Misalignment detection in induction motors with flexible coupling by means of estimated torque analysis and MCSA

• We presented an experimental study on detection of misalignment in flexible couplings
• The proposed techniques can be applied on-line.
• The conclusions are interesting for fault indicators computation to be used in expert systems.
• Furthermore, these conclusions might be useful for a vibrational study.

In recent years, progress has been made in developing techniques to detect mechanical faults in actuators driven by induction motors. The latest developments show their capability to detect faults from the analysis of the motor electrical variables. The techniques are based on the analysis of the Motor Current Signature Analysis (MCSA) and the Load Torque Signature Analysis (LTSA), among others. Thus, failures such as misalignment between the motor and load, progressive gear teeth wear, and mass imbalances have been successfully detected. In case of misalignment between the motor and load, both angular and radial misalignment, the results presented in literature do not consider the characteristics of the coupling device. In this work, it is studied a mechanism in which the power transmission between the motor and load is performed by means of different types of couplings, mainly those most frequently used in industry. Results show that the conclusions drawn for a particular coupling are not necessarily applicable to others. Finally, this paper presents data of interest for the development of algorithms or expert systems for fault detection and diagnosis.