ARTICLE IN PRESS

Mechanical Systems
and
Signal Processing
Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing 20 (2006) 1572–1589
www.elsevier.com/locate/jnlabr/ymssp

A validated model for the prediction of rotor bar failure in

squirrel-cage motors using instantaneous angular speed
Ahmed Y. Ben Sasi, Fengshou Gu, Yuhua Li, Andrew D. Ball
Monitoring and Diagnostics Research Group, School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, The University of Manchester,
Oxford Road, M13 9PL UK
Received 14 September 2004; received in revised form 12 September 2005; accepted 15 September 2005
Available online 25 October 2005

Abstract

Instantaneous angular speed (IAS)-based condition monitoring is an area in which significant progress has been
achieved over the recent years. This condition monitoring technique is less known compared to the existing conventional
methods. This paper presents model-predicted simulation and experimental results of broken rotor bar faults in a three-
phase induction motor using IAS variations. The simulation was performed under normal, and a broken rotor bar fault.
The present paper evaluates through simulating and measuring the IAS of an induction motor at broken rotor bar faults in
both time and frequency domains. Experimental results show a good agreement with the model-predicted simulation
results. Three vital key features were extracted from the angular speed variations. One feature is the modulating contour of
pole pass frequency periods in time domain. The other two features are in frequency domain. The primary feature is the
presence of the pole pass frequency component at the low-frequency region of the IAS spectrum. The secondary feature
which are the multiple of pole pass frequency sideband components around the rotor speed frequency component.
Experimental results confirm the validity of the simulation results for the proposed method. The IAS has demonstrated
more sensitivity than current signature analysis in detecting the fault. This research also shows the power of angular speed
features as a useful tool to detect broken rotor bar deteriorations using any economical transducer such as low-resolution
rotary shaft encoders; which may well be already installed for process control purposes.
r 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Instantaneous angular speed (IAS); Condition monitoring; Induction motor; Broken rotor bar fault; Pole pass frequency;
Modulation

1. Introduction

Three-phase induction motors are by far the most common type of industrial drive, and although they are
relatively reliable, they do inevitably breakdown, and hence need to be condition monitored. Condition
monitoring of these machines is notoriously difficult because of the complex combination of mechanical and
magnetic effects that occurs within them. Motors driven by solid-state inverters normally experience severe

Corresponding author. Tel.: +44 161 2754315; fax: +44 161 2754541.
E-mail address: ahmed_bensasi@yahoo.co.uk (A.Y.B. Sasi).
URL: http://www.maintenance.org.uk.

0888-3270/$ - see front matter r 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.ymssp.2005.09.010
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voltage stresses due to rapid switching on and off. Moreover, induction motors are required to operate in
highly corrosive and dusty environments. Such requirements have lead to improvements in insulation material
and treatment processes used. However, cage rotors design and manufacturing have received little
development. As a result, broken rotor bar faults now account for a large percentage of total induction
motor faults [1,2]. In general, modelling and simulation of machine operation will provide economical and
useful information for fault prediction and identification. Computer simulation of motor operation can be
especially useful in attaining a close insight into the dynamic behaviour of machines. Modelling the
performance of three-phase induction motors with broken rotor bar faults has a substantial history of
published literature [1–5]. Current signature analysis approach has been the main focus to monitor the health
of induction motors with respect to modelling broken rotor bar faults. Of course, over the years other less
appealing methods of detecting faults have already been explored, such as measuring harmonics in motor
torque and axial flux [6,7]. To date, broken rotor bar faults condition assessment and fault diagnosis has been
based upon conventional current signature analysis [8–12]. Similar indications were suggested using vibration
spectra [13–16].
A possible way for induction motor fault diagnosis is the instantaneous rotor speed analysis since the
pulsating torque due to rotor faults will alter or modulate rotor speed. This paper addresses the use of the
model-prediction to simulate a squirrel-cage induction motor operation under healthy rotor and broken rotor
bar faults using instantaneous angular speed (IAS) analysis. A Runge–Kutta integration algorithm was used
to solve simultaneous differential equations governing motors behaviour. The purpose of this model is to
foresee and examine the effects of a rotor with broken rotor bar faults on IAS. Simulation results represent the
contribution to the correct evaluation of the measured data. For that reason, the IAS model-predicted
simulation results will be confirmed using experimental measurements. Both IAS simulated and experimental
results will be compared with stator currents spectra method under similar operating conditions.

