Reliable Detection of Rotor Winding Asymmetries in Wound Rotor Induction Motors via Integral Current Analysis

Current analysis has been widely employed in academy and industry for the diagnosis of rotor damages in cage induction motors. The conventional approach based on the fast Fourier transform analysis of steady-state current [motor current signature analysis (MCSA)] has been recently complemented with the development of alternative techniques that rely on the time-frequency analysis of transient quantities of the machine. These techniques may bring important advantages that are related to the avoidance of eventual false indications provided by the classical MCSA. Moreover, their application is also suitable for variable speed conditions. However, the application of current-based methodologies to wound rotor induction motors (WRIM) has been much less studied and, hence, their validation in field WRIM is scarce. This work proposes the application of an integral methodology based on the analysis of both stationary and transient currents for the diagnosis of winding asymmetries in WRIM. The method, based on up to five different fault evidences, is validated in laboratory motors and it is subsequently applied to a large field motor (1500 kW) that was showing signs of abnormal rotor functioning. The results prove that the method is of interest for the field since it helps to ratify without ambiguity the existence of eventual asymmetries in the rotor windings, with no interference with the machine operation. However, due to the complex constructive nature of the rotor winding as well as the presence of auxiliary systems (slip rings, brushes, contactors, etc.), once the fault presence is detected, it may be interesting the utilization of complementary tools to accurately locate the root cause of the asymmetry.