Abstract
Order tracking technique is one of the important tools for diagnosis of rotating machinery. Conventional methods of order tracking are primarily based on Fourier analysis with reference to shaft speed. Resampling is generally required in the fast Fourier transform (FFT)-based methods to compromise between time and frequency resolution for varying shaft speeds. Conventional methods suffer from a number of shortcomings. In particular, smearing problems arise when closely spaced orders or crossing orders are present. Conventional methods also are ineffective for the applications involving multiple independent shaft speeds. This paper presents an adaptive order tracking technique based on the Recursive Least-Squares (RLS) algorithm to overcome the problems encountered in conventional methods. In the proposed method, the problem is treated as the tracking of frequency-varying bandpass signals. Order amplitudes can be calculated with high resolution by using the proposed method in real-time fashion. The RLS order tracking technique is applicable whether it is a single-axle or multi-axle system.