Detection of broken rotor bars in induction motors using stator current measurements

Abstract : Broken rotor bars are a common cause of induction motor failures. In the past, the detection of broken rotor bars has primarily been limited to non- operating, and typically, disassembled machines. The ability to detect broken rotor bars while the machine is operating at normal speed and load is desirable. In support of the ongoing development of a failure analysis system for electrical machines, this thesis evaluates the method of using stator currents and voltages to detect the presence of broken rotor bars in squirrel-cage induction motors. The hypothesis of this method is that, given a sinusoidally applied voltage, the presence of certain harmonics in the stator currents could be used to detect the presence of broken rotor bars. Theses.