Fault Detection and Diagnosis in Electric Drive Systems

This article addresses diagnosis and fault detection in electric drives, particularly for an asynchronous motor coupled to an inverter. The objective is to ensure service continuity and fault tolerance, both of which are essential in industrial applications. Electric machines are a fundamental component of all industrial operations. They play a critical role across various sectors due to their robustness, cost-effectiveness, relative simplicity, and ease of maintenance. The faults under investigation may affect the motor itself, the power converter, the mechanical components, or the sensors. The system operates at variable speed and is controlled using field-oriented vector control, along with speed regulation. Based on fault characterization results, obtained either from simulations or experimental measurements, two diagnostic approaches are proposed:

• Signal Processing Approach: To address the challenges associated with variable speed operation, constant position increment sampling is applied.
• Analytical Redundancy Approach: Dedicated observers are designed and experimentally validated for effective fault diagnosis and detection.

Finally, based on the developed tools, strategies are proposed to implement a comprehensive electric drive monitoring system. This system is designed to continuously assess the health status of key components and to detect faults and malfunctions within the industrial process. As a result, this work contributes to enhancing system reliability, minimizing downtime, and enabling predictive maintenance in industrial environments.