Comparative investigation of diagnosis media for induction machine mechanical unbalance fault

For an induction machine, we suggest a theoretical development of the mechanical unbalance effect on the analytical expressions of radial vibration and stator current. Related spectra are described and characteristic defect frequencies are determined. Moreover, the stray flux expressions are developed for both axial and radial sensor coil positions and a substitute diagnosis technique is proposed. In addition, the load torque effect on the detection efficiency of these diagnosis media is discussed and a comparative investigation is performed. The decisive factor of comparison is the fault sensitivity. Experimental results show that spectral analysis of the axial stray flux can be an alternative solution to cover effectiveness limitation of the traditional stator current technique and to substitute the classical vibration practice.