The Use of the Acoustic Signal to Diagnose Machines Operated Under Variable Load

Acoustic signal is more and more frequently used to diagnose machines operated in industrial conditions where installation of sensors is hindered. Impact of background noise seems to be the major problem as part of analysis of such signal. In most cases of industrial environments, background level is high; thus, it prevents against concluding as per standard methods that have been used in diagnostic testing. This study specifies the problem related to diagnosing machines operated under variable loads. Synchronous methods are used for diagnosing these types of machines, those include synchronisation of diagnostic signal with revolutions of the diagnosed machine. For the purpose of this study an acoustic signal was used as the diagnostic signal. Application of the synchronous method (order analysis) enables eliminating an impact of background noise derived from other sources. This study specifies application of acoustic signal to diagnose planetary gear in laboratory testing rig in order to discover damages at early stage of degradation. This method was compared with the method basing on measurement of vibrations.