Open-Circuit Fault Detection in 5-Phase PMSM Drives Through Mechanical Vibration Analysis

Fault tolerant control of multiphase electric drives is gaining attention to guarantee uninterrupted operation under faulty conditions. In particular, open-circuit faults are being widely investigated, as this type of fault is very common. The fault tolerant controller requires fault detection and identification prior to its reconfiguration. In general, detection and diagnosis is carried out based on measured electrical magnitudes. Alternatively, this work investigates a novel approach for open-circuit fault detection through the analysis of mechanical vibrations in the electric machine. Here, a 5-phase permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) is considered. Experimental results are provided, evaluating accelerometer placement and demonstrating the feasibility of open-circuit fault detection using measured mechanical vibration data.