A Baseline Study for On-Line Condition Monitoring of Induction Machines

Condition monitoring of induction machines relies on being able to detect the difference between healthy and faulty induction machines. An accurate interpretation of a motor’s condition requires knowledge of the effects of different operating conditions. In addition, variability between machines and test repeatability has to be considered. This paper investigates the above effects on the characteristic induction motor fault frequencies using results from an extensive series of tests on a number of identical healthy machines, which accommodates non-invasive measurements of axial flux, vibration, current and voltage of the motors under test. This work represents the baseline comparison stage of a future investigation into on-line multiple sensor type condition monitoring of induction machines, which aims is to set threshold levels for fault detection including level of loading and non-ideal supplies. 1