Airgap-Eccentricity Fault Diagnosis, in Three-Phase Induction Motors, by the Complex Apparent Power Signature Analysis

This paper deals with the use of the signature analysis of the complex apparent power modulus as a new technique for the diagnostics of mixed airgap-eccentricity condition in operating three-phase squirrel-cage induction motors. First, a modeling and simulation study concerning the occurrence of airgap eccentricity in three-phase induction motors is presented. For that purpose, the winding function approach is considered. Then, both simulation and experimental results are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. A suitable fault-severity factor is also proposed as an indicator of the condition of the machine.