Experimental investigation of vibration monitoring technique for online detection of bearing fault in induction motors

This paper investigates the online detection of bearing fault by a vibration monitoring technique. A theoretical mechanical model for faults in bearing elements was developed. This model which is based on the nonlinear contact theory calculates the vibration of the shaft due to a defect in the ball bearing’s rolling elements. An experimental device was also installed to validate the theoretical model in which one bearing of an induction motor was drilled on its outer race. The analyses of measured vibration show that defect can be characterized by a particular signature in vibration spectrum.