Advanced Vibration Sensing with Radar - ADVISER

A new low-cost stand-off vibration sensor based on the Doppler radar principle is presented. The baseline performance of this sensor was compared with a high-quality accelerometer in a well-controlled laboratory environment. This advanced vibration imaging sensor (ADVISER) was also validated for its prognostic health monitoring ability with a fault emulator. The ADVISER was able to detect machine misbalance and bearing damage at a distance of 4 feet without making any contact. This exceeded the performance of a high-quality screw accelerometer mounted directly on the bearing enclosure. In this paper, we present the sensor’s principle of operation, summarize results of comparing it with standard accelerometers, and conclude with its potential use in industrial and aerospace applications.