Motor Condition And Reliability

Evaluation Program (MOTOCARE®)

Day 1 – Condition Assessment basics & on-line testing

Diagnostic Technologies India Pvt. Ltd.

Mail: aditya.korde@diatech.in
Phone: +91 98692 42761

MOTOCARE® Today’s Session

SPEAKERS AGENDA
• Aditya Korde • Introduction

• Vijay Sarda • Background

• Review of standards & tests

PANELISTS
• Jagannath Desai • Maintenance planning

• Vinod Patil • Electrical Signature Analysis

• Abhishek Sharma • Vibration Analysis

• Acoustic Emission Analysis

ORGANIZER
• Niraj Yadav • Q&A

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MOTOCARE® Remaining Sessions

AGENDA – DAY 2 AGENDA – DAY 3

• Review of Day 1 • Review of Day 2

• IR & PI Tests • Visual Inspection

• Tan Delta & Capacitance • ELCID

Analysis
• Flux Loop Test
• Partial Discharge Analysis
• Wedge Tightness Tests
• Polarization-Depolarization
Current Analysis • Natural Frequency Test
• Motor Circuit Analysis • Coil-Core Contact Resistance
Test
• Surge Comparison Test
• Corona Probe/Camera Test
• RSO Test
• Q&A
• Q&A
• Open forum for all participants

MOTOCARE® Introduction to Diagnostic Technologies India

Established – 1990, for on-site overhauls of motors

Today – Condition assessment of cables, generators, motors,

switchgear & transformers
– On-site overhauls of generators upto 300 MW

Experience – 26000+ motors & generators, 6000+ cables, 3000+

switchgear, 500+ transformers

Countries – India, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait,

Malaysia, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Sri Lanka & Thailand

Chairman – 50 years of exp. in generator & motor

repairs
MD – 26 years of exp. in diagnostics & RLA
VP – 41 years of exp. in plant O & M
Team – 40 engineers & technicians

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MOTOCARE® What is MOTOCARE®?

MotoCARE® is a comprehensive package aimed at checking

for most faults that could occur in a motor or generator.

MOTOCARE® Background to MOTOCARE®

• Most failures are preceded by long periods of aging & wear. These
give tell-tale signals (in terms of harmonics, vibration, noise, etc.)

• Proper analysis of these signals can give a very accurate picture of

the motor condition

• Studies reveal that over a majority of motor problems can be

resolved & motor life be extended!!

• Time based maintenance is not the best solution because

• Unnecessary expenditure & outages on machines that are healthy
• Failures in motors in between the overhauls (incipient faults are missed)
• Introduction of new problems during the process of overhaul

• MOTOCARE® can avoid these by identifying healthy machines as

well as detecting incipient faults & their severity – thus maximizing
plant operation

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MOTOCARE® Key aspects of Motor Condition Assessment

• Insulation Resistance measurement is not condition assessment.

• No single test can cover each & every failure mode.

• Not every test is applicable to every motor.

• Motor life estimation is a “guestimate”, not a precise calculation.

Safe working period estimates are better indicators; trending is
essential.

• International standards exist for proper guidance on motor

condition assessment.

MOTOCARE® MOTOCARE® overview

MotoCARE®, On-Line MotoCARE®, Off-Line Basic MotoCARE®, Off-Line Advanced **

• Electrical Signature^ • Tan Delta • Visual Inspection

• Vibration • Partial Discharge • Low Flux Loop Test (ELCID)

• Acoustic Emission • PDCA Analysis • Full Flux Loop Test

• Motor Circuit Analysis • Wedge Tightness Test (WTD)

• Surge Comparison • Natural Frequency Test (NFT)

• Recurrent Surge • Corona Probe Test

Oscillograph +
• Coil-to-Core Contact
Resistance

^ - Applicable for induction motors only

+ - Applicable for synchronous motors & generators only

** - Done in dismantled condition, usually on generators and very large motors (> 10 MW)

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MOTOCARE®
MOTOCARE® Methodology explained

MotoCARE®, On-Line:
• All motors are surveyed to look for gross defects

MotoCARE®, Off-Line Basic:

• Performed on all motors & generators for baseline information

• Tests repeated based on condition & criticality

MotoCARE®, Off-Line Advanced:

• Perform visual inspection, ELCID, WTD & NFT on all generators (& very large
motors) whenever rotor has been threaded out, for baseline information

• Perform Full Flux Loop Test if ELCID results are suspect

• Perform Corona Probe, Coil-to-Core Contact Resistance (and other

specialized) tests if PD levels are high, patterns indicate surface/slot
discharges AND partial repairs are possible (i. e. not of use for global VPI
machines)

MOTOCARE® Comparison of MOTOCARE® with international standards

EPRI
IEEE Aramco ANSI MTS CIGRE IEC
TEST MotoCARE® AEMPM
62.2/1415 SABP-P-060 2019 553/8 (multiple)
Project
Insulation Resistance       
Polarization Index       
DC Hi-Pot    
Winding Resistance     
Surge Comparison      
Motor Circuit Analysis   
Tan Delta       
Partial Discharge       
PDCA   
Electrical Signature     
Vibration Analysis      
Acoustic Emission  
Thermography   
ELCID/Flux Loop   
NFT   
Wedge Tightness    
Corona Probe   

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MOTOCARE® What will MOTOCARE® deliver?

• Condition of electrical components:

• Stator insulation
• Stator core
• Rotor bars & Short-circuiting rings

• Condition of mechanical components:

• Bearings & housings
• Shaft
• Lubricant

• Impact of external factors:

• Power quality
• Driven load condition
• Alignment
• Foundation

• Safe operational period for each component.

• Recommendations for monitoring, repair & replacement.

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MOTOCARE® How often should motors be tested?

• The initial tests should ideally be done during installation.

