Mechanical Fault Detection on Electrical Machine: Thermal Analysis of Small Brushed DC Motor with Faulty Bearing

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Pahang, 26600, Malaysia.

^* Corresponding author: mahizami@ump.edu.my

Abstract

Direct current motors (DC motor) are used in the small electric devices commonly. DC motor are cheap and easy to install, thus their popularity. Despite the popularity, faults occur which make diagnosis and detection of faults very important. It avoids financial loss and unexpected shutdown operation causes by these faults. This paper presents an analysis of temperature profile of the much famous small Brushed DC motor with a faulty bearing. The temperature data of healthy DC motor and DC motor with faulty bearing were measured by thermocouple and recorded using data logger in real time until steady state temperature, under different load. The analysis on the steady state temperature allow to conclude that bearing fault can clearly be recognised through characteristics temperature difference with a healthy motor.