Vibration Analysis of

Induction Motors
 Components of Rotor

• Rotor iron – Thin sheets of silicon steel coated with insulation.

• Rotor Bars – Rectangular copper bars inserted into iron slots
• Shorting Rings – Copper rings joining both ends of rotor bars
 Motor stator Components

• Stator iron - ring of steel laminations with slots on inside

• Stator coils – intricately wound on stator slots
• Overhang – extended portion of stator coils outside stator
• Surge ring – clamps the “overhang” to reduce coil vibration
 Principle of Operation
• Stator coils generate reversing magnetic field with at least two
magnetic poles (North and South)
• Motors may have 2, 4, 6, 8 and more poles
• In 3-phase currents are spaced at 120o. Therefore, the
magnetic field appears to be rotating around the stator.
• Motor RPM = Mains Frequency / Pair of poles. At 50 Hz
• 2 poles – 50 x 60 (CPM) / 1 pair = 3000 RPM
• 4 poles – 3000 / 2 pairs = 1500 RPM
• 6 poles – 3000 / 3 pairs = 1000 RPM
 Magnetic Field appears to be Rotating
around Stator at Synchronous Frequency

• Stator magnetic field revolves

at synchronous frequency
• Synchronous frequency, F sync
= 2 x lines frequency / no of poles
• For 4 pole motor
F sync = 2 x 3,000 / 4 = 1,500
• For 6 pole motor
F sync = 2 x 3000 / 6 = 1,000
• Induction motor speed will
always be less than F sync
• The difference between F sync
and the rotor RPM is the slip
frequency
Slip Frequency Increases with Load
- Induction motor rotor always rotates slower than the
speed of the rotating
magnetic field (virtual rotor)
- Slip frequency Fs = F synchronous – F rotor, where
- F synchronous = 2 x AC Line frequency / No of poles P
-Slip frequency is minimum
when motor is running solo or
unloaded.
- Slip increases with load.
- Motor starting current and
torque are very high. Therefore
motor must start quickly.
- Serious electrical faults that
increase startup time can
damage motor by overheating.
 Failure Statistics in Electric Motors
Cause Occurrence in
% of Total
Stator Windings 70
Rotor Windings 10
Bearings 10
Others 10

• Contrary to popular belief bearing problems actually cause

only 5% to 10% of motor failures.
• The overwhelming majority of failures are related to stator
core (winding) problem, followed by rotor bars.
• Although bearing failures do not occur very often, they are
important because can lead to heavy consequential damage
 Data Acquisition and Processing - 1
• Data acquisition and processing are critical in motors
and generators because of closely spaced fault
frequencies
– Rotor speed and synchronous frequency
– Running speed and pole passing frequency sidebands
• It is usually necessary to take two sets of data
• Example from a 200 HP, 4 pole motor, operating at
1485 RPM wit 47 rotor bars and 60 stator slots.
• Frequencies
– Slip frequency = 1500 – 1485 = 15 CPM
– Rotor bar passing frequency = 47 x RPM = 67,795 CPM
– Slot passing frequency = 2 x 60 slots / 4 poles ± 1
= 31 or 29 x line frequency = 31 x 3000 = 93,000 CPM
 Data Acquisition and Processing - 2
• Frequency span
– Slot passing / rotor bar passing frequencies – F max needs
to be about 300,000 CPM with line frequency sidebands
– Air gap analysis, Fmax – 30,000 CPM
– Broken rotor bar analysis, Fmax – 10 x RPM = 15,000 CPM
with a resolution of 50 CPM
 Data Acquisition and Processing - 3
• Resolution – two sets of data would be best
– For high frequency span of 300,000 CPM and a 3,000 CPM
resolution using a Hanning window
N = 2 x Fmax x WF / Resolution
N = 2 x 300,000 x 1.5 / 3,000 = 300 lines would be required.
400 lines would be OK
– If no of poles x slip (50 CPM) resolution were to be required
using only one set of data
N = 2 x 300,000 x1.5 / 50= 18,000 lines would be required.
This is not practical
– For low frequency data – Fmax = 30,000 CPM and
Res = 50 CPM, N = 2 x 30,000 x 1.5 / 50 = 1,800 lines
1,600 or 3,200 lines can be used
 Effect of Unequal Air gap
 If rotor is in center of stator poles magnetic forces are balanced.
 If rotor is eccentric unbalanced magnetic forces will cause vibration
 The average balanced force Fa is proportional to I2 / G2