• The MOTOR RELIABILITY REQUIREMENT is to be decided by the

Process Engineer while the MOTOR CONDITION is to be decided by
the Testing Engineer.

• The repeat test frequency is then decided from the table below:

• In some cases, immediate action is required.

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MOTOCARE® Criteria for choosing motors for MOTOCARE® - Step 1

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MOTOCARE® Criteria for choosing motors for MOTOCARE® - Step 2

• Score 60 or above – Priority 1 motors – Proceed immediately for

MotoCARE®

• Score between 40 to 60 – Priority 2 motors – Proceed for

MotoCARE® after completion of Priority 1 motors

• Score below 40 – No immediate requirement for MotoCARE®,

review after 3 years

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MOTOCARE® Statistics from over 26,000 motors tested by us

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MOTOCARE® International statistics on motors from Petroleum & Power

sectors

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MOTOCARE® What are the vital outputs from these statistics?

• Almost 30 % of motors in plants have significant problems.

• Bearing & insulation failures are the two most common failure
modes.

• Tests that address these are thus the most vital ones, viz:
• Vibration Analysis
• Tan Delta & Capacitance Analysis
• Partial Discharge Analysis
• Polarization-Depolarization Current Analysis
• Electrical Signature Analysis
• Motor Circuit Analysis

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MOTOCARE®
Requirements for MOTOCARE®, On-Line

• Motor in running condition and at over 50 % load

• Access to the motor panel

• Identification of the motor CT secondary leads – clamp-on CTs will

be placed around all 3 phases. Measurement CT preferred.

• Identification of the bus PT terminals. We will need to place

crocodile clips on the 110 V secondary. Normally, all motors on a
common bus will require a single connection to the bus PT
secondary.

• Physical access to the motor to acquire vibration & acoustic

emission signals. Scaffolding, if required.

• Nameplate details – kW, RPM, kV, FLC, bearing numbers (essential)

plus no. of stator slots & rotor bars (if available).

• Previous test reports, if available.

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MOTOCARE® Technology Overview – Electrical Signature Analysis
(IEC 60034-24; 2009 & ISO 20958; 2013)

• Electrical Signature Analysis (ESA)

is the procedure of capturing &
analyzing a motor’s current &
voltage signals to detect various
faults.

• ESA is ideal for detecting rotor bar

damage, air-gap eccentricity &
stator core degradation.

• It can also detect interturn

insulation faults, misalignment,
unbalance, looseness &
defective bearings.

• Primary advantage of ESA: Only

available technology for on-line
detection of electrical faults.

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MOTOCARE® How does ESA work?

• The current & voltage signals are captured & analyzed in the frequency
domain.

• This enables us to see all the frequency components of V & I (inter-

harmonics).

• All electrical & mechanical faults change the flux distribution inside the
motor & hence generate frequencies in the current but not in the
voltage.

• Hence, frequencies that are present in the current spectrum but not in
the voltage spectrum would be due to motor defects.

• The frequencies generated by each fault will be different.

• Studying the distribution of these frequencies enables identification of

the fault.

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MOTOCARE® Typical ESA spectrum – rotor bar degradation

Identical 2300 KW motors. LHS is excellent, RHS

had 7 broken bars.

Fault frequency = FL ± PPF

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MOTOCARE® Typical ESA pattern – static eccentricity

Current

Identical 300 KW motors. Vibration is 1.14 mm/sec for LHS, 8.64 mm/sec for RHS

Fault frequency = RB x RS ± nFL

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MOTOCARE® Technology Overview – Vibration Analysis
(ISO 10816 & ISO 13373)

• Vibration is the response of a

system to an internal or external
stimulus, causing it to oscillate or
pulsate.

• Vibration analysis is the

procedure of measuring the
machine vibration & analyzing it
to detect various mechanical
faults.

• It is the prime technology for

detecting mechanical faults
such as misalignment,
unbalance, resonance, rotor
bow, soft foot, etc.

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MOTOCARE® How does vibration analysis work?

• The machine vibration is measured by mounting sensors on its

bearing housings.

• The measured vibration is analyzed based on four parameters:

• The amplitude of the vibration
• The frequencies at which it is occurring
• Its variation with time
• The relative motion between the various components of the
machine

• Most mechanical faults such as misalignment, cocked bearings,

soft foot, etc. generate vibrations at different frequencies.

• Hence, seeing the distribution of the vibration frequencies enables

identification of the fault.

• The variation of vibration with time is also vital in detecting faults

such as thermal rotor bow, bearing problems, gearbox faults, etc.

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MOTOCARE® ISO 10816-3 limits for vibration – coupled machines (15
kW to 50 MW) in the field

Additionally, a 25 % increase in amplitude from the baseline is considered significant, whereas

a 50 % increase is considered a cause for an alarm.

These limits are good for monitoring certain defects such as misalignment, unbalance, etc.

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MOTOCARE® ISO 20816-2 limits for vibration – generators > 40 MW

4-pole 2-pole
BEARING CASING
generator & generator & Gas turbine
VIBRATION
steam turbine steam turbine
DAMAGE LIKELY > 8.5 > 11.8 > 14.7
SHORT-TERM OPERATION 5.3 to 8.5 7.5 to 11.8 9.3 to 14.7
NORMAL 2.8 to 5.3 3.8 to 7.5 4.5 to 9.3
NEW < 2.8 < 3.8 < 4.5
(all values are in mm/sec, RMS)

2-pole, 50 Hz 2-pole, 60 Hz
4-pole, 50 Hz 4-pole, 60 Hz
generator & generator &
SHAFT VIBRATION generator & generator &
steam/gas steam/gas
steam turbine steam turbine
turbine turbine
DAMAGE LIKELY > 320 > 290 > 240 > 220
SHORT-TERM OPERATION 200 to 320 185 to 290 165 to 240 150 to 220
NORMAL 100 to 200 95 to 185 90 to 165 80 to 150
NEW < 100 < 95 < 90 < 80
(all values are in microns, peak-to-peak)

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MOTOCARE® IEC 60034-14 limits for absolute vibration – decoupled
motors

• The above limits are for decoupled measurements only, taken on the body

• Vibration at 2 x line frequency (electrical) can be upto 70 % of the above

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MOTOCARE® IEC 60034-14 limits for relative vibration – decoupled

motors

• The above limits are for decoupled measurements only, taken using shaft vibration
sensors (proximity sensors) mounted inside the bearings

• Vibration at 2 x line frequency (electrical) can be upto 70 % of the above

• In any situation, the vibration should not exceed the bearing clearance.