2. IAS-based condition monitoring

In practice many mechanical systems in engineering applications rotate with varying speed, in spite of the
assumption they rotate at constant speed. Gear-based power transmission system exhibits speed fluctuations
due to a combination of effects, including geometric errors and transmission errors [17]. The Monitoring and
Diagnostics Research Group at the University of Manchester has adopted the term IAS to refer to the
variations of angular speed that occur within a single shaft revolution. The use of the IAS of an engine was
investigated by Gu et al. [18] and Ben Sasi et al. [19] for fault detection and diagnosis. The variation of IAS
was explored for the monitoring of electric motors. These investigations show that IAS is useful for the
condition monitoring of a wide variety machines [20,21].
Cheap devices such as shaft encoders, magnetic pickup sensors and gears, etc., are used for IAS
measurement. These devices produce signals in the form of an electrical pulse train. The time interval between
successive pulses is inversely proportional to the speed of the rotor. There are a number of methods to extract
IAS that has proven useful in a variety of machinery control and condition monitoring applications. However,
these methods can be generally classified into two categories: pulse interval-based methods and fast Fourier
transform (FFT)-based methods [19].

3. Broken rotor bar faults

Broken rotor bar faults can be a serious problem, although they do not initially cause an induction motor to
fail. Therefore, there can be serious secondary effects. The fault mechanism may result in broken parts of the
bar hitting the end windings or stator core of high voltage motor at high speed. This can cause serious
mechanical damage to the insulation and a consequential winding failure may follow, resulting in a costly
repair and lost production. Several authors have addressed the typical causes behind broken rotor bar faults as
follows [1,22–24]:

Direct-on-line starting duty cycles for which the rotor cage winding was not designed to withstand. This
causes high thermal and mechanical stresses.
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Pulsating mechanical loads, such as reciprocating compressors or coal crushers, can subject the rotor cage
to high mechanical stresses.

Imperfections in the manufacturing process of the rotor cage.

Ideally, the current drawn by an induction motor should have a single component of supply frequency.
However, changes in load will modulate the amplitude of the current to produce sidebands. The basic theory is
that when a broken rotor bar fault develops, it will result in modulation of the air gap flux. This will
consequently affect the current in the stator-winding conductors.
A completely broken bar can carry no significant current so the current is re-distributed in the adjacent bars
resulting in rotor asymmetry. The induced currents will manifest load-dependent sideband components
around the main supply frequency component at multiple components of twice the per unit slip multiplied by
the supply frequency 2kspu f in the stator windings [1,8,25], where f is the supply frequency, k ¼ 1,2,y
sideband components, and spu is the per unit slip.

4. Squirrel-cage motor mathematical model

4.1. Rotor model

A squirrel-cage rotor consists of thick conducting bars embedded in parallel slots. These bars are short-
circuited at both ends by means of short-circuiting rings, as shown in Fig. 1. In this paper, the coupled
magnetic circuit theory was used to model a squirrel-cage induction machine [28–33]. The method consists
of describing the machine as a set of multiple coupled circuits defined by self- and mutual inductance
matrices. The resultant set of differential equations is then solved for each rotor position. The coupled
magnetic circuit theory representation will be used throughout the derivation. The following general
assumptions are made:

Stator and rotor windings are uniformly distributed;

No inter-bar current (insulated rotor bars).

