Experimental study of a teeth flux sensor for detection, location and severity evaluation of induction machine stator faults

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the efficacy of teeth flux sensors in detecting, locating and assessing the severity of short-circuit faults in the stator windings of induction machines. Design/methodology/approach The experimental study involves inducing short-circuit winding turn variations on the induction machine’s stator and continuously measuring the RMS values across teeth flux sensors. Two crucial steps are taken for machine diagnosis: measurements under load operating conditions for fault detection and measurements under no-load conditions to determine fault location and severity. Findings The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach using teeth flux sensors is reliable and effective in detecting, locating and evaluating the severity of stator winding faults. Research limitations/implications While this study focuses on short-circuit faults, future research could explore other fault types and alternative sensor configurations to enhance the comprehensiveness of fault diagnosis. Practical implications The methodology outlined in this paper holds the potential to significantly reduce maintenance time and costs for induction machines, leading to substantial savings for companies. Originality/value This research contributes to the field by presenting an innovative approach that uses teeth flux sensors for a comprehensive fault diagnosis in induction machines. The originality lies in the effectiveness of this approach in providing reliable fault detection, location and severity evaluation.