Detection of Contamination and Failure in the Outer Race on Ceramic, Metallic, and Hybrid Bearings through AI Using Magnetic Flux and Current

Abstract

Bearings are one of the most essential elements in an induction motor, and they are built with different materials and constructions according to their application. These components are usually one of the most failure-prone parts of an electric motor, so correct and accurate measurements, instrumentation, and processing methods are required to prevent and detect the presence of different failures. This work develops a methodology based on the fusion of current and magnetic stray flux signals, calculation of statistical and non-statistical indicators, genetic algorithms (GAs), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), and neural networks. The proposed approach achieves a diagnostic effectiveness of 99.8% for detecting various damages in the outer race at 50 Hz frequency and 96.6% at 60 Hz. It also demonstrates 99.8% effectiveness for detecting damages in the presence of contaminants in lubrication at 50 Hz and 97% at 60 Hz. These results apply across metallic, ceramic, and hybrid bearings.