A Temperature and Magnetic Field-Based Approach for Stator Inter-Turn Fault Detection

Effective fault detection techniques are needed to reduce the maintenance and downtime costs of induction motors. This article presents an approach for stator end-winding inter-turn short-circuit fault detection using a metal-coated fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor with 0.5-mm diameter and 10-mm length to monitor the temperature and magnetic field around the end winding. The sensing theory, design, manufacturing, and installation of the sensor are detailed in this article. The nickel coating on the surface of the sensor is formed by electroless plating and electroplating, which makes the sensor sensitive to both temperature and magnetic field. The feasibility of the presented approach has been supported by both simulation and experimental results. The temperature and magnetic field signals are decoupled by filtering, and the experimental data are analyzed in the time-frequency domain. The results show that the inter-turn short-circuit fault can be detected at an incipient stage with 5% shorted turns.