Development of dust test method for motor drives

Motor drives are used in various industrial processes. Some of the operational environments of the drives may contain contaminations like dust, salts and gases. Dust combined with humidity may cause electrical shorts, decreased insulation resistance, and corrosion on the electronics of the device. Therefore, it is essential to study the behavior of the devices under such conditions. In this study, a product level dust test method for low voltage motor drives was developed. Method was successfully used to study the accumulation of the dust inside devices and the behavior of the devices under dusty and humid conditions.