Why winding resistance is an important measurement to make

Winding resistance measurements can find problems not found with other tests and
measurements (other than impedance measurements), and is therefore very important. Following
are problems that can be found.

Common misunderstanding

A common misunderstanding is that a surge test can always find a blowout in a random wound
motor. It does if there is a turn to turn short, short between coils, or short to ground. But, with a
situation like the one below a fault will not be found with a surge test because there is no change
in the winding inductance, little if any in the winding capacitance, and a surge test is independent
of winding resistance. See: What causes differences in surge test waves?

Partial Blowout example: Four in-hand (or 4 magnet wires in parallel per coil), two blown out,
no turn to turn short and no short to ground. Two wires are still intact, so the inductance in the
coil is not changed.

Partial blowout: Four in-hand, two blown out, no turn to turn short and no short to ground.
Standards

Winding resistance can be a comparison to an absolute number of Ohms or fractions of Ohms if

the target resistance is known. It can also be a comparison of phase to phase resistances in a 3-
phase motor or generator with a calculation of balance (or imbalance).

The balance is typically calculated as the maximum % deviation from the average divided by the
average of 3 winding resistance measurements made phase to phase.

Temperature compensation

If winding resistance measurements are to be compared and tracked over time, the measurements
need to be compensated for temperature unless the temperature is the same every time. Copper
for example has a temperature coefficient of about 0.0039 per degree C for moderate
temperatures. This means if the temperature changes by 10°C, the resistance changes by close to
4%.

If what is important is the resistance balance in the phases, then temperature compensation is not
necessary since the balance calculation is a ratio and the compensation factor falls out.