Real-time insulation lifetime monitoring for motor windings

This paper investigates the development and implementation of a real-time thermal ageing model for polymer-based electrical wire insulation using the classical Arrhenius relationship for chemical reaction rates. The paper presents the theoretical development and implementation of the method for predicting the insulation lifetime based on real-time temperature measurements using fibre-optic sensors embedded inside copper-wound coils. The performance of the presented lifetime model in delivering consistent results for winding insulation lifetime predictions is then assessed and validated using real-time steady-state and transient thermal experiments on a wound test coil mounted into a purpose built motorette test rig.