Using a surge tester to detect rotor eccentricity faults in induction motors

This paper discusses a new method to detect rotor eccentricity faults in induction motors - using the surge test. Rotor eccentricity faults cause an asymmetrical air gap in induction motors, which makes the surge waveform rotor position dependent. The change of surge waveform per revolution can be used to indicate any abnormal air gap problem clearly. The feasibility of this detection scheme is verified by experiments. The surge tester is a non-intrusive, cost-efficient and reliable off-line method, especially useful for routine and predictive maintenance.