Motor diagnostics and protection using inverter capabilities

This chapter outlines the state of the art on motor protection, monitoring, and failure prediction using inverter capabilities (sensing, data processing, and signal application) while feeding the electric motor. The methods included in this comprehensive review are thermal monitoring and protection schemes, monitoring schemes for insulation related issues, and methods that analyze the mechanical health of the motor or an asset connected to the motor. Other topics of interest include thermal modeling of electric machines, spectral analysis, expert systems, neural networks, and parameter estimation. The techniques described in this chapter are applied to induction machines, brushless direct current (DC) machines, and reluctance and synchronous motors.