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MOTOCARE® ISO 13373-3 limits for anti-friction bearings

Peak value of ‘g’

30

4 – Alarm

10
3 – Alert

2 – Normal
3.0
1 – Unrealistically low

1.0

0.3
0.1 0.3 1.0 3.0 10 RMS value of ‘g’
High peak values – shock-related defects High RMS values – friction-related defects

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MOTOCARE® The big five of vibration:

• Misalignment

• Unbalance

• Looseness
(Assembly or wear)

• Resonance

• Bearing faults
(these are usually caused by the above)

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MOTOCARE® Technology Overview – Acoustic Emission Analysis
(ISO 22096, 2007)

• Acoustic Emission (AE) is the procedure of detection of the high

frequency component of sound waves.

• AE is the prime technology for detecting lubrication problems &

bearing degradation (including plain bearings).

• Primary advantages of AE are:

• Assessment of lubrication condition

• Assessment of plain bearings

• Assessment of slow speed bearings (as low as 0.25 RPM)

• Assessment of variable speed machines

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MOTOCARE® How does AE work?

• Sound waves are being emitted by machines at all times.

• Under normal conditions, these sound waves consist mostly of low

frequency, high amplitude signals.

• Sound waves emitted by bearings are at broadband frequencies &

have low amplitudes.

• If we measure the overall sound, the bearings sound waves get lost due
to the strong low frequency signals.

• Hence, special acoustic sensors tuned to ultrasonic frequencies are

used to eliminate the low frequency signal.

• As the measured sound waves at these frequencies are coming

primarily from the bearings, they can be quantified to assess the
bearing condition.

• Signal conditioning of these sound waves enables calculation of a

single parameter called DISTRESS™; which is independent of machine
speed & bearing type.

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MOTOCARE® AE charts – faulty antifriction bearings

Both these motors’ DE bearings were significantly degraded & had to be replaced.
Vibration did not indicate any problem.

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MOTOCARE® AE charts – faulty bearing in a low speed motor

The 428 RPM CWP – 1A motor’s NDE bearing had a high DISTRESS™ reading, indicating
a faulty bearing. The same was confirmed on opening the motor.

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 Motor Condition And Reliability
Evaluation Program (MOTOCARE®)

Day 2 – Off-line testing

Diagnostic Technologies India Pvt. Ltd.

35

MOTOCARE®
Requirements for MOTOCARE®, Off-line BASIC

• Work Permit

• Motor in de-energized condition at ambient temperature. Cables,

CTs, PTs, surge arrestors, etc. should be disconnected.

• Single-phase power supply

• Nameplate details – kW, kV, RPM, insulation class, IP protection

grade, year of manufacture, name of manufacturer

• If available – total running hours, no. of starts, last rewind date,

impregnation type, previous test reports

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MOTOCARE® Technology Overview – Insulation Resistance &
Polarization Index (IEEE 43-2013 & IEC 60034-27-4-2018)

• Insulation Resistance is the basic test for condition assessment of

insulation.

• Insulation Resistance =

when DC voltage is applied between the insulation & earth.

• A high Insulation Resistance is the pre-requisite for energizing the

winding & for performing additional tests.

• Minimum acceptable Insulation Resistance > 100 MΩ for HT, > 5 MΩ

for LT

• Polarization Index =

• Minimum acceptable Polarization Index > 2.0, ideally > 4.0

• Both tests are indicative of moisture ingress in the winding

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MOTOCARE® Technology Overview – Tan Delta & Capacitance Analysis

(IEC 60034-27-3-2015 & CIGRE 552-2013)

• Tan Delta & Capacitance Analysis is the procedure of applying AC

voltage in steps upto the working voltage to a motor & assessing
the behaviour of its insulation under these conditions.

• It is the primary technology for detecting presence of moisture,

contaminants like oil & grease and voids in the insulation.

• It equally applicable for detecting faults in transformers, bushings,

cables, etc.

• Primary advantages of Tan Delta Analysis are: Most proven

technology for assessing ground insulation, far more accurate than
IR, PI & HV tests.

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MOTOCARE® Tan delta curves – high moisture ingress (reversible
defect) & voids – irreversible defect

CEP – A has high tan delta values, indicative of moisture contamination (reversible).

CEP – B has low tan delta values but a high tip-up, indicative of insulation voids (irreversible).

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MOTOCARE® Tan delta curves – high moisture ingress & surface

contamination (3350 kW motor) – reversible defect

18 80

16 70
14
60
Capacitance (nF)

12
Tan Delta (%)

50
10
40
8
30
6
20
4

2 10

0 0
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 0 1000 2000 3000 4000
Voltage (V) Voltage (V)

R - before Y - before B - before R - before Y - before B - before

R - after Y - after B - after R - after Y - after B - after

Extremely high values seen, low tip-up. Cleaning & varnishing greatly improved the condition.

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MOTOCARE® Technology Overview – Partial Discharge Analysis
(IEEE 1434-2013 & IEC 60034-27-1-2017)

• Manufacturing defects, aging, bad maintenance or operational issues lead

to voids & gaps within, or adjacent to, the insulation of high voltage stators.

• The air trapped in these voids has low permittivity as compared to the mica
insulation. This hence tends to break down when high voltage is applied.

