Stator inter-turn short-circuit fault diagnosis in induction motors applying VI loci-based technique

Abstract

Due to the susceptibility of low-power three-phase induction motors (IMs) to stator inter-turn short-circuits (ITSC), researchers have been required to develop practical and cost-effective online systems for detecting faults in the stator winding. It is highly recommended to detect faults at a low fault severity level, as the fault current circulating through the shorted turns exponentially increases due to a reduction in insulation resistance and associated insulation degradation. The proposed Voltage–Current (VI) loci-based technique is a non-invasive, less expensive, and fault-sensitive approach that has been scarcely implemented in industries for stator ITSC faults analysis and accurate faulty phase identification, even under low fault severity. The proposed algorithm can compensate for various factors such as unbalanced supply voltages, asymmetries in winding construction, and errors in sensing element calibration. Experimental results presented for a three-phase 1 hp, 415 V SCIM investigate and validate the competency of the proposed work.