Existence of partial discharges in low-voltage induction machines supplied by PWM drives

When standard low voltage induction motors are supplied by pulse-width modulated (PWM) adjustable speed drives, some of the traditional sinusoidal system concepts cannot be applied. This paper reports the results of an investigation of the effect of PWM drives on the insulation of the stator winding. The characteristics of the employed dielectric material and the magnitude of the applied voltages led to the hypothesis of the possible existence of partial discharges within the insulation. Practical experiments were carried out and high frequency signals which could be associated with such a phenomenon were observed. These measurements also showed that the interturn insulation undergoes some high electrical stresses and that the nominal rotation speed (50 Hz) appears to be a point of high disturbance in the working of the motor. Further work is required, since most of the points identified here need to be understood fully.