• This breakdown leads to localized discharge, or “sparks”.

• As the air bubble is surrounded by good insulation, these discharges do not

have a path to ground. They are hence called “partial discharges”, or “PD”.

• Analysis of PD can identify various defects in the insulation.

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MOTOCARE® How does Partial Discharge Analysis work?

• Partial discharges create high frequency impulses across a wide

frequency band from 40 kHz to 100 MHz.

• To measure these, special transducers known as capacitive

couplers are connected in parallel with the winding (de-energized
condition).

• High voltage is applied to the winding. The partial discharges

initiated are sensed by the capacitive coupler.

• These are measured in different frequency bands based on site

conditions.

• The level of the PD as well as the patterns are then analyzed to

locate the PD position & assess its severity.

PD testing can be done both on-line and off-line. We will be restricting

ourselves to off-line PD for the moment.

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MOTOCARE® How is Partial Discharge quantified?

• Apparent/average Charge = Sum of all discharges ÷ No. of discharges

• Qm = The largest discharge with a minimum repetition rate of 10 pulses per

second

• Qiec = The largest discharge within a specified frequency band, typically 30

kHz to 900 kHz

∑ ( ⋯ )
• Average Discharge Current 𝐼 =

• Quadratic Rate of Discharge = (𝑄1 + 𝑄2 + ⋯ + 𝑄𝑚 )

• Normalized Quantity Number (NQN) = 𝑥[ + ∑ log 𝑃 + ]

• PD Ratio = Positive Charge ÷ Negative Charge

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MOTOCARE® Internal discharges – 242 MW, 16.5 kV generator –

irreversible defect

2015 – 810 pC 2017 – 5320 pC

(Qm = 11490 pC) (Qm = 41586 pC)

Equally distributed low & high amplitude, high repetition rate pulses

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MOTOCARE® Surface contamination – 30 MW, 11 kV Generator –
reversible defect

Before overhaul – 2410 pC After overhaul – 69 pC

+ve & -ve half cycle pulses equal, towards voltage maxima

45

MOTOCARE® Internal defects in 3.4 MW, 6.6 kV motor

R- B- R Phase – 957 pC,

MEASUREMENT LIMIT
Phase Phase (Qm = 5374 pC)
Tan Delta at 0.2
0.9 0.8 1.5 %
U0
Δ Tan Delta 2.8 3.0 1.0 %

Δ Capacitance 6.2 6.0 2.5 %

Apparent < 100, B Phase – 143 pC,
957 143 (Qm = 963 pC)
Charge (pC) << 500

• Tan Delta & PD tests were performed as part of routine assessment.

• Tan delta results were typical of voids and similar for all phases.

• PD was high for R-Phase and the patterns typical of conductor-side insulation
delamination (dangerous). PD was low for B-Phase and typical of micro voids
(less concern).

• No action was taken. The motor failed an year later.

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MOTOCARE® Surface defect in 14 MW, 13.8 kV motor

Y- B- Y Phase – 743 pC,

MEASUREMENT LIMIT
Phase Phase (Qm = 3820 pC)
Tan Delta at 0.2
2.2 2.4 1.5 %
U0
Δ Tan Delta 2.4 2.6 1.0 %

Δ Capacitance 5.9 6.8 2.5 %

Apparent < 500, B Phase – 5130 pC,
743 5130 (Qm = 26446 pC)
Charge (pC) << 1000

• Tan Delta & PD tests were performed as part of routine assessment.

• Tan delta results were typical of voids and similar for all phases.

• PD was high in Y-Phase and very high for B-Phase. The patterns were typical
of tape delamination for Y-Phase and slot + semicon paint defects for B-
Phase.

47

MOTOCARE® Case Study – contd.

Corona Probe Corona Probe

Stator
values before values after
winding
repair repair
R Phase < 2 mA 3 mA

Y Phase < 2 mA 3 mA

B Phase 27 mA 3 mA

• Motor was inspected after 6 months. Classic indications of surface PD were

evident.

• Due to limited time availability, partial repairs were performed.

• Corona probe test was performed before & after repairs. This showed drastic
reduction in PD, confirming the efficacy of the repair.

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MOTOCARE® Causes of PD & locations

A: small voids on edge

B: Delamination: conductor – main
insulation
C: Delamination of tape layers
D: Treeing in layers
E: Broken strands
F: Slot discharge, semicon paint
abrasion
G: Micro voids
H: Discharges in Cooling Duct
I: Delamination of Insulation in Elbow
J: Endwinding surface discharge - contamination
K: Insufficient Spacing, Tracking and Sparking
L: Connection area between slot corona
protection and endwinding corona protection

49

MOTOCARE® Technology Overview – Polarization Depolarization

Current Analysis (IEEE 43-2013 & CIGRE 558-2013)

• Polarization-Depolarization Current Analysis is the procedure of

applying DC voltage to a motor & assessing the behaviour of its
insulation under these conditions.

• It is the main technology for detection of binder degradation,

dielectric degradation and separation between surface & internal
pollution.

• Primary advantage of PDCA is: distinguishing between reversible &

irreversible insulation defects.

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MOTOCARE® How does Polarization Depolarization Current Analysis
(PDCA) work?

• DC voltage is applied to the windings in two voltage steps

(typically 2.5 kV & 5.0 kV).

• At each step, the leakage & discharge currents are measured for
periods of 30 minutes & 2 minutes respectively.

• The software then calculates AC & DC capacitances as well as

various other parameters to determine incipient defects.

51

MOTOCARE® Which parameters does PDCA measure?

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MOTOCARE® Case Study – Reversible & irreversible defects in 1.7 MW
generator

• Machine had been stopped for one year.

• PDCA test was performed to verify if it was fit to put back in service.

• Severe defects were predicted & physically verified.

• Reversible defect parameters improved after overhaul, others did not.

