A Critical Comparison Between DWT and Hilbert-Huang-Based Methods for the Diagnosis of Rotor Bar Failures in Induction Machines

In this paper, a cutting-edge time-frequency decomposition tool, i.e., the Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT), is applied to the stator startup current to diagnose the presence of rotor asymmetries in induction machines. The objective is to extract the evolution during the startup transient of the left sideband harmonic (LSH) caused by the asymmetry, which constitutes a reliable evidence of the presence of the fault. The validity of the diagnosis methodology is assessed through several tests developed using real experimental signals. Moreover, in this paper, an analytical comparison with an alternative time-frequency decomposition tool, i.e., the discrete wavelet transform (DWT), is carried out. This tool was applied in previous works to the transient extraction of fault-related components, with satisfactory results, even in cases in which the classical Fourier approach does not lead to correct results. The results of the application of the HHT and DWT are analyzed and compared, obtaining novel conclusions about their respective suitability for the transient extraction of asymmetry-related components, as well as the equivalence, with regard to the LSH extraction, between their basic components, namely: 1) intrinsic mode function, for the HHT, and 2) approximation signal for the DWT.