The self- and mutual inductances between stator or rotor phases are constant.

Mutual inductances between stator and rotor windings are functions of rotor displacement.

Given the structural symmetry of the rotor, it is convenient to model the cage as identical magnetically
coupled meshes. For simplicity, two adjacent rotor bars and the connecting portions of the end rings between
them define each loop. For the purpose of analysis, each rotor bar and segment of end ring is substituted by an
equivalent circuit representing the resistive and inductive nature of the cage [34–37].

Rotor bars

ir 2
Rotor loops

i r1

i rn
ie
irn −1

End ring

Fig. 1. Mesh model of a squirrel-cage rotor.

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4.2. Basic equations

The voltage balance equation for all stator and rotor windings is as follows:
dL dI
V ¼ ðR þ ÞIþL . (1)
dt dt
The voltage vector is V ¼ [VsaVsbVsc00y0]T, where Vsph are the voltages of phases ph ¼ a, b, and c, the
current vector is I ¼ ½I sa I sb I sc ir1 ir2 . . . irn ie T where Isph are the currents of phases ph ¼ a, b, and c and iri are the
current of the rotor loops i ¼ 1,2yn and ie is the end ring loop. R, and L are the resistance and inductance
matrices. The resistance matrix R is defined as follows:
2 3
Rsa 0 0 0    0 0
60 Rsb 0 0    0 0 7
6 7
6 7
60 0 Rsc 0    0 0 7
6 7
60 0 0 Rr1 Rb1 0  Rbn Re 7
6 7
6 7
R¼6 6          R b1 R r2 R b2 0    R e 7.
7 (2)
6         7
6 7
6 7
6         7
6 7
60 0 0 Rbn 0  Rbn1 Rrn Re 7
4 5
0 0 0 Re Re   Re n  Re
Rsph are the stator resistances of phases ph ¼ a, b, and c.
Rri ¼ Rbi þ Rbiþ1 þ 2Re , (3)
where Rri is the rotor resistance of a loop i ¼ 1; 2; :::; n, Rbi , Rbiþ1 are the two bar resistance values in the loop i,
and Re is resistance value of end ring segments that close the loop, as shown in Fig. 2.

4.3. IAS model

The mechanical equation of motion depends upon the load, and the mechanical speed equation of motion
can be defined as
do ðT e  T L Þ
¼ , (4)
dt J

Le
Re
Rb3 Le
ir2 Rb2
Lb3
Lb2 ir1 Re
Le Rb1
Re
Le Lb1
Re Le
Le irn
ie=0 Re
Re Lbn Rbn
Le
Re irn-1 Le
Lbn-1 Re
Rbn-1

Fig. 2. Equivalent circuit of rotor.

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where o is the rotor angular speed (IAS), J is the moment of inertia of the rotating components of the drive TL
is the applied mechanical load, and Te is the electromagnetic torque that produced by the machine. The
electromagnetic torque Te can be given by
p @L
T e ¼ IT I, (5)
4 @ye
where p denotes the number of poles and ye represents rotor displacement in electrical rad.

4.4. Model-predicted simulation

It is convenient to carry out the analysis using mesh currents as the independent variables. Therefore,
Eq. (1) can be rewritten as


dI dL
¼ L1 : R þ :I þ L1 :V. (6)
dt dt
In a healthy induction motor, the resistance value of every bar segment is Rb . When a broken rotor bar fault
is considered, the corresponding bar resistance value is assumed to be very high value or by forcing the current
in the bar to zero [38]. A broken rotor bar is therefore simulated by substituting the faulty value in the
resistance matrix and the rotor loop resistance in Eqs. (2) and (3), respectively. In general, for squirrel-cage
induction motor of n rotor bars, there are n+1 independent loops, as shown in Fig. 2. However, in the absence
of an axial flux component, the circumferential current in the end ring ie is identically zero [34]. Hence, it will
not be considered. Therefore, for a three-phase induction machine, there are n+4 unknown variables: three
stator current and n rotor bar current variables plus the mechanical speed variable. The n+4 differential
equations in Eqs. (6) and (4) have been reduced to only five (two stator current, two rotor bar current, and one
speed) differential equations using the well-known dq method [27]. A Runge–Kutta numerical integration
method using Matlab was used to solve the first-order differential equations [39].