Where
I = Stator current
G = Gap
Fu= Unbalanced magnetic force

-Since Fa is proportional to I2
rotor forces will be less under
no load or solo run.
- Therefore, motors may operate
properly during solo run but
vibrate under load.
- Force is more where gap is
less. (proportional to 1/ G2 )
 Air Gap Variations
• If gap between poles are not equal, an unequal force
will be exerted on the rotor and stator
• The peak unbalanced magnetic force will occur twice
per revolution of the rotating magnetic field
• Therefore, the frequency is twice the line frequency
for all motors and generators regardless of the total
number of poles – 100 Hz for a 50 Hz supply
• There are many causes of air gap variation
– Static offset of rotor
– Distortion of the stator by soft foot
– Stator flexibility
– Eccentric bearing journals
– Excessive bearing clearance
– Bowed rotor
 Static or Stator Eccentricity
• Rotor has no run out but is positioned eccentrically
within the stator.
Possible causes
• Bearing wear or excessive
clearance
• Bearing housings misaligned
with respect to stator

Frequencies generated
• Always two times the line
frequency
• Rotor is pulled towards stator
whenever high flux passes over
tight air gap.
• Vibration disappears when
power is turned off
 Stator Eccentricity / Shorted Laminations

• Stator eccentricity generates high vibration at 2X line frequency

(2FL).
• Shorted stator laminations can cause uneven, localized heating
which can distort the stator and cause static air gap problems
Stator Eccentricity / Shorted Laminations
• Stator eccentricity produces uneven stationary air
gap between rotor and stator which produces very
directional vibration.
• Differential Air Gap should not exceed 5% for
induction motors and 10% for synchronous motors.
• Soft foot and warped bases can produce an eccentric
stator.
• Loose iron is due to stator support weakness or
looseness.
• Shorted stator laminations can cause uneven,
localized heating which can distort the stator itself.
• This produces thermally-induced vibration which can
significantly grow with operating time causing stator
distortion and static air gap problems.
 Effect of Unequal Air Gap
(4,000 HP Two Pole FW Pump Motor)

• 1x operating speed and 2x line frequency are seen.

• 2x line frequency is related to air gap variation
• Beating seen in time waveform is between 2xRPM and 2x line freq
 Effect of Unequal Air Gap
(4,000 HP Two Pole FW Pump Motor)

• Zoom shows components at 2x line frequency 2x RPM

• 2x RPM may be related to misalignment whereas the 2x line
frequency is related to air gap variations
 Rotating Eccentricity
(Rotor is centered in the stator but is not round)

Rotating eccentricity generates “Pole Passing Frequency”

Pole Passing Frequency = Number of Poles x Slip Frequency

Possible causes
- Bowed rotor
- Eccentric rotor (rotor run out)

Frequencies generated
- 1x due to unbalance
- Modulated by pole passing
frequency.
- Sidebands at PPF around 1x
- Symptom almost same as
broken rotor bar.
- The vibration disappears when
power is cut
 Rotor Eccentricity / Variable Air Gap

• Eccentric Rotors produce a rotating variable air gap between the

rotor and stator which induces pulsating vibration (normally
between 2 x line freq and closest running speed harmonic).
• Also generates 2FL surrounded by Pole Pass Frequency (PPF)
sidebands, as well as PPF sidebands around running speed
 Rotor Eccentricity
• Eccentric Rotors produce a rotating variable air gap
between the rotor and stator which induces
pulsating vibration (normally between 2FL and
closest running speed harmonic).
• Often requires "zoom" spectrum to separate 2FL and
running speed harmonic.
• Eccentric rotors generate 2FL surrounded by Pole
Pass frequency sidebands (FP), as well as FP
sidebands around running speed.
• FP appears itself at low frequency (Pole Pass
Frequency = Slip Frequency X No of Poles). Common
values of FP range from about 20 to 120 CPM
• Soft foot or misalignment often induces a variable air
gap due to distortion (actually a mechanical
problem; not electrical).
 Eccentric Rotor and Air Gap Variations