Courtesy - SMC

53

MOTOCARE® PDCA Test Results – 1.7 MW generator

Parameters Pre Post Normal Range

Overhauling Overhauling
Insulation Resistance
0.02 1.31 > 0.1 GΩ
@ 20oC (MΩ)

REVERSIBLE Polarization Index 1.04 2.59 > 2.0

DEFECTS Leakage Current
1.72 1.05 0.9 to 1.1
Ratio
Capacitance Ratio
53.8 8.20 < -5 to 10 %
(%)
Absorption Index 2.21 1.54 < 1.6
Reabsorption
Leakage Current 13.91 0.61 < 0.33
IRREVERSIBLE Ratio
DEFECTS Time Constant (Sec) 1.43 104 -

Reabsorption Current 99.3 11.92 <2

Thickness corrected
52.26 6.27 < 0.8
Reabsorption Current

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MOTOCARE® Technology Overview – Motor Circuit Analysis
(IEEE 1415 – 2006)

• Motor Circuit Analysis is the procedure of applying low voltage,

high frequency AC voltage (100 Hz to 800 Hz) to the motor
terminals & measuring the following parameters:
• Impedance
• Phase Angle
• Current/Frequency (I/F) response
• Test Value Static

• It is the primary technology for detection of inter-turn shorts &

degradation.

• Variations in impedance would indicate physical interturn shorts.

• Variations in phase angle, I/F Ratio and TVS would indicate

capacitive interturn shorts.

55

MOTOCARE® MCA results – interturn short in 650 kW stator

Good Motor Bad Motor

Test Frequency
Unbalance between R, Y & B Phases
(Hz)
I/F (%) Phase Angle (0) I/F (%) Phase Angle (0)
30 0 0 0 2
60 1 1 0 2
100 1 2 1 4
200 1 2 2 6

Motor is not grounded but trips on start-up !

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MOTOCARE® MCA results – interturn short in synchronous motor’s rotor

• 5100 KW, 200 RPM Synchronous Motor – 30 rotor coils and 224 stator
coils.

• Rotor poles were being replaced based on manufacturer’s

recommendations, new poles supplied by manufacturer.

• Manufacturer’s test report indicated that all new poles were with
healthy windings, having matching impedances.

• MCA testing indicated faults in two of the new rotor coils.

• Had these not been replaced, it would have led to hunting &
premature failure.

57

MOTOCARE® MCA results – typical results with shorted poles

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MOTOCARE®
Surge Comparison Test

• Used to detect weak & shorted interturn insulation.

• Uses a capacitor to apply fast rising, high voltage pulses to two

phases of the winding simultaneously.

• These pulses propagate through the winding, generating voltages

between the turns. If any shorted turns exist, the pulses will jump
across these, reducing the winding inductance.

• This reduction will cause the surge waveform to shift towards the left.
As the two phases are tested simultaneously, their waveforms will not
overlap. Thus the defective phase can be identified.

• Recommended test voltages are (√⅔ VL = 1 p.u.) 3.5 p.u. for Tr = 0.1
μsecs & 5 p.u. for Tr ≥ 1.2 μsecs.

• Potentially destructive. Perform at lower voltage first & increase

voltage only if waveforms are stable.

59

MOTOCARE®
Case Study: Interturn Fault in 1.5 MW Stator

GOOD DEFECTIVE

• 1.5 MW motor in a paper plant, driven by a VVVF drive, tested as part

of routine condition monitoring.

• IR & PI values are excellent, Surge Test waveforms did not overlap
perfectly.

• Client chose to continue motor operation. Motor failed in 4 months!

• On opening, it was found that the interturn insulation fault led to a

ground fault.

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30
MOTOCARE® Technology Overview – Recurrent Surge Oscillograph

• Recurrent Surge Oscillograph (RSO) is the standard test to detect

inter-turn insulation shorts in the windings of synchronous rotors.

• Such shorts will not lead to immediate failure of the generator.

However, they will lead to the following effects:
• High vibration that changes with excitation
• Localized heating that can damage the conductors
• Magnetization of the rotor shaft
• Shaft currents (if bearing insulation too is defective)

• The test is also useful in diagnosing “flying” earth faults which

cannot be detected during normal testing.

61

MOTOCARE®
How does RSO work?

• A signal generator sends a series of low

voltage, step shaped pulses into the rotor
winding from both positive & negative leads.

• If a fault exists, it will cause variations in the

impedance & thus the response curve on the
oscilloscope from +ve to ground will differ
from –ve to ground.

• As a result, we will see two separate traces

on the oscilloscope instead them being
perfectly superimposed.

• The degree of separation will indicate the

severity of the fault.

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MOTOCARE®
Case Study: Interturn Short in 108 MW Rotor

GOOD DEFECTIVE

• 108 MW opened for capital overhaul. No history of problems.

• RSO test conducted, interturn short detected in rotor.

• Consequence – uneven flux, which magnetized the rotor shaft, caused high
vibration & also led to high shaft currents.

• Client refused to repair rotor because of time limitations. Resulting shaft currents
damaged generator & gearbox bearings within 6 months.

63

Motor Condition And Reliability

Evaluation Program (MOTOCARE®)

Day 3 – Advanced Off-line testing

Diagnostic Technologies India Pvt. Ltd.

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MOTOCARE®
Requirements for MOTOCARE®, Off-line ADVANCED

• Work Permit

• Generator/motor in de-energized condition at ambient

temperature. Cables, CTs, PTs, surge arrestors, etc. should be
disconnected.