5. Model-predicted simulation results

5.1. IAS simulation results with perfect rotor motion (ideal case)

Primary IAS simulations have been carried out under perfect rotor design conditions, which represent the
ideal case of rotor motion (smooth motion without any fluctuations). Here the simulated external load is
constant and set at 75% of the full load. Fig. 3 shows the simulation results for rotor angular speed, for
healthy conditions, for the first 2.5 s after start-up. The rotor speed settles down to a steady state after a
transient period of about 0.65 s. Since the transient state analysis is outside the scope in this research, the focus
will be on the region where the motor is running at a steady state. In this region the speed waveform appears
flat with a value of 151.5 rad/s (24.1 Hz).
IAS waveform is obtained by eliminating the average rotor speed value at the steady-state region as shown
in Fig. 4 taking into account 20 rotor revolutions. One rotor revolution is equivalent to 0.04 s. As shown in
Fig. 4 there are no variations in the IAS signal at a healthy condition of the motor. This result is also
confirmed taking the spectrum of the IAS, as illustrated in Fig. 5.
Fig. 6 illustrates the steady sate of IAS waveform when one broken rotor bar fault is simulated under a
perfect rotor motion, 75% full load. The resulting simulated IAS waveform has a period every 0.28 s around
the zero mean value. This result may suggest the presence of components with frequencies of 1/0.28 ¼ 3.6 Hz.
The spectrum for the IAS was explored with a broken rotor bar fault, as shown in Fig. 7. The speed
spectrum indicates the presence of multiple frequency components of a primary frequency of 3.6 Hz. Looking
back to Section 3; the current signature diagnosis of the broken rotor bar faults is function of the power
supply frequency and the per unit slip ðkspu f Þ, which is defined as
f slip
spu ¼ , (7)
Synchronous Speed
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Fig. 3. Simulated healthy angular speed, perfect rotor motion.

Fig. 4. Simulated healthy IAS, perfect rotor motion.

where fslip is the slip frequency, which is the difference between synchronous speed and rotor speed [26,27].
However, these expected frequency components are rather convenient as a function of synchronous speed than
the supply frequency in IAS analysis. The synchronous speed is dependent on supply frequency f and the
number of poles p in the machine as follows [27]:
2f
Synchronous Speed ¼ . (8)
p
Therefore, from Eqs. (7) and (8) the predicted diagnosis for a broken rotor bar fault would be the existence
of kpf slip frequency components. These frequency components represent the multiple of the pole pass
frequency component in IAS signature analysis. The slip frequency fslip is the difference between synchronous
speed 25 Hz and rotor speed 24.1 Hz (fslip ¼ 0.9 Hz) and the number of poles in the used induction motor p is
four-poles leading to a pole pass frequency of 3.6 Hz. This explains the presence of multiple of 3.6 Hz
frequency components in the IAS broken rotor bar spectrum shown in Fig. 7.
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Fig. 5. Simulated healthy IAS spectrum, perfect rotor motion.

Fig. 6. Simulated IAS with broken rotor bar, perfect rotor motion.

