DOI:10.13334/j.0258-8013.pcsee.2013.11.

005

33 11 Vol.33 No.11 Apr.15, 2013

112 2013 4 15 Proceedings of the CSEE 2013 Chin.Soc.for Elec.Eng.
0258-8013 (2013) 11-0112-06 TH 17 A 47030

1 2
(1 100083
2 100084)

Frequency Demodulation Analysis Method for Fault Diagnosis of Planetary Gearboxes

FENG Zhipeng 1, CHU Fulei 2
(1. School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China;
2. Department of Precision Instruments and Mechanology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China)

ABSTRACT: The frequency modulation part contains the gear

fault information, and is free from the effect of time varying
vibration transfer paths. This feature is helpful to avoid the

complex sidebands in Fourier spectra and additional amplitude

modulation caused by the planet passing effect or the time
variant vibration propagation paths. According to the frequency 0
modulation characteristics of planetary gearbox vibration
signals, a frequency demodulation analysis method based on
empirical mode decomposition was proposed to simplify the
signal analysis in fault diagnosis. The criterion for selecting
sensitive intrinsic mode function was proposed, the explicit
equations for the Fourier spectra of instantaneous frequency

were deduced, and the instantaneous frequency spectral

characteristics of sun, planet and ring gear faults were
summarized. The proposed method was validated using
[1-3]
simulated signal and lab experimental datasets, and the
localized damage of sun, planet and ring gears was diagnosed
via frequency demodulation analysis.
KEY WORDS: wind turbine; planetary gearbox; fault
diagnosis; frequency modulation; demodulation; instantaneous
frequency spectrum






Fourier

Fourier


(51075028, 11272047) [1-3]
(3102022)
Project Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China

(51075028, 11272047); Beijing Natural Science Foundation (3102022).
 11 113

fg Fourier
fg

Fourier
nfg
Hilbert-Huang Fourier
nfg
[4-11]
Fourier

[12-15]
1.2


(3)
1

1.1


[1-3] [4-11]
x(t ) h(t )c[1 A cos(2f g t )]
cos[2f m t B sin(2f g t ) ] (1)
A,B>0
fm fg Fourier
c h(t)

2
(1) 1
1
2
Fourier 0

() (1) Gauss

() (2)

(1)

(t ) 2f m t B sin(2f g t ) (2)


1 d (t ) [6-7]
f (t ) f m Bf g cos(2f g t ) (3)
2 dt
1.3
Fourier
F ( f ) f m ( f ) Bf g ( f f g ) exp( j ) (4) Hilbert
fm x(t)
z (t ) x(t ) jy (t ) a(t ) exp[ j (t )] (5)
(3)(4) y(t) x(t) Hilbert
114 33

p x( ) 1
t
y (t ) d (6)
Tab. 1 Parameters in simulated signal
p Cauchy a(t)
A B /Hz /Hz /Hz
a(t ) [ x 2 (t ) y 2 (t )]1/ 2 (7)
1 1 1 092 16 42
(t)
5
y (t )
(t ) arctan[ ] (8)
x(t )

1 d (t ) 5
f (t ) (9) 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
2 dt /s
1.4 (a)

1
1

2(5)~(9) Hilbert
3
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
/s
3 (b) IMF1
1 500

1 000

/Hz

500

0
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
/s

(c)
4
30
Fourier Fourier
fs

20
/Hz

2 10

0
0 40 80 120 160 200
[2](11) /Hz
1 (d) Fourier

3 000 Hz 1
Gauss Fig. 1 Simulated signal
2 dB 1
Fourier
(IMF1)
1 092 Hz 1(c)
1
3
Fourier 1(d) 1 3.1
42 Hz [2]
[2]
 11 115

[2]
546 Hz
3/2 3.3
3 1
3.2
2 1 Fourier
1.4
1
Fourier 2(b) 1 3(c) Fourier
181.678 Hz
1.4 1/3
1 2(c) 1/3fsfc fc
Fourier
8 8fc 1/3 n/3fs(
nfc(n1,2,) 3
1/3fs/3)
mfc n/3fsmfc
(m,n1,2,)

fp1/3frfpfc 2

fs1/3frfsfc2/3(fs 1
/(m/s2)

fr)2/3fs2fc
0
1.5
1
/(m/s2)

0.5 2
0 20 40 60
/s
0.5
(a)

300
1.5
0 20 40 60
/s
200
/Hz

(a)

300 100

200 0
/Hz

0 20 40 60
/s
100
(b) IMF1

6
0
fc1/3fs

0 20 40 60

/s
fc

4
/Hz

(b) IMF1
4fc

5fc1/3fs

6fc2/3fs
3fc1/3fs

2fc2/3fs
5fc

3fc2/3fs
3fc

4fc2/3fs

2.5 2
2fc

1/3fs

3fcfs
2fcfs

2/3fs
8fc

6fc

fs

0
/Hz

1.5 0 10 20 30 40 50
3fs(r)
16fc
2fcfs2/3

/Hz
fp+2fc

20fc
4fc
2fc

fs? fc
6fc

14fc

(c) Fourier
19fc
10fc
9fc

0.5
3
0 10 20 30 40 50
/Hz Fig. 3 Faulty sun gear vibration signal
(c) Fourier 3.4
2 4 1
Fig. 2 Normal vibration signal
116 33

