capacitance of tank contents allows for fast and effect tank level inspections.
- Roy Huff
- The Snell Group
HD Technology Saves an Extruder Gear Pump
A gear pump was used in a plastic extruder, where the gear’s head pumps the plastic mold from the barrel into the pelletizer. The extruder was already fitted with a condition monitoring system, but in early 2016 our customer decided...
- Rick Verbij
- SPM Netherlands
HD Technology Shines in an Ultra-Low-RPM Application
The support wheel bearings in a calciner case had an ultra-low rpm: 3.4–3.9. The customer had been utilizing a traditional vibration analysis system for a number of years, but they lacked a pre-warning time and faced high risk…
- Rick Verbij
- SPM Netherlands
The Critical Angle of Ultrasonic Electrical Inspection of Transmission Line
Electrical ultrasound inspection is one of the most unique applications, as it is not dependent on decibel levels as much as the patterns the anomaly produces. However, limited approach restrictions can make it difficult to get…
- Drew Walts
- IRISS
Four Electrical Failure Modes
Electrical failure modes can be divided into four main categories. This tip will briefly discuss these categories and their associated thermal patterns to help the field thermographer better understand and identify thermal anomalies found in the field...
- Roy Huff
- The Snell Group
Suspect Resonance? Check What the Machine Is Sitting on
The motor in this case study was brought in for a routine PM during the plant’s scheduled downtime. During the run test, they experienced very high vibration, but nothing else was abnormal…
- Ali Al-Shurafa
- Saudi Aramco
Diagnosing and Correcting Resonance in a Vertical Seawater Pump
This case involves a vertical cooling seawater pump in a power plant. The speed is 600 rpm, and it had no noise or operational issues. The current was normal, but they received…
- Ali Al-Shurafa
- Saudi Aramco
How Does Motion Amplification Work?
Motion amplification uses a camera and a collection system. We use the pixels of the camera as vibration sensors—each pixel becomes a vibration sensor. The idea here is that...
- Stuart Walker
- Reliability Maintenance Solutions Ltd