New Feature Extraction Method for the Detection of Defects in Rolling Element Bearings

Abstract

This paper proposes a new method based on ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) and kurtosis criterion for the detection of defects in rolling element bearings. Some intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) are presented to obtain symptom wave by EEMD. The different kurtosis of the intrinsic mode function is determined to select the envelope spectrum. The fault feature based on the IMF envelope spectrum whose kurtosis is the maximum is extracted, and fault patterns of roller bearings can be effectively differentiated. Practical examples of diagnosis for a rolling element bearing are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. The verification results show that the bearing faults that typically occur in rolling element bearings, such as outer-race and inner-race, can be effectively identified by the proposed method.