Vibration Monitoring for Cooling Towers

Download the printer-friendly Vibration Monitoring for Cooling Towers Application Note

Cooling towers are frequent choices for vibration monitoring due to their often-critical role in maintaining operational efficiencies. Vibration analysis can be used to improve reliability and extend the lifetime of cooling tower equipment. While cooling towers range from small single-cell units to large multi-cell configurations, any configuration that employs the use of rotating parts requires effective monitoring.
Power Plant Cooling Towers with smoke against a blue cloudy sky

How It Works
The machinery generally consists of three phases: motor, gearbox, and fan. In order to provide maximum reliability, all three phases should be monitored. To accomplish this, accelerometers should be placed at key places on the motor, gearbox, and fan bearings. Typically, vibration sensors are mounted on the bearing surface in either the horizontal, vertical, or axial directions.
diagram showing placement of sensors on an industrial motor and gear box

What We Offer

Accelerometers:
For maximum coverage, six sensors should be used on both the motor and gearbox for a total of 12 sensors per installation.

General-purpose sensors rated at 100 mV/g are recommended for applications over 30 CPM (0.5 Hz), including:

A render of CTC AC102 top exit sensor and AC104 side exit sensor.

AC102 and AC104 standard size top and side exit accelerometers, 100 mV/g, ±10%, -58 to 250 °F (-50 to 121 °C)

A render of compact size AC192 top exit sensor and AC194 side exit sensor

AC192 and AC194 compact size top and side exit accelerometers, 100 mV/g, ±10%, -58 to 250 °F (-50 to 121 °C)

A render of a CTC TREA330 triaxial accelerometer with 4 pin side exit connector.

TREA330 premium, miniature triaxial accelerometer, 100 mV/g, ±10%, -65 to 250 °F (-54 to 121 °C), follows cartesian coordinate rule

Low-frequency applications from 6 CPM to 30 CPM (0.1 to 0.5 Hz) should use a 500 mV/g sensor like CTC’s AC133, AC134 or TXFA331 series accelerometers, including:

A render of standard size AC133 top exit accelerometer and AC134 side exit accelerometer
AC133 and AC134 standard size, low frequency accelerometer, 500 mV/g, ±10%, -58 to 250 °F (-50 to 121 °C)

A render of CTC's T XFA331 standard size, side exit, triaxial accelerometer.

TXFA331 premium, low frequency triaxial accelerometer, 500 mV/g, ±5%, -58 to 250 °F (-50 to 121 °C)

Cables and Connectors:
CTC's V Series Viton™ Boot Connectors are ideal for use in the wet, caustic environment created by cooling towers. They create an IP68-rated seal with the sensor and are excellent in highly corrosive environments. CTC recommends using these connectors in conjunction with CTC's CB111 or CB119 FEP jacketed cables.

yellow FEP jacketed cable and orange FEP jacketed cabled, with exposed conductor wires at either end

V Series Viton™ seal-tight boot connectors (V2R, V3N, and V4J) come in 2, 3, and 4-pin options for use with single-axis, biaxial, or triaxial sensors.

three black viton boot connectors for condition monitoring with front and side view

These cables should be connected to a switch box such as the JB110, which is also capable of passing the signal through to a remote monitoring system such as a DCS, PLC, or SCADA System:
JB110 vibration switch box for condition monitoring, with fiberglass exterior, shown with door open

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