1078 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS, VOL. 47, NO.

5, OCTOBER 2000

The Detection of Inter-Turn Short Circuits in the

Stator Windings of Operating Motors
Gojko M. Joksimović, Member, IEEE, and Jim Penman

Abstract—This paper will develop a winding-function-based diagnostics, among which are techniques for the diagnosis of
method for modeling polyphase cage induction motors with inter-turn failures. These techniques are based on the measure-
inter-turn short circuit in the machine stator winding. Analytical ment of negative-sequence impedance or negative-sequence
consideration which sheds light on some components of the stator
current spectra of both healthy and faulty machines will be current. In [11], it was shown that the observation of the air-gap
developed. It is shown that, as a result of the nature of the cage torque could be used as a technique for detecting some type of
rotor, no new frequency components of the line current spectra asymmetries from the stator as well as from the rotor side.
can appear as a consequence of the fault. Only a rise in some of A winding-function-based method for modeling cage rotor
the frequency components which already exist in the line current induction motor with inter-turn short circuit in the stator
spectra of a healthy machine can be observed. An experimental
setup comprising a 3-kW delta-connected motor loaded by a winding will be developed in this paper. Using this approach
generator was used to validate this approach. The experimental allows all harmonics of the magnetomotive force (MMF) to
results obtained clearly validate the analytical and simulation be taken into account. It is shown that under machine fault
results. conditions only some, already existing components of the
Index Terms—Fault diagnosis, induction motors, monitoring, line current spectra increase, with no new components being
short-circuit currents, spectral analysis. generated.

I. INTRODUCTION II. SYSTEM EQUATIONS

The equations which describe the general induction machine
E LECTRIC MOTORS play a very important role in the
safe and efficient running of industrial plants and pro-
cesses. Early detection of abnormalities in the motors will help
with stator circuits and rotor bars can be written in vector-
matrix form as follows:
avoid expensive failures. From a number of surveys [1]–[4], (1)
it can be deduced that, for squirrel-cage motors, bearing- and
stator-winding-related deficiencies account for approximately (2)
3/4 of all failures. Also, these surveys indicate that the majority
of motor stator winding failures result from breakdown of the (3)
turn-to-turn insulation. Although there is no experimental data (4)
to indicate the time delay between inter-turn and groundwall where, for a symmetrical squirrel-cage machine, and
insulation failure, it is probable that the transition between the . Also,
two states is not instantaneous. Therefore, early detection of
(5)
inter-turn shorts during motor operation would eliminate sub-
sequent damage to adjacent coils and the stator core, reducing (6)
repair cost and motor outage time. Instrumentation currently (7)
exists to indicate the presence of a shorted turn, but only with The cage rotor can be viewed as equally spaced rotor circuit
the motor removed from service. Until recently [5]–[7], little loops. In (1)–(4) the currents in the stator circuits and rotor
work had been done on detecting the onset of an inter-turn bars are assumed as independent. The equations describing the
short-circuit while the machine was operational. In [8], axial mechanical part of the system are
leakage flux monitoring was used as a method for detecting
the occurrence of an inter-turn short in the early stage of its (8)
development, as well as to locate the position of the fault in
the winding while the motor was operating. In [9] and [10], (9)
new techniques were presented for online motor protection and
(10)
Manuscript received January 15, 1999; revised April 29, 2000. Abstract pub- where is the electromagnetic torque, is the mechanical
lished on the Internet July 1, 2000.
G. Joksimović is with the Department of Electrical Engineering, Uni- angle, is the angular mechanical speed, is load torque,
versity of Montenegro, 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro, Yugoslavia (e-mail: and is the combined rotor–load inertia.
[email protected]). The inductances of the above system of equations were cal-
J. Penman is with the Department of Engineering, University of Aberdeen,
Aberdeen, AB24 3UE, U.K. (e-mail: [email protected]). culated using the winding function method [12], from which the
Publisher Item Identifier S 0278-0046(00)08838-9. inductance between any two windings and in any electrical
0278–0046/00$10.00 © 2000 IEEE
JOKSIMOVIĆ AND PENMAN: INTER-TURN SHORT CIRCUITS IN THE STATOR WINDINGS OF OPERATING MOTORS 1079

