Electrical Signature Analysis (ESA) is the method of using the electric machine magnetic field as the transducer as measured through voltage and current. The method was originally developed by Oak Ridge National Labs in the late 1980s for the expressed purpose of fault detection of gear and bearing wear in driven equipment in addition to…
It is generally understood that lubrication must, by default, have an impact on equipment efficiency in terms of friction. These losses, which are lumped into friction and windage in efficiency standards, such as IEEE Standard 112 Method B[1], which is one of the five types of electric machine losses: core losses (15-25%) and friction and…
I still find it amazing that people are coming out with the same thing that we came out with in the 1990s when PWM drives made their dramatic push into industry – and presenting it all as somehow ‘new.’ In any case, here is another IEEE Electrical Insulation Conference paper published in 1997 from research…
An IEEE article published in the IEEE Electrical Insulation Magazine January/February 1997 during the period where we were developing US Department of Energy motor management programs (Motor Challenge). The information is as true today as it was in 1997.
Power, magnetic and ground harmonics have a negative impact on the reliability of your electric motors both electrically and mechanically. We often focus just on the power harmonics when reviewing information on power quality, but rarely view the self-generated electric machine harmonics and the harmonic content present in grounds and neutrals. Over the past several…
What is the importance and differences between core loss testing and hot spot testing in electric machines through the repair process? How are they performed and what results do they provide? In this short article we will discuss the basics of core and hot spot testing and their impact on electric machine reliability. This white…
What is the impact of an electrical reliability program? Or even the application of a precision maintenance program Overall, the transition to a planned maintenance program from a reactive program has been identified by the US Department of Energy (US DOE) Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC) as having at least 14% improvement of all energy consumption…
Volume 3 of the US Department of Energy’s “US industrial and Commercial Motor System Market Assessment” was released on July, 2022. The study reviews the energy performance improvement opportunities for the installed base of commercial and industrial motor systems in the United States. It is noted in the report that electric motors and related systems…
