A Comparative Study of Motor Stator Current Analysis and Instantaneous Power Analysis Techniques for the Diagnosis of Gear Faults under Medium Load Conditions

Abstract

Gears are used in the machines to transfer rotational mechanical power. The excessive vibration is produced due to malfunction of the gear which eventually causes machine breakdowns. Conventional vibration analysis method could reliably diagnose the gear faults but high cost of the vibration transducers is the main limitation of this technique. The non-intrusive stator current analysis has been the best alternative to vibration analysis technique. But the capability of the stator current analysis has been reported only on the full load conditions of the motor. This paper presents an alternative nonintrusive condition monitoring technique which utilize the both stator current and voltage to analyze the gear faults in instantaneous power spectra. The experimental test rig has been designed to compare the amplitude sensitivity of the stator current spectra and instantaneous power spectra for gear operating under medium load condition.