Energy Index technique for detection of Acoustic Emissions associated with incipient bearing failures

The application of Acoustic Emission (AE) technique to condition monitoring of gears and bearings is gaining significance as it can detect early symptoms of defects such as pitting, wear and flaking of surfaces. Such early detection of defects is of vital importance so as to avoid major failures with catastrophic consequences. This article presents results on the Energy Index (EI) technique, used in detecting masked AE signatures associated with the loss of mechanical integrity in bearings. Both simulated and real experimentally generated AE signatures were used to investigate the efficiency and applicability of the technique at signal-to-noise ratios as low as 0.25. In conclusion it is shown that the EI technique is effective in detecting AE burst buried in random noise thereby offering a complementary tool for the diagnostician.