The previous IAS simulated results represent the ideal case of rotor motion where there are no rotor
fluctuations (smooth rotor rotation) while the induction motor is running. However, practically many
mechanical systems in engineering applications rotate with varying speed, in spite of the assumption they
rotate at constant speed. Sweeney and Randall [17] showed that a gear-based power transmission system
exhibits inherent speed fluctuations due to a combination of effects, including geometric errors, rotor design
imperfection or misalignment and transmission errors. This rotor fluctuation is simulated by adding an
oscillating rotor component, with an amplitude d and of a frequency o (IAS), to the mean constant value of
the load tL. This simple assumption is given by the following equation:
T L ¼ tL þ d sinðotÞ; dotL . (9)
Accordingly, all the following results will be based on the IAS simulations at healthy and a broken rotor bar
fault under fluctuating rotor motion [17].
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Fig. 7. Simulated IAS spectrum with broken rotor bar, perfect rotor motion.

Fig. 8. Simulated healthy motor: (a) angular speed; (b) stator currents; and (c) zoomed currents.

5.2. IAS simulation results with imperfect rotor motion

Figs. 8(a) and (b) shows the simulation results of rotor speed and three-phase stator currents of the
induction motor under 75% load for healthy rotor condition with imperfect motion during the initial 2.5 s of
the time record.
Both rotor speed and stator currents settle down at a steady state after the transient state of 0.65 s. Speed
waveform appears with little ripples due to the assumed rotor fluctuations around the average value of
151.5 rad/s (24.1) Hz. Fig. 8(c) shows the stator currents in one rotor revolution.
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Fig. 9(a) shows the IAS at a steady state under healthy conditions with rotor fluctuation, for 20 rotor
revolutions. The zoomed speed shows an IAS nominal change peak-to-peak value between 71.5 rad/s around
the zero mean value. Fig. 9(b) illustrates one stator-phase motor current at a steady-state healthy condition
within 20 rotor revolutions. The stator-phase current peak-to-peak value appears steady of 78.2 A. Figs. 9(a)
and (b) provides the needed healthy rotor baseline steady-state analysis. In order to emphasise the healthiness
of motor, an IAS spectrum is considered.
Fig. 10 depicts the spectrum of the motor IAS at a healthy motor condition. The main IAS spectrum
fundamental frequency component is 24.1 Hz as it has been observed from time domain with an average value
of 151.5 rad/s in Fig. 8(a). The healthy rotor state is further confirmed when taking the spectrum of the stator
currents, as shown in Fig. 11. The main current spectrum fundamental frequency component value is 50 Hz as
expected.
Figs. 12(a) and (b) illustrates the steady sate of IAS and stator current waveform when one broken rotor bar
fault is simulated under 75% load with rotor fluctuations. The IAS waveform has been modulated every 0.28 s

Fig. 9. Simulated steady-state healthy motor in 20 rotor revolutions for: (a) speed change (IAS); and (b) stator current.

Fig. 10. Simulated healthy motor IAS spectrum.

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Fig. 11. Simulated healthy motor stator current spectrum.

Fig. 12. Simulated broken rotor bar motor in 20 rotor revolutions for: (a) Speed change (IAS); and (b) stator current.

around the zero mean value, as shown in Fig. 12(a). The resulting IAS broken rotor bar signal has a contour
with a frequency similar to the IAS simulated waveform with a broken rotor bar but no rotor fluctuations as
shown in Fig. 6. This result suggests the presence of frequency components of 1/0.28 ¼ 3.6 Hz compared to the
healthy baseline in Fig. 9(a). However, there is no significant modulation in the stator current as shown in
Fig. 12(b).
Again the spectrum for the IAS was explored with a broken rotor bar fault, as shown in Fig. 13. The speed
spectrum indicates the presence a frequency component with a high decibel amplitude at a frequency of
pfslip ¼ 3.6 Hz and the presence of the multiple of 3.6 Hz sideband components around the rotor speed
component value of 24.1 Hz. The first lower and upper sideband components are at 20.5 and 27.7 Hz,
respectively. Therefore, in IAS signature analysis the predicted diagnosis for a broken rotor bar fault is the
existence of two features: a primary feature component with a high decibel amplitude at the low-frequency
region of the IAS spectrum with a frequency equals to the pole pass frequency of the induction motor (also
present for ideal rotor motion), and a secondary feature with multiple pole pass frequency sideband
components around the rotor running speed frequency.
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Fig. 13. Simulated IAS spectrum with broken rotor bar.