• 2000 HP. 2 Pole, Induction Motor with an eccentric rotor

• Vibration at 1x is modulated with PPF frequency sidebands
 Eccentric Rotor and Air Gap Variations

• Zoom at operating speed • Zoom shows 2x line frequency

shows 1x component with plus sidebands at PPF (2 poles
sidebands at PPF (2 poles x x slip frequency)
slip frequency)
 Motor Current V/s Time Plot
• Change in this curve with respect to a baseline is
a good indication of a change in motor’s health.

• Starting current is very

high
• Drops off as speed
increases
• Current-Time curve is a
characteristic of motor and
switch gear.
• Any change indicates
deterioration in motor or
switch gear.
 Unbalance
• Unbalance causes 1x vibration
• Motors rarely develop mass unbalance while running.
• But unbalance may result from rotor bow caused by
electrical faults – broken bars, shorted field turns etc.

• Bowed rotor produces

rotating eccentricity
• This generates Pole Passing
Frequency side bands at 1x
•1x vibration due to bow
would disappear if power is
cut off.
• 1x vibration from mechanical
unbalance will not.
 Loose Iron or Weak Stator
• Weak stator would warp, deflect or expand high under
starting current or high load currents.
• This would produce non-uniform air gap and magnetic
vibration due to non-uniform stator magnetic field.

• Magnetic vibration
would be at 2 x line
frequency

• This component would

disappear when power
is switched off.
 4,000 HP, 2 Pole, Motor with Stator Flexibility
Spectrum and Waveform

• 2x line frequency is prominent

 4,000 HP, 2 Pole, Motor with Stator Flexibility
Zoom around 120 Hz

• Zoom around 120 Hz (2x line frequency) shows significant

2x line frequency plus 2x operating speed component
Vibration / Temperature due to Motor Problems

Cause Temperature Vibration

Increase in Increase
Stator
Windings
Rotor Unbalance No Yes
Misalignment Sometimes Yes
Rotor Eccentricity Seldom Yes, if serious
Shorted Stator Turn Yes Not always
Open Rotor Bar Not always Yes
Bearing Failure Not unless rotor Yes
is seriously
eccentric in
stator
 Rotor Rubs
• Reduction in stator strength is the most common
cause.
• Stator deflection rubs often occur during start up
• High starting current deforms the stator
• Stator contacts spinning rotor.
• Stator varnish may abrade or melt.
• Smoke or burning smell is caused
• Rubs may also occur in steady state operation
when weak stator deflects towards rotor at
increased loads.
• Rubbing, of course, makes the motor noisy
• Rubbing can also crack the rotor
 Symptoms of Rotor Rubs
• Spectrum – 1x with many harmonics
•Exact fractional frequencies – 1/2, 1/3 etc. and their multiples 2/3,
3/2 etc. may appear
• Shaft orbit will show multiple loops.
• Time wave form will be truncated
• 2x may appear if stator is very loose
• Since during rub air gap is not symmetrical
• Phase currents will not be balanced
• Unbalanced phase currents will start modulating
 Symptom of Cracked Rotor Shaft
• Cracking lowers the stiffness of the rotor
• Both 1x amplitude and phase will change
• 2x amplitude and phase may also change if rotor RPM is
about half of its first balance resonance frequency

• Change in amplitude and

phase of of 1x vibration is
an early symptom of
cracked rotor.
 Broken Rotor Bars or Joints
• Broken rotor bar does not carry any current
– So there is no magnetic field around the broken bar
– This produces magnetic unbalance
– Which causes 1x vibration like mechanical unbalance
– This 1x vibration would go away when power is cut off
• Another effect of broken rotor bar is rotor bow
– Because broken bar does not carry current this results in a
cooler area on the rotor
– Rotor bows away from cooler area
– The result is mechanical unbalance with 1x vibration
– Bow also creates unequal rotating air gap
– This causes side bands at pole passing frequency
– If only one broken bar – 1x plus PPF side bands
– If multiple broken bars- side bands will be at number of broken
bars x PPF
 Symptoms of Broken Rotor Bars
– If only one broken bar – 1x plus Pole pass freq side bands
– If multiple broken bars- side bands will be at number of
broken bars x pole-pass freq ( Pfs)
– Difficult to detect broken bars when running solo
– Current carried by each bar is low
– Slip frequency is very small
– If damage is serious bar-pass frequency ( fb )may be generated with
one or two times line frequency ( fl ) side bands
 Two Pole Motor with Broken Rotor Bars