Fourier 1
fpfp1 1.4 3
1 4(c)
Fourier 1/3 n/3fr 5(c)
Fourier
3 1/3 n/3fr
3fpfc
nfp
3
nfpfc

/(m/s2)
1

nfc 1

3
0 20 40 60
/s
nfc
(a)

300
3
200
/Hz
/(m/s2)

1
100
1
0
0 20 40 60
3
0 20 40 60 /s
/s (b) IMF1
(a)
5
2/3fr

300
4
/Hz

3
200
1/3fr

8/3fr
4/3fr
/Hz

fr

1
5/3fr

10/3fr

4fr

100 2
0
0 5 10 15 20 25
0
0 20 40 60 /Hz
/s (c) Fourier
(b) IMF1
5
2.5
3fpfc

Fig. 5 Faulty ring gear vibration signal

4
/Hz

1.5
3fc

2fpfc
fpfc

3fp? fc
2fpfc

4fpfc
2fp

3fp

4fp
fc

fpfc
2fc
fp

0.5

0 4 8 12 16 20
/Hz
(c) Fourier Fourier
4
Fig. 4 Faulty planet gear vibration signal
3.5
5 1
Fourier
1.4
 11 117

Fourier applications[M]Singapore: World Scientific20051-16

Fourier [9] Huang N EWu ZA review on Hilbert-Huang transform:
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[10] Hilbert-Huang
Fourier [J]2005
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Feng ZhipengChu FuleiTransient hydraulic pressure

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Extended Summary pp.112-117

Frequency Demodulation Analysis Method for Fault Diagnosis of

Planetary Gearboxes
FENG Zhipeng 1, CHU Fulei 2
(1. University of Science and Technology Beijing; 2. Tsinghua University)

KEY WORDS: planetary gearbox; fault diagnosis; frequency modulation; demodulation; instantaneous frequency spectrum

Although envelope spectrum does not involve intrinsic mode function which has an instantaneous
complicated sideband, thus has a much simpler structure frequency fluctuating around the gear meshing frequency
than the common Fourier spectrum, it is still subject to or its harmonics is selected for further analysis. Next, the
the effect of planets passing or time variant vibration instantaneous frequency of the selected sensitive
transfer paths. The presence of planets passing intrinsic mode function is Fourier transformed to identify
frequency, sun gear rotating frequency, or planet carrier its periodicity, thus obtaining the instantaneous
rotating frequency in the envelope spectrum may confuse frequency spectrum. Finally, gear faults can be

the analysis in fault diagnosis. Therefore, it is important diagnosed by matching the dominant peaks in the

to look for an approach to remove the interferences instantaneous frequency spectrum with the theoretical

caused by the effect of planets passing or time variant
vibration transfer paths.
The frequency modulation part due to gear faults
contains the gear fault information, and is free from the
effect of planet passing or time variant vibration transfer
paths. The instantaneous frequency of the simplified
vibration signal model of planetary gearbox can be
derived as:
f (t ) f m Bf g cos(2f g t ) (1)
where B>0 is the frequency modulation magnitude
caused by gear faults, fm is the gear meshing frequency,
characteristic frequency of each gear.
The proposed method is validated experimentally.
In the Fourier spectra of instantaneous frequency of the
selected intrinsic mode functions, all the peaks appear at
the expected frequency locations. The localized damage
of sun, planet and ring gears are diagnosed by matching
the dominant peaks in the instantaneous frequency
spectra with the theoretical characteristic frequency of
gears. Fig. 1 shows the normal and faulty vibration
signals of a sun gear.
300
Amplitude /Hz

200
and fg is the faulty gear characteristic frequency. The
Fourier transform of instantaneous frequency is: 100
F ( f ) f m ( f ) Bf g ( f f g ) exp( j ) (2)
0
0 20
40 60
In the instantaneous frequency spectrum, peaks will
Time/s
appear at the faulty gear characteristic frequency and its (a) Instantaneous frequency of selected IMF of
faulty vibration signal
harmonics nfg. 6 Normal
fc1/3fs

According to the frequency modulation Faulty

Amplitude /Hz

fc

4
characteristics of planetary gearbox vibration signals, a
5fc
2fc

3fc1/3fs

6fc2/3fs
6fc

4fc2/3fs

frequency demodulation analysis method is proposed to

4fc

3fc2/3fs
2fc2/3fs
5fc1/3fs

2
3fc

2fcfs
1/3fc

3fcfs
2/3fc

simplify the signal analysis in fault diagnosis. Firstly, the

fs

0
signal is decomposed into intrinsic mode functions 0 10 20 30 40 50
Frequency/Hz
(IMFs) using empirical mode decomposition to meet the (b) Instantaneous frequency spectrum of selected IMF
mono-component requirement by instantaneous Fig. 1 Frequency demodulation analysis of
frequency estimation. Then, the earliest extracted normal and faulty vibration signals

S16