Impacts of rotor inter-turn short circuit fault upon performance of wound rotor induction machines

• Investigation of performance of a wound rotor induction motor under rotor inter-turn short circuit fault.
• Magnetic equivalent circuit and finite elements method are used to model the machine.
• Impacts of fault on the signals of the machine are addressed.
• Estimation of different inductances of the machine.
• The fault is diagnosed using Fourier transform of the stator current and verified by experimental results.

This paper investigates the performance of a wound rotor induction motor (WRIM) under rotor inter-turn short circuit (SC) fault. Magnetic equivalent circuit (MEC) and finite elements method (FEM) are used to model the machine. Impacts of the fault on the signals of the machine including rotor current, stator current, and developed torque of the motor are addressed. Current of SC turns is also the signal that is considered here. A method based on the MEC is used to estimate different inductances of WRIM in which the impact of yokes, stator and rotor tooth, windings distribution and also core saturation are included. The obtained inductances are compared with that of the FEM and effect of the SC turns on the inductances are investigated. Finally, the fault is diagnosed using Fourier transform of the stator current and verified by experimental results.