• Operating speed has side bands at 2x Slip Frequency

• This is seen in time waveform as amplitude modulation
 Broken Rotor Bars

Velocity Spectrum at Outboard of 6 Pole Motor (250 Kw, 980 RPM)

Fmax 60,000 CPM, 400 FFT Lines
 Broken Rotor Bars

• Velocity Spectrum, Outboard Motor Bearing , Motor RPM 985

• PPF sidebands around multiples of operating speed
• Fmax 6,000 CPM, 3200 lines.
 Simple Test for Broken Rotor Bars - 1
• This is a simple test for 3-phase induction motors suspected of
having broken rotor bars
• Test can be done without opening the connections. Can be done
from the motor started or breaker.
• Test consists of applying a current to the motor leads ad
recording the current as the motor is slowly turned by hand
 Simple Test for Broken Rotor Bars - 2
• Connect a variable voltage transformer and a recording ammeter
in series with any two of the motor leads and AC power
• Adjust the transformer to get a current flow of 2 to 4 amperes.
• Slowly turn the motor by hand for at least one complete
revolution
• If there are no broken bars, the current will remain constant
• If one or more bars are open, the current will increase
temporarily
 Pole Passing Sidebands mean trouble

• Pole passing freq sidebands occur around

operating speed harmonics
• They always indicate electrical problem.
• Problem may be with stator or rotor
• Rotor problem may be related to rotor bars.
• Stator related sideband problems may due to
shorted windings.
• Vibration response may be very directional .
• May pick up in one axis but not in another.
 Case Study
Rotor Bar Problem that looked like looseness

1. This is case where the normal route

spectrum had all the symptoms of
looseness
• Gradual increase in vibration
• Increasing harmonics
• High 2x and 3x components.
2. Heavy beat vibration indicated
potential electrical problem
3. A high resolution spectrum showed
sidebands at “pole passing”
frequency.
4. The main lesson is not to diagnose
motors without looking at high
resolution spectra that show
sidebands.
1. Routine spectra taken with data collector over the period Mar – Aug
showed that 2x and 3x harmonics were getting dominant.
2. It is easy to diagnose this as looseness getting worse with time.
3. Looking only at these spectra it is not possible to see amplitude
modulation that was causing beating and noise. The resolution is not
high enough to show side bands at the low modulation frequency.
1. Time waveform shows the modulation at 90 CPM clearly.
2. This gives us some guideline about the frequency resolution
required to capture the modulating frequency.
3. The next spectrum was made with a full scale of 6,000 CPM and 1600
lines to give a resolution of 3.75 CPM.
1. High resolution spectrum (FS – 6000 CPM, 1600 lines) shows the
presence of sidebands that were not seen in the route spectrum.
2. Side bands are spaced at the “Pole Passing Frequency” of the motor –
4 poles x 22.5 RPM slip frequency = 90 CPM.
3. Inspection of the rotor showed that 8 out of 60 rotor bars had broken
loose from one of the shorting rings.
Shorted Rotor Iron

• Rotor iron made of insulated steel

laminations to prevent eddy current
• If insulation gets damaged
laminations get shorted
• Shorting causes eddy currents
and local overheating
• Overheating causes rotor bowing
• Maximum overheating occurs at
starting when current is high
• Vibration may decrease when
motor reaches load and stabilizes
• 1x vibration decays with time.
 Misalignment and Soft Foot
• These mechanical problems can produce
secondary electrical problems
– Misalignment preload changes shaft centerline position
in bearings and produces uneven air gap
– Misalignment plus weak casing can twist the casing and
cause stator deflection
– Bad foundation and soft foot can also twist the casing
and produce static uneven air gap
• Since all these produce static uneven air gap
– High 2x Line Frequency (2 fl) component will be
produced
– This will be modulated by smaller 2x rotational
frequency component
Motor spectrum BEFORE tapered Motor spectrum AFTER tapered
foot was loosened foot was loosened

