Patent ID: 7013210

Claim:
A method for monitoring bearing vibration levels associated with a rotating component and establishing an alarm setting therefor, the method comprising the steps of: a) measuring an operating parameter and a corresponding set of vibration amplitudes for a rotating component during a period of operation, the rotating component including a plurality of bearings and at least one sensor for measuring vibration amplitudes; b) selecting a bearing to be monitored from the plurality of bearings of the rotating component; c) selecting the vibration sensor to be used for monitoring the vibration amplitudes of the selected bearing; d) demodulate the set of measured vibration amplitudes monitored by the sensor; e) convert the demodulated set of measured vibration amplitudes into spectral data; f) compare the spectral data to predetermined tonal frequencies for the bearing so as to define a set of normalized amplitude data points; and g) trend the normalized amplitude data points over the period of operation so as to establish a time period remaining to reach an established amplitude limit.