• Rotor should be threaded out

• Single-phase power supply – upto 1,500 Amps, 415 V for full flux
loop test

65

MOTOCARE®
How often is a major inspection required?
Equivalent Operating Hours (103 Hr)

66

33
MOTOCARE®
How often is a minor inspection required?

• Initial inspection – 10,000 to 20,000 equivalent hours

• Subsequent inspection – every 40,000 to 60,000 equivalent hours

• Equivalent hours = actual running hours + (20 x no. of starts)

67

MOTOCARE® Constructional overview of generators - core

Stator core laminations - stacked Stator core laminations – rear view

68

34
MOTOCARE® Constructional overview of generators - core

Assembled stator core Assembled stator assembly

69

MOTOCARE® Constructional overview of generators - core

Cut-away view of stator core

70

35
MOTOCARE® Technology Overview – EL CID

• EL CID is an acronym for Electronic Core Imperfection Detector.

• It is used to detect defects in the stator core that can lead to core
and/or insulation failure.

• It is a low-power alternative to the full flux loop test, enabling a

quick, low-cost assessment of stator cores (especially true for large
generators of over 100 MW).

71

MOTOCARE® Why is EL CID required?

• The stator core is made of stacks of CRGO silica-steel

laminations. These are insulated from each other by
varnish, mounted in support rings and locked using
insulated keybars.

• Degradation of the insulating varnish will lead to

localized overheating due to increased eddy currents
as well as higher hysteresis losses.

• Such overheating can lead to melting of the core, damaged winding

insulation and broken lamination teeth, resulting in generator failure.

• Other causes of core damage include:

• Failure of keybar insulation
• Thermal creeping
• Relaxation of core clamping
• Loose metallic debris
• Loose coils or wedges

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36
MOTOCARE® Eddy Currents due to stator core faults

73

MOTOCARE® How does EL CID work?

• A coil is looped around the stator core and energized at approximately 4 %

of the rated flux using an external auto-transformer.

• This will induce voltage and hence excitation currents to flow in the stator
laminations. In addition, if there any shorted laminations, eddy currents will
flow within this region.

• A highly sensitive potentiometer (Chattock) can measure the

voltage drop across the stator teeth, which is proportional to
the vector sum of these two currents.

• Typically, the voltage due to the excitation current is much larger than that
due to the fault current and hides its effects.

• A specialized phase detector within the EL CID removes this component and
calculates the actual fault current.

• By moving the Chattock along the length of the core for all stator slots, we
can measure these fault currents for the entire core.

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37
MOTOCARE®
EL CID Graphs

Fault (quadrature) current

Excitation current

75

MOTOCARE®
EL CID Interpretation

• Core considered to have a

potential defect if fault current >
100 mA. Extreme cases have seen
currents > 1500 mA.

• Polarity of the fault current can

indicate its approximate location.

• Trending is vital; reconfirmation

required using a full flux loop test.

• More sensitive than a flux loop test

for deep-seated back iron faults.

• Less sensitive than a flux loop test

for faults in the step iron at core
ends.

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38
MOTOCARE® Technology Overview – Full Flux Loop Test

• This is the definitive test for detecting stator core defects and
determining if a repair is required.

• The stator core is excited by looping power cables around it and

energizing them with sufficient current to induce rated flux density
in the core (1.0 to 1.5 Tesla).

• Due to the induced flux, the core will start to heat up.

• In case of any section where the laminations are damaged, there

will be eddy currents which will result localized hot spots.

• Scanning the core with an infrared camera for periods between 15

minutes to 2 hours will detect all of these hot spots.

77

MOTOCARE® How is the Full Flux Loop Test performed?

• The stator core is excited by looping multiple turns of insulated

cable through the stator bore and around the outside of the frame.

• The no. of loop turns required to excite up to the rated flux is

calculated as under:

𝐿𝑜𝑜𝑝 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑠 =

where Vs = supply voltage (Volts), f = frequency (Hz), L = (stator

length – air ducts, in mm) and B = back iron depth (in mm)

• Once the number of loop turns is known, the approximate current

drawn by the circuit can be estimated as under:

. [ ]
𝐸𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝐴𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑠 =

where D1 = inside diameter, S = slot depth and B = back-iron depth;

all dimensions in mm

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39
MOTOCARE® How is the Full Flux Loop Test executed?

• The cables loops are energized and the current & flux levels
checked.

• In case of any issues, the cable size or the no. of loop turns can be
changed till acceptable values are achieved.

• The loop is then left energized for a period of upto 2 hours and the
core scanned using a thermal imaging camera.

• Any surface inter-laminar defects will show up with a difference of

100 C or more over the surrounding iron within 10-15 minutes.

• Deep seated defects will show up upto an hour later.

• Any localized defects of over 100 C should be addressed prior to

putting the machine back in service.

79

MOTOCARE® Full Flux Loop Test Case Studies

69 MW generator with core defect

60 MW generator with core defect

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40
MOTOCARE® Technology Overview – Wedge Tightness Tests

• Loose stator wedges are of significant concern as they can affect

machine reliability and lead to failure.

• The different ways in which loose wedges affect reliability are:

• They will vibrate and damage the insulation layer/s of the coil
underneath, leading to insulation failure

• In case of magnetic putty, this can come out and cause an uneven
magnetic field, leading to bowed shafts & high vibration

• The dust from the damaged wedges will start clogging the cooling
ducts and cause localized overheating

• In extreme cases, the wedges can come out of the slots and damage
other components

• While vibration & ESA can give some indications, wedges tightness
tests give much better assessment about such defects.

81

MOTOCARE® How are Wedge Tightness Tests performed?

• There are three methods for checking wedge tightness, depending

on wedge locking mechanism, size of machine, availability of time,
machine criticality, etc.

• The simplest test is the “knock test”, wherein an experienced

technician taps on each wedge and determines the extent of
looseness (1 = tight, 2 = semi-loose, 3 = loose).

• For wedges that have ripple springs underneath for keeping

wedges tight, the OEM specified force is applied on the wedges
and the deflection measured with a dial gauge. This is compared
to OEM limits.

