This paper presents stability analysis of asymmetrical stator faults in electric motors. The study was carried out using Finite Element Analysis solver. The motor was simulated for 2 cases; healthy motor and motor with asymmetrical fault. Asymmetrical fault occurred at 0.4s and lasted for 0.2s after which the motor later regained stability. The graphics of the torque showed that the loaded motor oscillates around 315.2 Nm when the fault occurred and settled at 20 Nm after 0.6s. It was also observed that the speed dropped slightly and oscillates around 1420 rpm after 0.2s when load was connected and went into generating mode immediately asymmetrical fault occurred and regained stability after 0.6s while the speed of the unloaded motor remained unchanged. The phase currents of the loaded motor increased to 14.1690 A at 0.2s and further increased to about 141.2 A as a result of asymmetrical fault at 0.4s and later maintained a steady state stability of 14.1690 A after 0.6s when the fault was removed. The magnetic saturation areas were observed in both cases.
Key words: Asymmetrical faults, FEA Simulations, Loading conditions, Stability, , Three-phase induction motor.
[1]. Rezazadeh, M., Marium, N., Marhaban, M.H. and Misron, N, Fourier analysis of motor current bars in squirrel-cage induction machines, Proceedings of IEEE Student on Research and Development (SCORed 2010), Putrajaya, Malaysia.
[2]. Ceban, A. Pusca, R. Romary, R., Study of rotor faults in induction motors using external magnetic field analysis, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, vol. 59, No. 5, 2012, 2082- 2093.
[3]. Bouzid, M. and Champenois, G., An efficient, simplified multiple coupled circuit model of the induction motor aimed to simulate different types of stator faults, Mathematics and computers in simulation, vol. 90, 2013, 98-115.
[4]. Arumugam, P. Hamti, T. and Gerada, C., Modeling of different winding configurations for fault-tolerant permanent magnet machines to restrain inter-turn short-circuit current, IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion, vol. 27, No. 2, 2012, 1354-1371.
[5]. Wiem, Z., Yemna, B., and Hafedh, T., Analysis of Induction Motor with Stator Winding Short-circuit Fault by Finite Element Model, International journal of scientific research and engineering technology, vol 3, 2012, 53-58.