Test rig description

The rig has following key components and devices

• AC driver for providing speed
• DC generator for providing load
• Gearbox 1 (two-stage gearbox) for reducing speed
• Gearbox 2 (two-stage gearbox) for increasing speed
• Variable speed drive and load controller (VSD-LC)

Instrumentation

The measurements in the test rig including an encoder for motor speed, two microphone for acoustic signal, two accelerometer for vibration signal, a thermocouple for oil temperature, three current and three voltage transducers for motor electricity, an infrared camera for heat distribution on gearbox body. All these data are acquired with a 24-bit, 16-channel, synchronous Data Acquisition (DAQ) system at a sampling rate of 96 kHz.

Typical Fault simulation

The test rig can simulate several typical faults, including gearbox faults, shaft faults and other faults as shown in Table 1.

Key publications

• [1] J. Wang, M. Xu, C. Zhang, B. Huang, and F. Gu, ‘Online Bearing Clearance Monitoring Based on an Accurate Vibration Analysis’, Energies, vol. 13, no. 2, p. 389, Jan. 2020, doi: 10.3390/en13020389.
• [2] X. Tang et al., ‘Condition Monitoring of Lubricant Shortage for Gearboxes Based on Compressed Thermal Images’, in Advances in Asset Management and Condition Monitoring, Cham, 2020, pp. 927–938, doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-57745-2_76.
• [3] R. Zhang, K. Wang, Y. Shi, X. Sun, F. Gu, and T. Wang, ‘The Influences of Gradual Wears and Bearing Clearance of Gear Transmission on Dynamic Responses’, Energies, vol. 12, no. 24, p. 4731, Dec. 2019, doi: 10.3390/en12244731.
• [4] K. F. Brethee, D. Zhen, F. Gu, and A. D. Ball, ‘Helical gear wear monitoring: Modelling and experimental validation’, MECH & MACH. THEORY, vol. 117, pp. 210–229, Nov. 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.mechmachtheory.2017.07.012.
• [5] R. Zhang, F. Gu, H. Mansaf, T. Wang, and A. Ball, ‘Gear wear monitoring by modulation signal bispectrum based on motor current signal analysis’, Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, vol. 94, pp. 202–213, Sep. 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.ymssp.2017.02.037.
• [6] K. Brethee, F. Gu, and A. Ball, ‘Condition Monitoring of Lubricant Starvation Based on Gearbox Vibration Signatures’, International Journal of COMADEM, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 45–52, Jul. 2017.
• [7] K. F. Brethee, F. Gu, and A. D. Ball, ‘Frictional effects on the dynamic responses of gear systems and the diagnostics of tooth breakages’, Systems Science & Control Engineering, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 270–284, 2016, doi: 10.1080/21642583.2016.1241728.
• [8] S. Abusaad, K. Brethee, M. Assaeh, R. Zhang, F. Gu, and A. D. Ball, ‘The detection of lubricating oil viscosity changes in gearbox transmission systems driven by sensorless variable speed drives using electrical supply parameters’, Journal of Physics: Conference Series, vol. 628, p. 012078, Jul. 2015, doi: 10.1088/1742-6596/628/1/012078.
• [9] F. Elbarghathi, T. Wang, D. Zhen, F. Gu, and A. Ball, ‘Two Stage Helical Gearbox Fault Detection and Diagnosis based on Continuous Wavelet Transformation of Time Synchronous Averaged Vibration Signals’, J. Phys.: Conf. Ser., vol. 364, p. 012083, May 2012, doi: 10.1088/1742-6596/364/1/012083.