machine (assuming that the permeance of the iron is infinite) a Fourier series. Neglecting the width of the slot opening
can be calculated using the expression and replacing and , it is easy to show that the
base frequency rotor current with amplitude which flows
(11) in one rotor loop produces the following MMF:
where
axial length of the machine;
average radius of the air gap; (16)
inverse air-gap function ( in the case of
uniform air gap). where:
Further, and are winding functions of wind-
ings and , the angle is the angle along the inner surface of (17)
the stator, and is the angle of rotor position with respect to a
fixed point on the stator. In the case of skewed rotor bars (or Expression (16) is derived in the rotor reference frame. In the
stator slots), the mutual inductance between the circuits and neighboring rotor loop, which is shifted by rad in space, a
which are placed on the opposite sides of the air gap is defined current of the same frequency and amplitude but phase shifted
to be by flows. This loop produce its own MMF which has
the following shape:
(12)

where
(18)
(13)
The total rotor MMF is the sum of the MMFs of all the rotor
and where is the angle of skewing in radians and is the
loops and is given by the expression
temporary variable [13]. The winding function
of coil , whose sides are placed at and is
defined as (14), shown at the bottom of the page [13], where
is the number of turns in coil is the pitch of the coil,
, and is the width of slot opening in radians. The (19)
winding function is effectively the MMF per-unit current. The
above system of (1)–(4) and (8)–(10) can be solved by one of the Expression (19) clearly shows that MMF waves exist only for
common numerical techniques. In that process, the inductances the cases , and .
which are rotor-position dependent, i.e., the mutual inductance As can be only a positive integer, it follows that only for
between stator phase windings and rotor loops, are organized in and MMF waves exist. Therefore, apart from
lookup tables. the basic harmonic of MMF for which is the armature
reaction to the basic harmonic of MMF from the stator side,
III. INTER-TURNS SHORT CIRCUITS—GENERAL there exists the so-called rotor slot harmonics of order
CONSIDERATIONS (space harmonics). These MMF waves have the following shape
It is well known that the stator winding of a symmetrical in- when observed from the stator side:
duction machine produces a series of MMF waves given by the
expression
(15)

(20)
where is the number of pole pairs, is the mains angular
frequency, and . The MMF of the It can be shown in a similar manner that higher frequency rotor
rotor winding can be derived by developing expression (14) in currents, which are a result of higher harmonic flux density

(14)

the rest of
1080 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS, VOL. 47, NO. 5, OCTOBER 2000

waves from the stator side, produce MMF waves which have
a similar shape

(21)