Fig. 14. Simulated stator current spectrum with broken rotor bar.

The previous IAS result was confirmed using the spectrum of stator current as shown in Fig. 14. The graph
shows the spectrum of the motor current with a broken rotor bar fault. The current spectrum only indicates
the presence of lower and upper pole pass frequency components around the main supply frequency of 50 Hz.
The first lower and upper sideband components are at 46.4 and 53.6 Hz. From Section 3, the diagnosis
for a broken rotor bar fault using current signature is the existence of 2spuf sideband components around
the supply frequency where the per unit slip spu is 0.036 using Eq. (7) and f ¼ 50 Hz is the supply frequency.
This explains the sideband components of 3.6 Hz spaced from the supply frequency component 50 Hz.
Therefore, the predicted broken rotor bar diagnosis for the current signature method is the presence of
multiple pole pass frequency components around the supply frequency component which are equivalent to the
secondary feature frequency components deduced from the IAS spectrum shown in Fig. 13. These useful IAS
simulation results will be validated using experimental results under similar operating conditions in the
following section.
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Loading Bank Load Cell

Loading
Generator Encoder

Induction
Transducers
Current

Motor

Fig. 15. Motor test facility.

Photo 1. Encoder connected to motor shaft.

6. Motor test rig facility

The motor used in experimental tests was a 3 kW, 4-pole, 28-rotor bar induction motor, driving a large DC
motor via a flexible coupling. The DC motor acted as a generator and its power output was dissipated in a
variable resistor bank, as shown in Fig. 15. Optical encoders are one of the most widely used pieces of
equipment for rotor speed and position measurement. An incremental encoder was installed in the induction
motor test rig. In this encoder, the internal disc consists of 360 uniform patterns of equally spaced lines to
produce detector pulses.
The incremental optical encoder type was attached to the non-drive end and is connected directly to the
rotor as shown in Photo 1. The test rig facility is also instrumented with Hall-effect current transducers.
Photos 2 and 3 show how damage in one of the rotor bars was physically seeded. This was performed by
drilling through one of the aluminium conductors that made up the squirrel cage [40].

7. Experimental results

Fig. 16 illustrates a sample of the raw pulses data collected from the encoder using a data acquisition card.
These pulses were processed in order to extract IAS waveforms. For a further comprehensive review of IAS
extracting techniques, the reader may refer to [41]. Figs. 17(a) and (b) shows the measured IAS and the stator
current for a healthy operation under 75% load to be comparable with simulation results. These experimental
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Photo 2. Seeded broken rotor bar fault.

Photo 3. Rotor bars cross-sections.

Fig. 16. Encoder pulses raw data.

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Fig. 17. Experimental healthy motor in 20 rotor revolutions for: (a) speed change (IAS) and (b) stator current.

Fig. 18. Experimental healthy IAS spectrum.

results in Fig. 17 look similar to their corresponding simulated IAS and stator current results under imperfect
rotor angular motion in Fig. 9.
Fig. 18 depicts the spectrum of the motor IAS at a healthy motor condition. The speed spectrum has a main
fundamental component value of 24.1 Hz as in simulation results in Fig. 10. Importantly, Figs. 17(a) and 18
validate the assumption made regarding rotor oscillating motion in practice [17] (see Eq. (9)). The healthy
rotor state is further confirmed when taking the spectrum of the stator currents, as shown in Fig. 19, with a
fundamental component value of 50 Hz as in simulation results in Fig. 11.
Figs. 20(a) and (b) illustrates the IAS and a stator current waveform when one broken rotor bar fault was
experimentally seeded under 75% load. Compared to the healthy baseline in Fig. 17(a), the measured IAS
waveform has been modulated with a contour period of 0.28 s (3.6 Hz) around the zero mean value similar to
the simulated result in Fig. 12(a). Therefore, the IAS waveform in time domain shows a clear indication of the
modulation due to the broken rotor bar fault. However, the experimental stator current signal shown in
Fig. 20(b) does not show any significant change compared with the healthy baseline illustrated in Fig. 17(b).
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Fig. 19. Experimental healthy stator current spectrum.

