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How to Test Output Sensitivity of Vibro-Meter IPC704

Confirming Accuracy of the CA202 Accelerometer & IPC 704 or IPC707 Signal Conditioner

Part of the vibro-meter® product line, the Meggitt IPC704 and IPC707 signal conditioners serve to convert vibration data from a high-temperature differential charge accelerometer mounted on a turbine into a measurable signal for the condition monitoring system. Integrating the acceleration signal to a velocity output is a popular option, and most power generation users choose the current output transfer function which performs better over long distances in noisy environments.

How to test CA202 accelerometer paired with vibro-meter IPC704 (often found on Siemens gas turbines) using Portable Vibration Calibrator Model C9110D

In the video above we use Portable Vibration Calibrator Model C9110D to test the instrumentation as it is most commonly found in the industry, integrating to velocity, current output sensitivity, and paired with a CA202 differential charge output piezoelectric accelerometer. The following concepts are discussed:

  • Mounting the CA202 accelerometer to the C9110D Portable Vibration Calibrator
  • Electrical connections between the calibrator, IPC704, CA202, and model 9100-PS02 24 VDC Power Supply and Signal Conditioner (WIRING DIAGRAM)
  • Confirming correct current output sensitivity of the IPC704 in the velocity scale with pass/fail notification on the screen of the calibrator
  • Disconnecting the CA202 from the IPC704 for the purpose of testing it’s sensitivity on the C9110D Portable Vibration Calibrator. This concept is especially useful when troubleshooting the output sensitivity of the IPC704 or IPC707 when paired with a CA series differential charge accelerometer such as the CA202. Automatic pass/fail notification is shown.

Users seeking an alternative to the CA202 can consider the Model EX615A42 from PCB Piezotronics. Keen-eyed readers will notice the specifications and performance are nearly identical. But the PCB offering is supplied with one important advantage: ISO 16063-21 compliant full frequency response sweep calibration. The CA202 is only calibrated at a single frequency by Meggitt before shipping.

PCB offers a drop-in replacement for the IPC704 signal conditioners as well, Series 421B3X. The product is configurable to fit the filtering and output options of the installed IPC704.

Interested in testing other turbine vibration sensors? Be sure to view the video how to test the instrumentation on the GE LM2500.

vibro-meter® is a registered trademark of Meggitt SA