i.e., they have the same frequency but a different number of pole
pairs. Multiplying the above MMF waves with constant air-gap
permeance, the flux density waves of the same shape will be
obtained. Flux-density waves will induce EMFs in the stator
windings and these EMFs will generate currents. From (20) and Fig. 1. Inter-turn short circuit between points a and b.
(21), it is clear that besides the EMF at the base frequency, ad-
ditional EMFs will appear only at rotor slot frequencies draw some important conclusions. Fig. 1, however, shows one
(now, they are time harmonics). These fre- phase group of three coils. It is assumed that inter-turn short
quency components will be prominent depending on the number circuit arises between points and , as illustrated.
of pole pairs of flux-density waves, i.e., MMF waves in (20) It is evident that the path to the circulating current is closed.
and (21). The most significant frequency components will occur From simple theory, it is clear that the path A–X can be expanded
when the number of pole pairs is the same as in the original into two independent circuits. It is obvious from Fig. 1 that the
winding. Taking into account the stator and rotor slots in the two currents, the phase current and the current which flows in
air-gap permeance function, it can be shown that only changes the short circuit, produce opposite MMFs. Therefore, inter-turn
in the number of pole pairs of the flux-density waves will occur. short circuits have a cumulative effect in decreasing the MMF
No change in the frequencies of these waves will result. There- in the vicinity of the short-circuited turn(s). Firstly, when a short
fore, as a result of the nature of the rotor cage winding, all circuit occurs, the phase winding has less turns and, therefore,
flux-density waves from the stator side will be reflected, and less MMF. Secondly, the short-circuit current MMF is opposite
occur only at the following frequencies in the stator current the MMF of the phase winding. Clearly, inter-turn shorts with
spectra: . more turns can be analyzed in a similar manner.
Under inter-turn short-circuit conditions, a new series of In most commercially available induction motors, coils are
MMF waves will appear, which can be described as insulated from one another in slots as well as in the end winding
region. Therefore, the highest probability for the occurrence of
(22) inter-turn is between turns in the same coil. Here, it is assumed
that the inter-turn short circuit is between two turns in the same
coil, and that one-half of the coil is short circuited; this means
that approximately 8% of turns of one phase are short circuited.
Therefore, there exist MMF and flux-density waves at all num- Both simulation and experimental analysis was carried out for
bers of pole pairs and in both directions of rotation. One of these this condition.
waves is a wave with the same number of pole pairs as the basic As a consequence of the inter-turn short circuit, the MMF
flux-density wave in the machine, but with an opposite direc- of the phase winding in which inter-turn short circuit exists
tion of rotation. This wave has no influence on the stator cur- changes, as does the mutual inductance between that phase and
rent spectra because it induces only base frequency current com- all other circuits in the machine. In addition, a new “phase,”
ponent. As previously discussed, all other waves only induce which we call the short-circuited phase D is introduced. This
EMFs and generate currents at rotor slot harmonic frequencies. phase has no conductive contact with other phases, but it is
Therefore, no new frequency component appears in the stator mutually coupled with all other circuits on both the stator and
current spectra as a result of a fault in the stator windings, only rotor sides. As before, the currents in stator circuits and
a rise in the rotor slot harmonic frequencies can be expected, for rotor loops, described by (1)–(4), are assumed independent.
two reasons. Firstly, under fault conditions a greater number of The relationship between the rotor loop currents are established
flux-density waves exist in the machine, and all of these waves later through a matrix of rotor parameters and . The
make a contribution at the same frequencies. Secondly, there is a relationship between the stator currents depends on the stator
greater probability of flux density waves with the basic number winding connection.
of pole pairs now existing.
A. Star Connection of Stator Windings
IV. MODELING OF INTER-TURN SHORT CIRCUIT When the stator windings and voltage supply are symmet-
In the first instance, consideration is given to the simplest case rical, there is no requirement for any changes in the above
where the coil has only one turn. from which it is possible to system of equations. In the case of unbalanced connections,
JOKSIMOVIĆ AND PENMAN: INTER-TURN SHORT CIRCUITS IN THE STATOR WINDINGS OF OPERATING MOTORS 1081

or an unbalanced supply, some changes must occur in order

for the stator currents to satisfy Kirchof’s current rule and to
employ line-to-line voltages as inputs in the simulation model
[12]. Applying these conditions to the case when the inter-turn
short circuits occurs, (1) becomes

(23)

where , are the stator line-to-line voltages. Of

course, the zero term in the stator voltages vector describes the
short-circuited “phase.” Equation (3) is now
Fig. 2. Stator winding configuration when an inter-turn short circuit
occurs—star connection.

(24)

where are vectors of dimensions 1 by . In

order for the stator currents to satisfy Kirchof’s current rule,
(24) is written as

(25)

Hence, from (25), it is clear that the condition which must be Fig. 3. Stator winding configuration when an inter-turn short circuit
forced in solving the above system of equations is occurs—delta connection.

