Current Signature Analysis to Detect Induction Motor Faults

Three-phase induction motors are the "workhorses" of industry and are the most widely used electrical machines. In an industrialized nation, they can typically consume between 40 to 50% of all the generated capacity of that country. This article focuses on the industrial application of motor current signature analysis (MCSA) to diagnose faults in three-phase induction motor drives. MCSA is a noninvasive, online monitoring technique for the diagnosis of problems in induction motors. Reliability-based maintenance (RBM) and condition-based maintenance (CBM) strategies are now widely used by industry, and health monitoring of electrical drives is a major feature in such programs.