Fault Detection of Circulation Pumps on the Basis of Motor Current Evaluation

Motor current signature analysis (MCSA) for fault detection has found widespread application, especially for induction motors. The basis of MCSA is the evaluation of a motor's current. This analysis is now also used for other motor types and can be used to detect faults of the coupled load. The purpose of this article is to examine whether MCSA can be used to detect faults in a wet-rotor pump. A total of three faults are examined. The results show that, compared with a healthy pump, all faults could be detected. However, a detailed analysis of frequency components has to be carried out to differentiate the faults. A circulation pump with a maximum power consumption of 1.1 kW was used as the test item.