(26)
two turns in one coil in such a manner that one-half of the coil
was short circuited.
Fig. 2 shows the stator star winding arrangement when an
When an inter-turn short circuit arises, the winding function
inter-turn short circuit occurs. As a consequence of the fault,
of the injured phase is changed. As a consequence of the fault,
we have now an independent circuit with fault current .
the self-inductance and resistance of this phase are changed as
B. Delta Connection of Stator Windings well as the mutual inductance between this phase and all other
circuits in the machine.
When stator windings are delta connected, then no changes
The winding function of the injured phase, winding A, during
in the original system of equations are necessary. The input to
the occurrence of an inter-turn short circuit is shown in Fig. 4.
the model are the line-to-line voltages which are the phase volt-
The same figure shows the mutual inductance between phase A
ages. It is well known that, under asymmetrical conditions in
and one rotor loop. Functions of mutual inductance with other
delta-connected windings, the sum of phase current is not zero,
rotor loops are identical but displaced in space by an appropriate
however, this is the case for the line currents.
angle.
Fig. 3 shows an inter-turn short circuit occurring in a phase
Fig. 5 shows the winding function of the shorted “phase” as
winding between terminal points A and B. As before, a conse-
well as the function of mutual inductance between this “phase”
quence of the fault is that there now exists an independent circuit
and the rotor loop.
with fault current .
Fig. 6 shows the currents in the short-circuited phase D and
phase current (see Fig. 3) for a loaded machine, as a result
V. SIMULATION RESULTS of the simulation analysis. These two currents are almost phase
Both simulation and experimental analysis was conducted on opposite, as was predicted by the previous analysis.
a three-phase six-pole delta-connected 3-kW induction The spectra of the line current of a loaded healthy machine
motor. The winding arrangement for this machine is shown in is shown in Fig. 7. It is obvious that, besides the base frequency
the Appendix. There are slots in the stator and component, only two higher frequency components exist at 468
bars in the rotor. Inter-turn short circuits were applied between and 568 Hz, as was previously explained.
1082 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS, VOL. 47, NO. 5, OCTOBER 2000

Fig. 4. Winding function of phase A (upper trace) and mutual inductance Fig. 6. Phase current I and current in short-circuited phase D when machine
between phase A and rotor loop (bottom trace) when an inter-turn short circuit is loaded (s = 0:038).
occurs in phase A winding.

Fig. 7. Spectral content of stator line current I for a healthy machine.

Numerical result (s = 0:028).

Fig. 5. Winding function of short circuit “phase” D (upper trace) and mutual
inductance between “phase” D and rotor loop (bottom trace).

Fig. 8 depicts the spectra of the line current for a loaded

machine with an inter-turn short-circuit condition. Only one
new frequency component is now visible in the spectra at 150
Hz, while the significant rise in rotor slot harmonics is obvious.
The rise in the 150-Hz component in the inter-turn short-cir-
cuit condition can be perceived as a result of asymmetry in the
delta-connected stator winding. Any asymmetry in the delta-
connected stator winding produces a rises in the 150-Hz fre-
quency component in the line current spectra, however, this
component occurs even in the spectra of phase current obtained
from the dynamic model.
The reason for this component existing in the line (and phase)
current spectra can be explained by the speed ripple effect [14].
One of the most significant consequences of an inter-turn short-
circuit condition is the occurrence of negative-sequence current Fig. 8. Spectral content of stator line current I . Inter-turn short-circuit
in the stator winding. The interaction of this negative-sequence condition. Numerical result (s = 0:028).
JOKSIMOVIĆ AND PENMAN: INTER-TURN SHORT CIRCUITS IN THE STATOR WINDINGS OF OPERATING MOTORS 1083

