Title: Bearing fault severity estimation using time-based descriptors for rotating electric machines

Authors: Rajesh Patel; S.P. Gupta; Vinod Kumar

Addresses: HJD Institute of Technical Education and Research, 370430, Kera, Kutch, Gujarat, India ' Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee-388121, Uttrakhand, India ' Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee-388121, Uttrakhand, India

Abstract: This paper evaluates the bearing fault severity in rotating electric machines based on the time-based descriptors derived from machine vibration signal. Time-based descriptors are independent of bearing dimensions and machine dynamics. To establish the relationship between the time-based descriptor and bearing fault severity, a wide range of defective bearings are examined on an experimental set-up and the factors contributing to the value of time-based descriptor are determined. The application of this technique to the bearing faults such as rolling element, inner-race and outer-race fault, has confirmed that time-based descriptor successfully measures the severity of faults. The significance of time-based descriptors has been evaluated and tested by developing online bearing failure situation via shaft current. Since the time-based descriptors are independent of dimensions and characteristic frequencies of the bearing, the severity estimation is less sensitive to operating conditions for data acquisition. The laboratory investigations on 10-hp cage induction motor are presented.

Keywords: condition monitoring; vibration analysis; bearing faults; fault diagnosis; fault severity estimation; rotating electric machines; time-based descriptors; defective bearings.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPEC.2014.061764

International Journal of Power and Energy Conversion, 2014 Vol.5 No.2, pp.197 - 209

Received: 02 Apr 2012
Accepted: 14 Sep 2012

Published online: 05 Jul 2014 *

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