• Tightening motor tapered foot • When the motor foot was

causes frame distortion and unequal loosened the 2x line frequency
air gap disappeared on the motor and
pump.
• This causes vibration at 2x lines
frequency
Pump spectrum BEFORE tapered Pump spectrum AFTER tapered
foot was loosened foot was loosened
 Magnetic Center
• Magnetic center is where the rotor and stator
magnetic fields are in balance
– Forces holding rotor in magnetic center are small
– Rotor can easily be pulled away from magnetic center
– This displacement of rotor would produce axial force
• Forces that can pull rotor from magnetic center
– Preload from axial misalignment and coupling lock up
– Coupling spacer float inadequate or wrongly adjusted
– Bearings axially offset – pedestals wrongly placed
– Motor not level – rotor weight pulling rotor downhill
– Axial forces of cooling fan overcoming magnetic forces
• Vibration characteristics
– High axial 1x running speed vibration
– Coupling spacer problem can generate 3x
 High Axial Load
• Problem mainly in motors with sleeve bearings
• Rotor is axially centered in the stator magnetic
field so that all magnetic forces are balanced
• Wrong coupling installation can impose axial
forces shifting rotor away from magnetic center
• This unbalances the magnetic forces producing
electrical vibrations
– Power cut off will make this vibration to disappear
– Motor will run smoothly when decoupled
• Symptoms
– Sudden shift in shaft axial position on starting
– High axial vibration relative to radial
– Thrust bearing damage
– High axial load on coupling – coupling damage
 Motor Held Off Magnetic Center - Axial

• Axial vibration from a 4 pole, 1500 RPM Induction Motor whose

rotor was held off magnetic center by improper location of its
bearings (Rolling Element)
• Random energy off baseline plus harmonics of running speed
 Motor Held Off Magnetic Center - Horizontal

• Horizontal vibration from a 4 pole, 1500 RPM Induction Motor whose

rotor was held off magnetic center by improper location of its bearings
(Rolling Element)
• Random energy off baseline plus harmonics of running speed
Malfunctions – Analysis and Response
All Electrical Problems show up better
under load
• Electrical problems not likely to show up unless
motor is under at least 50% load.
• Slip increases with load
• Motor speed decreases with load.
• Pole Passing Frequency increases with load.
Sidebands become easier to identify
• Testing motor at no load may show presence of
electrical problems but would not provide enough
data to identify cause.
Know Operating and Synchronous Speeds
• Always determine the operating speed of the
motor (1x) with respect to its synchronous
frequency (f sync)
– fsync = 2x line frequency fl / number of poles P
– The difference (fsync–1x) is the slip frequency (fs)
• Never assume the mains frequency as exactly 50
Hz or 3000 CPM. Mains frequency can vary by
0.5% - from 2985 to 3015 CPM.
• Motor RPM may also, therefore, be different from
name plate value
– For analysis always measure speed with tachometer
– If not practical measure RPM take a low frequency (12
KCPM) spectrum at high resolution (3200 lines). The
frequency of the 1x peak is the running speed.
 Analysis by Frequency
• 1x running speed (fn)
– Mechanical unbalance – steady amplitude and phase
– Electrical (magnetic) unbalance – steady amplitude and
phase, disappears when power is switched off
• 1x peak and 2x f line with pole-pass side bands
– Rotating eccentricity - bowed rotor
• 1x peak with pole-pass sidebands
– Rotor problems – Eccentric rotor iron, broken bars and
shorting ring, shorted lamination
• 2x Line frequency modulated by 2x fn vibration
– Stator faults – Eccentricity, distortion, loose iron, static
uneven air gap, shorted lamination
– Soft foot
• 2x Line frequency with 1/3 x f line sidebands
– Unbalanced phase current (due to poor connectors)
 References
• Vibrations – June 2004
• Understand AC Induction Motor Vibrations –
Hydrocarbon Processing, March 2002, PP 71-78
• Electric Motor Vibrations – Vibration Institute
Proceedings, June 2005