FPGA real-time implementation of welch transform for diagnosis of broken rotor bars in induction motors

Detecting Broken Rotor Bars (BBFs) in induction motors is critical for ensuring their reliable operation. While conventional methods, such as Fast Fourier Transform analysis of stator current spectra, have been widely used for BBF detection, they suffer from limitations like spectral leakage and low-frequency resolution. The Welch Transform is known for effectively reducing spectral leakage and noise when analyzing finite data. This paper presented an innovative FPGA-based architecture for real-time implementation of Welch transform for BBFs in induction motor diagnostics accompanied by a novel right-band-based detection technique, and the architectures are explained in detail. We conducted experiments to verify the effectiveness of the proposed architectures, including applying BBF faults under varying loads and severity levels. The results demonstrated the efficiency of our proposed architectures, as it was found that resource consumption rates were meagre, and error indicators were obvious. The results were displayed in real-time through a user-friendly graphical interface, demonstrating the practical effectiveness of the FPGA-based solution.