• For very large machines without ripple springs, a special form of the
“knock test” exists, which uses an electronic hammer along with an
accelerometer. This has the advantage of removing the variable
aspects of the manual knock test, viz.:
• The same amount of force is applied to every wedge
• The looseness of the wedge is measured by an accelerometer, and
hence quantifiable

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41
MOTOCARE® Wedge Tightness Tests – Rules

• The tightness of the wedges is defined as under:

• Category 1 – entire wedge is tight with no vibration
• Category 2 – part of the wedge vibrates
• Category 3 – entire wedge is loose (vibrates significantly)

• Any end-wedge that is in Category 3 (loose) should be tightened.

• Any slot having three or more consecutive wedges that are

Category 3 should be tightened.

• Any slot that has more than 25 % wedges in Category 3 should be

tightened.

• If total looseness is more than 10 % from the previous tests, all slots
should be tightened.

• Any damaged wedges should be replaced.

• Extreme care should be taken while performing rewedging activity.

It is easy to damage the core and even the stator winding during
this process.

83

MOTOCARE® Wedge Tightness Tests – with ripple springs

Wedge Wedge Wedge Wedge Wedge Wedge Wedge Wedge Wedge Wedge Wedge Wedge Wedge Wedge Wedge Wedge Wedge Wedge
Slot No. Slot No.
No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 No. 4 No. 5 No. 6 No. 7 No. 8 No. 9 No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 No. 4 No. 5 No. 6 No. 7 No. 8 No. 9
1 0.52 0.45 0.64 1 0.28 0.25 0.32
2 0.85 0.50 0.43 2 0.39 0.32 0.32
3 0.65 0.25 0.45 3 0.32 0.46 0.25
4 0.17 0.20 0.32 4 0.21 0.25 0.39
5 0.70 0.20 0.36 5 0.25 0.21 0.28
6 0.85 0.60 0.63 6 0.39 0.53 0.39
7 0.42 0.75 0.67 7 0.14 0.28 0.25
8 0.45 0.20 0.65 8 0.46 0.32 0.46
9 0.25 0.31 0.78 9 0.43 0.25 0.53
10 0.10 0.75 0.54 10 0.25 0.18 0.39
11 0.25 0.45 0.87 11 0.50 0.43 0.50
12 0.35 0.20 0.36 12 0.39 0.28 0.39
13 0.38 0.53 0.46 13 0.36 0.21 0.28
14 0.65 0.30 0.36 14 0.25 0.25 0.53
15 0.30 0.55 0.34 15 0.32 0.18 0.46
16 0.12 0.20 0.59 16 0.28 0.18 0.39
17 0.50 0.40 0.23 17 0.21 0.53 0.32
18 0.45 0.70 0.53 18 0.32 0.39 0.53
19 0.51 0.35 0.24 19 0.14 0.25 0.21
20 0.18 0.55 0.17 20 0.39 0.39 0.43
21 0.70 0.25 0.32 21 0.46 0.43 0.28
22 0.29 0.10 0.29 22 0.21 0.50 0.39
23 0.70 0.55 0.68 23 0.53 0.39 0.50
24 0.35 1.00 0.41 24 0.60 0.43 0.32
25 0.72 0.97 0.68 25 0.18 0.57 0.46
26 0.8 0.55 0.45 26 0.67 0.46 0.53
27 0.60 0.5 0.24 27 0.46 0.32 0.39
28 0.8 0.32 0.49 28 0.26 0.36 0.28
29 0.58 0.40 0.21 29 0.46 0.53 0.28
30 0.30 0.47 0.65 30 0.46 0.50 0.25
31 0.29 0.50 0.34 31 0.57 0.39 0.39
32 0.5 0.64 0.17 32 0.53 0.25 0.32
33 0.30 0.42 0.32 33 0.21 0.28 0.36
34 0.05 0.55 0.47 34 0.43 0.25 0.39
35 0.85 0.78 0.69 35 0.32 0.25 0.25
36 0.40 0.54 0.38 36 0.28 0.32 0.46
37 0.35 0.50 0.78 37 0.36 0.39 0.46
38 0.55 0.43 0.32 38 0.39 0.32 0.53
39 0.55 0.25 0.54 39 0.25 0.39 0.36
40 0.48 0.25 0.31 40 0.21 0.43 0.25
41 1.00 0.39 0.47 41 0.18 0.46 0.36
42 0.90 0.67 0.86 42 0.25 0.50 0.39
43 0.55 0.50 0.61 43 0.20 0.36 0.60
44 0.90 0.45 0.22 44 0.32 0.43 0.53
45 0.40 0.88 1.06 45 0.18 0.53 0.39
46 0.95 0.65 0.79 46 0.11 0.32 0.53
47 1.30 0.67 0.54 47 0.32 0.53 0.46
48 0.80 0.45 0.63 48 0.39 0.39 0.60
49 0.55 0.28 0.48 49 0.57 0.28 0.43
50 0.78 0.34 0.67 50 0.25 0.46 0.57
51 0.50 0.27 0.38 51 0.53 0.32 0.46
52 0.53 0.15 0.32 52 0.21 0.43 0.32
53 0.45 0.56 0.74 53 0.25 0.46 0.53
54 0.80 0.56 0.77 54 0.32 0.39 0.39

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MOTOCARE® Wedge Tightness Tests – with ripple springs, contd.

Top Ripple Springs Test Pressure (F) per wedge

(Number x Thickness)
1 x 0.8 mm 10 bar x Na (cm) x KL (cm)

1 x 0.9 mm 18 bar x Na (cm) x KL (cm)

2 x 0.9 mm 30 bar x Na (cm) x KL (cm)

Permissible Wedge Slot width Slot width

Deflection (< 60 mm) (> 60 mm)
For 60 % measurements < 0.55 mm < 0.65 mm

For 40 % measurements < 0.75 mm < 0.85 mm

85

MOTOCARE® Wedge Tightness Tests – electronic knock test

• Test is performed on all wedges.

• The instrument will hammer on each wedge for a period of 3

seconds at a rate of 10 impacts per second.

