Method and apparatus for inspecting laminated iron core stacks for interlamination shorts

• US 4,996,486 A
• Filed: 05/30/1989
• Issued: 02/26/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alstom SA
• Original Assignee: ASEA Brown Boveri SA de CV (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Posedel, Zlatimir
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mueller, Robert W.
• Application Number:
  US07/358,638
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 324/521, 324/527, 324/528, 324/529, 324/545, 324/551, 324/554, 324/557, 324/559, 324/546, 324/547, 324/233, 324/228, 324/242, 324/220, 324/225, 320/99, 318/490, 340/648
• US Class Current: 324/545
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/904 with two or more sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/9046 by analysing electrical signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/34 Testing dynamo-electric machines
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/52 Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults

Abstract

In order to detect interlamination shorts (8 ) in the case of laminated core stacks, the core stack (1) is magnetized with an auxiliary winding. The iron surface (15) is scanned with a measuring coil arrangement (5) comprising two electrically separated, mechanically interlinked coils (6, 7). The output signals from the coils are compared with each other in a downstream measuring instrument (9); in the case of an interlamination short, the fault current through the short-circuited laminations will induce in the coils different, phase-shifted voltages which make it possible to infer the position and size of the interlamination shorts.

Claims

1. A method of inspecting a laminated core stack of an electric machine for interlamination shorts, in which method the core stack is magnetized by means of an auxiliary winding and the laminated surface is scanned by means of a measuring coil arrangement with a downstream measuring instrument, which method comprises determining, by means of at least two electrically separated, radially spaced, but mechanically interlinked measuring coils of said measuring coil arrangement, the radial distribution of the magnetic field of the current (I_F) due to the interlamination short from at least on of the phase difference and the change in amplitude of the voltages (U_M1, U_M2) induced in the at least two measuring coils.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the phase deviation (Δ

α

) of the signals from the measuring coils is determined by means of a phase detector.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the difference in amplitude (Δ

φ

) of the signals from the measuring coils is detected with a recording instrument.

4. The method as claimed in one of claims 1-3, wherein the signals recorded are compared with known values which correspond to currents produced by interlamination shorts, a loop with equivalent width being attached to the surface of the iron core and being fed with a known current corresponding to an interlamination short.

5. The method as claimed in one of claims 1-3, wherein the measuring coils are arranged on a carriage and are moved across the core stack from one end to the other by means of a drive motor.

6. The method as claimed in one of claims 1-3, wherein the core stack is magnetized via the rotor shaft from a high-current supply source which is connected to the insulated shaft between the two sides of the machine.

7. An apparatus for carrying out the method of inspecting a laminated core stack of an electric machine for interlamination shorts, wherein the core stack is magnetized by means of an auxiliary winding and the laminated surface is scanned by means of a measuring coil arrangement with a downstream measuring instrument, said apparatus comprising an auxiliary coil for magnetizing the core stack, said measuring coil apparatus comprising, at least two electrically separated, radially spaced, but mechanically interlinked measuring coils, which are used to determine the radial distribution of the magnetic field of the current (I_F) due to the interlamination short from at least on of the phase difference and the change in amplitude of the voltage (U_M1, U_M2) induced in the at least two measuring coils, measuring means connected to the measuring coils for detecting at least one of the phase angle deviation and the changes in amplitude of the voltages (U_M1, U_M2) induced in the measuring coils, and a recording unit connected to the measuring means.