Effects of time-varying loads on rotor fault detection in induction machines

This paper addresses the problem of motor current spectral analysis for the detection of nonidealities in the air gap flux density when in the presence of an oscillating or position-varying load torque. Several schemes have been proposed for the detection of air gap eccentricities and broken rotor bars. The analysis of these effects, however, generally assumes that the load torque is constant. If the load torque varies with the rotational speed, then the motor current spectral harmonics produced by the load will overlap the harmonics caused by the fault conditions. The motor current spectral components in the presence of various fault and load conditions are reviewed. The interaction of the effects on the actual stator current spectrum caused by the fault condition and the torque oscillations are shown to be separable only if the angular position of the fault with respect to the load torque characteristic is known. This is an important result in the formulation of an online fault detection scheme that measures only a single phase of the stator current. Since the spatial location of the fault is not known, its influence on a specific current harmonic component cannot be separated from the load effects. Therefore, online detection schemes must rely on monitoring a multiple frequency signature and identifying those components not obscured by the load effect. Experimental results which show the current spectra of an induction machine under eccentric air gap and broken rotor bar conditions are given for both fixed and oscillating loads