Experimental identification of induction motor broken bar characteristic frequencies using a programmable power source

The introduction of Voltage Source Inverter fed motors has produced significant changes in the field of diagnostics being necessary further research to overcome various challenges. To enhance the diagnosis of motor faults it is advisable to consider as many fault signatures as possible, so, in this paper it is analyzed the detection of broken bars using the spectra around harmonics introduced by the power supply. Since the harmonic content of the voltage waveform and the amplitude of the harmonics depend on the voltage supply, in order to establish diagnosis criteria that are independent of the voltage supply, an induction motor has been tested being supplied by a Programmable Power Source, which has allowed to completely control the harmonic content of the input voltage waveform. The results are discussed and some guidelines for condition monitoring are suggested.