Fault signal propagation in a network of distributed motors

Industrial environment usually contains multiple motors that are supplied through a common power bus. The power line acts as a good conducting environment for signals to travel through the power network. In effect, this influences other motors with noisy signals that may indicate a fault condition. Further complexity arises when signals are generated by motors with different power ratings, a different slip speed and more than one source of fault signals. This sort of complexity and mixing among signals from multiple sources makes them difficult to measure and precisely correlate to a given machine or fault. In this research, a power network model for induction motors is presented. This model accommodates the signal attenuation factor when it is disseminated along the bus. It also allows for system configuration of motor characteristics and fault injection. It is expected that this simulation model will facilitate the environment for testing sensor networks and data fusion approaches that facilitates better intelligence for fault identification and localization.