Fig. 20. Experimental broken rotor bar motor in 20 rotor revolutions for: (a) speed change (IAS) and (b) stator current.

The spectrum of the IAS shows the two features extracted from the IAS simulation results, as shown in
Fig. 21. The primary feature for the IAS is the presence of the pole pass frequency component at 3.6 Hz with
high decibel amplitude. The secondary feature is the existence of multiple pole pass frequency sideband
components kpfslip with a spacing of 3.6 Hz around the rotor speed component 24.1 Hz. These features verify
the IAS model-predicted simulation results shown in Fig. 13. Stator current spectrum shows only one feature,
which is the presence of pole pass frequency sideband components around the supply frequency 50 Hz as
shown in Fig. 22. These sideband components with a spacing of 3.6 Hz are similar to those obtained from the
simulation results as depicted in Fig. 14.
Therefore, the IAS model-predicted simulation results with healthy and broken rotor bar faults have been
validated using their corresponding IAS experimental results.
Based on the IAS simulated and experimental results obtained in this study, there is an agreement between
the simulation IAS results and the experimental results in time and frequency domains under healthy and
broken rotor bar conditions. These results reflect the accuracy of the proposed model. In addition, results
demonstrate the detection capability of the IAS compared to current spectra analysis for one broken rotor bar
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Fig. 21. Experimental IAS spectrum with broken rotor bar.

Fig. 22. Experimental stator current spectrum with broken rotor bar.

fault. The results have shown the IAS method is more sensitive than the current signature analysis in detecting
broken rotor bar faults.

8. Conclusions

In conclusion, this research has evaluated the effectiveness of monitoring IAS waveforms in both time and
frequency domains for detecting and diagnosis of broken rotor bar faults. The IAS model-predicted
simulation results are in agreement with the experimental results under similar operating conditions. In
addition, the IAS model-predicted simulation results were also confirmed experimentally and further validated
against current signature analysis. The IAS features were productively utilised to predict the operating
condition of a squirrel-cage induction motor under broken rotor bar faults.
Three features can be extracted from IAS signals when a broken rotor bar fault was inroduced in a squirrel-
cage induction motor demonstrating the richness of IAS. One IAS feature in the time domain and two IAS
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features in the frequency domain. The key diagnosis feature of IAS under a broken rotor bar fault in time
domain is the presence of a modulating contour of a period equivalent to the reciprocal of the pole pass
frequency. The primary feature of IAS in the frequency spectrum is the presence of pole pass speed component
at the low-frquency region of the IAS spectrum. Remarkably, this useful feature has an advantage of using any
economical low-resolution speed transducer.
The secondary IAS feature in frequency domain is the existence of multiple pole pass frequency sideband
components around the rotor speed frequency component. Therefore, the IAS spectrum provides valuable
information, which is quite novel in the field of condition monitoring, in identifying broken rotor bar faults.
On the other hand, the current signature spectrum only indicates one feature which is the presence of multiple
pole pass frequency sideband components around the supply frequency component and there is no significant
change in the current waveform in time domain. Thus, indicating the sensitivity of IAS technique over the
current signature method to detect broken rotor bar faults.
In addition, although a broken rotor bar fault is classified as an electrical failure in most literature, this
research has proven this fault is more closer in nature to a mechanical failure. Therefore, the IAS has
demonstrated to provide a great potential for practical condition monitoring of a wide range of rotating and
reciprocating machines. Further investigations could be very promising to quantify the number of broken
rotor bars using the concluded IAS features.

References

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