hood (in the electrical sense), were shorted, the short-circuit cur-
rent was reduced by means of an externally placed resistor. In
these cases, current was limited to the value of double rated cur-
rent for a short time during the experiment.
Figs. 9 and 10 show the spectra of line current for a loaded
machine for a healthy and a faulty condition, respectively. Fig. 9
shows that, in a healthy machine, frequency components exist
which are a result of the saturation of magnetic material (150
Hz, 250 Hz, 350 Hz, etc.). In the healthy condition, only the
upper rotor slot harmonic is visible, at 568 Hz .
From Fig. 10, it is clear that, as the simulation model pre-
dicted, the most significant changes arise at harmonic compo-
nents of . Now, the lower rotor slot har-
monic (at 469 Hz) is prominent and the upper has risen. Also,
the 150-Hz harmonic component is considerably higher under
the fault condition, as was predicted by simulation results.
Fig. 9. Spectral content of stator line current I for a healty machine.
Experimental result (s = 0:028).
VII. CONCLUSION
In this paper, a technique has been demonstrated for the dy-
namic simulation of an induction machine with an inter-turn
short circuit in the stator windings. Analytical considerations
which give insight to some of the frequency components in line
current spectra have also been developed. The results from both
the simulation and experimental analysis show that frequency
component at 150 Hz increases under the action of the inter-turn
short-circuit condition. It is well known that this frequency com-
ponent already exists in the line current spectra of a healthy
machine as a result of saturation of magnetic material. Also,
this component is sensitive to other asymmetries from the stator
side, such as unbalanced voltage supply.
Further, it has been demonstrated that, under the short-cir-
cuit condition, a significant rise in rotor slot harmonics compo-
nents occurs; these components exist in
a healthy machine. These frequency components are also sensi-
Fig. 10. Spectral content of stator line current I . Inter-turn short-circuit tive to some other abnormal machine conditions, such as unbal-
condition. Experimental result (s = 0:028). anced voltage supplies or static eccentricity conditions.
Clearly, these components cannot be used as a specific sign
current with the base frequency rotor currents produces a pul- of the occurrence of inter-turn short circuits in stator windings.
sating torque at double mains frequency, [11]. This pulsating
torque produces a speed ripple, which from the stator side is seen APPENDIX
as a ripple in the main flux and, consequently, the new EMF and
The connection diagram of the stator windings of the experi-
current in the stator winding occurs at 150 Hz.
mental machine is shown in Fig. 11.
Machine Parameters:
VI. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS rating power kW;
In order to validate the results from the dynamic model, an rated voltage V;
experimental investigation was conducted. The experiment was rated frequency Hz;
performed in the following manner. A standard commercially number of pole pairs ;
available motor was dismantled and isolation of the few turns number of phases ;
from the same coil (in the end region) was mechanically in- rated speed r/min;
jured, i.e., scratched. At these spots were soldered conductors full-load current A;
which were taken out from the motor. Short circuit was made stator winding connection delta;
between these conductors. Therefore, turns were shorted ex- turns per coil ;
ternally. By measuring EMF between conductors and having turns per slot ;
known winding details, we were able to conclude how many number of stator slots ;
turns in one coil were shorted. number of rotor bars ;
In the case of inrush current, which was experienced, in par- rotor inertia kg m ;
ticular, in the case when two turns, which are in the neighbor- average radius of air gap m;
1084 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS, VOL. 47, NO. 5, OCTOBER 2000

Fig. 11. Connection diagram of stator windings of experimental machine. Inter-turn short circuit occurs in coil placed in slots 1 and 6.

length of stator stack m; [11] J. S. Hsu, “Monitoring of defects in induction motors through air-gap
corrected value of air gap length mm; torque observation,” IEEE Trans. Ind. Applicat., vol. 31, pp. 1016–1021,
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[13] G. Joksimović, M. Ðurović, and A. Obradović, “Skew and linear rise of
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rotor end ring leakage inductance H. Energy Conversion, vol. 14, pp. 315–320, Sept. 1999.
[14] F. Filippetti, G. Franceschini, C. Tassoni, and P. Vas, “AI techniques in
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[10] G. B. Kliman, W. J. Premerlani, B. Yazici, R. A. Koegl, and J. Maz- has received three Premium Awards from the Institution of Electrical Engineers
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Power, vol. 10, pp. 39–43, Apr. 1997. inburgh.