Title:  Stray Flux Monitoring and Multi-Sensor Fusion Condition Monitoring For Squirrel Cage Induction Machines

Committee: 

Dr. Habetler, Advisor     

Dr. Graber, Chair

Dr. Molzahn

Abstract: The objective of the proposed research is to develop a sensor fusion method for the electric machine condition monitoring and fault detection systems to efficiently utilize the information from multiple heterogeneous sensor measurements (external magnetic flux, stator current and mechanical vibration) in order to achieve environment mechanical noise rejection, supply noise rejection and higher fault detection sensitivity. To complete the stray flux-based monitoring technique, the preliminary research contributes analysis of the exclusive components in the axial stray flux spectrum of squirrel cage induction machines as well as the experimental validation for broken bar fault, load unbalance fault, eccentricity fault and incipient bearing fault detection which was never reported in the literature. Based on the results from the experimental evaluation of heterogeneous sensors, a multi-sensor fusion scheme for eccentricity, load unbalance, broken bar detection and a novel incipient bearing fault detection method are proposed in the preliminary research and will be validated and refined with further experimentation.