• The accelerometer measures the average movement of the

wedge in this period.

• This value is compared to the deflection of a standard reference

block (GENERATED) or of the other wedges (FLOATING).

• The tightness of the wedges is defined as under:

• Category 1 (TIGHT) – 100 to 67
• Category 2 (SEMI-LOOSE) – 66 to 34
• Category 3 (LOOSE) – 33 to 0

• Corrective actions are similar to those for manual knock test.

• Note that it is easy to change a wedge’s category from RED to

GREEN (and vice versa) by changing the reference.

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43
MOTOCARE® Technology Overview – Natural Frequency Test
(IEC TS 60034-32, 2016)

• The end-winding of a coil/ stator

bar extends beyond the stator
core and thus has much lesser
stiffness than the slot portion of
the coil.

• This section is thus more

vulnerable to vibration and
electromagnetic forces.

• In case the natural frequencies

of the coil or support structure
were to coincide with the
frequency of some excitational
force, it would tend to have
severe vibration that could lead
to failure.

• Natural frequency test can

identify such components so
that remedial action can be
taken.

87

MOTOCARE® How is Natural Frequency Testing performed?

• The most vulnerable points of the end-winding

(both ends) are marked. These are:
• Support points of the connecting rings
• Series connections
• Phase connections
• Coil/bars at the slot exits

• A dual-channel vibration analyzer along with a

modal hammer & an accelerometer are used
for testing.

• Modal hammer should be with a soft tip and

weight between 500 gms to 2 kgs.

• The accelerometer is placed at each

measurement point and the coil/ bar/ ring
bumped with the hammer.

• Force (from hammer) and response (from

accelerometer) are recorded and the FRF and
Coherence graphs are plotted.

88

44
MOTOCARE® Natural Frequency Test assessment steps

Check the Impact & Response graphs to ensure that there are no double
impacts and that a sufficient response is achieved.

89

MOTOCARE® Natural Frequency Test assessment steps

Check the coherence graph to ensure that coherence levels are over 80
% for the frequencies of interest.

90

45
MOTOCARE® Natural Frequency Test assessment steps

• Overlay the response graphs of all identical test points.

• Identify test points that have a strong response at the machine running
speed and twice line frequency, as these tend to be the most common
forcing frequencies in electrical machines.

91

MOTOCARE® Technology Overview – Coil-to-Core Coupling

Resistance Test

• Test is performed to check for looseness of stator coils.

• Insulating varnish at the slot exits is scraped off and resistance

between the semi-conductive coating & the core is measured.

• Typically, resistance should be less than 2 kΩ, definitely less than 5

kΩ.

• Measurements should be taken at both DE & NDE and for top and
bottom coils.

• Coils having higher resistance could have insufficient contact and

hence be prone to surface discharges and/or vibration sparking.
Same can be verified by a corona probe test.

• Care should be taken while scraping the insulating varnish; it is easy

to damage the insulation layers underneath.

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46
MOTOCARE® Technology Overview – Corona Probe/ Corocam Test

• Test is performed to identify stator bars that have high surface PD.

• Required only when coupling capacitor PD tests have indicate that

the type of discharge is surface PD AND there is a possibility of
replacing the stator bars – not useful for global VPI machines.

• Test is performed by energizing the stator with an external supply

(typically an HV tan delta unit) and placing the radio frequency
probe of the instrument on each stator slot. The resultant current is
measured in mA.

• Test is to be performed at both ends of the stator.

• Permissible limit is generally agreed to as 20 mA (no standard).

• Test typically takes several hours, faster using a corona camera.

• Acoustic cameras too have been used but are much more
susceptible to noise.

93

MOTOCARE®
Visual Inspection

• Most important aspect if a major inspection, often unvalued.

• Challenges – lack of access, subjective, depends on the individual

• Indications can be subtle. Look for :

• Dust, dirt, grease, fretting
• Discolouration
• Movement
• Cracks
• Tracking
• Distortion
• Foreign objects

• Recommended tools:
• Flashlight
• Boroscope
• Mirror
• Magnifying glass
• Small hammer
• Knife
• Camera

94

47
MOTOCARE®
Visual Inspection examples – migrated slot liner

95

MOTOCARE® Visual Inspection examples – dusting due to bar

vibration

96

48
MOTOCARE® Visual Inspection examples – stator bars not bottomed in
slots

97

MOTOCARE® Visual Inspection examples – dusting due to insufficient

bracing in the end-winding

98

49
MOTOCARE® Visual Inspection examples – stator bar erosion due to
sparking

99

MOTOCARE®
Visual Inspection examples – damaged field winding

100

50
MOTOCARE®
Visual Inspection examples - loose core iron

101

MOTOCARE®
Visual Inspection Forms - Stator

102

51
MOTOCARE®
Visual Inspection Forms – Stator, contd.

103

MOTOCARE®
Visual Inspection Forms – Stator, contd.

104

52
MOTOCARE®
Visual Inspection Forms – Stator, contd.

105

MOTOCARE®
Visual Inspection Forms – Stator, contd.

106

53
MOTOCARE®
Visual Inspection Forms - Rotor

107

MOTOCARE®
Visual Inspection Forms - Rotor

108

54
MOTOCARE®
Visual Inspection Forms - Rotor

109

MOTOCARE®
Visual Inspection Forms - Exciter

110

55
MOTOCARE® Other specialized tests

• Metallurgical tests

• Knife test

• Stepped impedance

• Voltage drop & voltage balance

• Capacitance mapping

• AC & DC Hi-pot

• Flux probe

• Etc., etc……

111

MOTOCARE® A brief summary

• Motors & generators fail – often having severe consequences

• Most failures can be prevented & life cycle maximized

• A systematic approach is required for this purpose

• Baseline or reference data makes a huge difference

• The MOTOCARE® approach is the best bet against such failures

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