EMF signature analysis in a marine-type brushless synchronous generator for online fault detection

Abstract

The objective of the paper is to investigate the application of the current signature analysis type approach for the online diagnosis of a marine-type brushless synchronous generator (BSG). The system diagnostic would be done using an automated test procedure when the generator comes online or offline. The analysis of the measured electromotive force waveform (EMF) is used for fault detection. The paper’s main contribution is the development of a fault detection algorithm that would allow the generator to be safely operated in remote marine-type conditions where low maintenance costs are a crucial aspect of the system operation. To verify the diagnostic algorithm, a special measurement system was developed to emulate generator faults.