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Condition Monitoring of Centrifugal Pumps Using Motor Current Signature

Analysis (MCSA)

Conference Paper · October 2007

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Condition Monitoring of Centrifugal Pumps
Using Motor Current Signature Analysis (MCSA)
Salem. A. Al-Hashmi, Mohamed R. El-Hessnawi, A. Ball
Department of Electronic and electrical engineering
Faculty of Engineering & Technology
Sabha University
salemalhashmi2@hotmail.com
ABSTRACT
Cavitation in a centrifugal pump causes deterioration of the
hydraulic performance, damage to the pump components and
produces high vibration and noise. To prevent cavitation and
maintain pump performance, it is necessary to monitor the
cavitation as accurately as possible. This paper presents non-
destructive approach for detection of cavitation in centrifugal
pumps using Motor Current Signature Analysis MCSA. Current
signals are measured using hall-effect sensor and are analyzed
in both time and frequency domains. It has been found that the
RMS values and the sidebands frequencies of the motor current
can be a good indicators for the detection and quantification of
the cavitation.
INTRODUCTION
The Motor Current Signature Analysis (MCSA) is a versatile
technology, invented in 1985. Since then, MCSA has become a
successful and powerful tool. The method can be applied to a
wide variety of military, industrial and consumer machines [1
2 3 4 5].
The MCSA method is based on the analysis of the current
drawn by the motor in time and frequency domains, assuming
the motor current signal is a perfect sinusoidal wave at the
supply frequency (50 or 60 Hz). The amplitude of the peak in
the frequency domain is equal to the RMS amplitude of the sine
wave. This is a theoretical situation with no harmonics only one
peak, which indicates the supply frequency, can be seen within
a current spectrum. [3]. In actual operation however, other
operation parameters such as shaft frequency, vane- passing
frequency, cooling fan passing frequency and stator slots
passing frequency will appear in the current spectrum. These
frequencies appear as small peaks in the motor current signal,
1 Copyright © 2007 by ASME
MEMEC-07-394
beside the fundamental supply frequency. Thus, an actual phase
current spectrum will show many peaks including line
frequency and its harmonics. Depending on the type of driven
load, a change in motor load will affect some of these
frequencies. Therefore, analysis of these changes in motor
current, after necessary signal conditioning, will provide useful
information about the condition of the motor and hence the
condition of the driven machine [3].
In many cases, the results of the MCSA method are comparable
with those provided by vibration monitoring systems [3, 1]. The
usage of MCSA provides valuable information about the
monitored machine. Furthermore, the method’s exclusive
advantage by using the electric supply of the machine rather
than the monitored machine, it does this by using an electric
motor as a transducer. In some applications where the faults are
not easy to detect by conventional methods, MCSA method can
be used in combination with vibration or acoustics methods as
an integrated monitoring strategy [7]. The rest of the paper is
organized in five sections. Section 2 reviews the MCSA
application. Section 3 presents the time-based analysis of the
current signals. Section 4 details the frequency-based analysis.
Finally, section 5 presents the conclusion of this work.
MCSA APPLICATIONS REVIEW
Many studies have used MCSA method for condition
monitoring of rotating machines. Some of these studies
compare the use of the MCSA method with the vibration based
method [7, 6]. It is important to note that most of these studies
focused on the application of MCSA for monitoring induction
motor faults [3, 7, 8]. Studies include analysis of gear vibration
and other rotating machines using motor current signature
analysis are presented in [7, 1, 9]. An experimental work has
been conducted to detect cavitation in a centrifugal pump [10].
The work used the motor current spectra jointly with fuzzy
logic approach. It was found that the noise around the
fundamental supply frequency could be used as an indication of
cavitation in a centrifugal pump. MATHEMATICAL EXPLANATION OF THE MCSA

Most of mentioned studies used spectrum-based analysis for
detection and diagnosis of faults. The notable features in these
studies were the trend in the sidebands around the fundamental
supply frequency. Sideband frequencies were used because the
majority of failures manifest themselves in the appearance of
sidebands around the supply or speed frequency [6, 5 ].
As mentioned above the MCSA analyses the sideband
frequencies around the fundamental supply frequency. To
understand the relation between changes in load current and
sidebands, let us assume a healthy motor supplied from a
balanced three-phase sinusoidal source and driving a constant
load, the stator voltage and current of this motor can be written
as:

CAVITATION SIMULATION VAB (t ) = 2VLL cos(ωt ) (1)

Cavitation occurs more easily at higher flow rates (Q > Q rated)
due to increased velocity of flow and pressure drop. As can be π
shown in figure (1) the pump, which used in this study, is iA, 0 (t ) = 2 I L cos(ωt − ϕ − ) (2)
designed to deliver 100 – 300 L/min against a head equal to 55 6
– 38 meter.
Where:
pump Flow-Head curve

60
VAB (t ) Line to line voltage between phase A and B (V)
50
40
i A, 0 (t ) Line current of the phase A (A)
Head meter

30
20
10 VLL rms value of the line-to-line voltage (V)
0
0 0.001 0.002 0.003 0.004 0.005 0.006
Flow rate (Q) cubic m /sec IL rms value of the line-to line current (A)
Figure 1: pump head flow curve ω Supply angular frequency (rad/s)

ϕ Load angle (rad)

In this work cavitation is introduced to the pump by increasing
the flow rate beyond the rated flow. Increasing the flow rate
beyond the rated flow-rate causes reduction in the Net Positive π
Section Head Available (NPSHA) and increasing in the Net PAB , 0 (t ) = 2VLL cos(ωt ) × 2 I L cos(ωt − ϕ − ) (3)
Positive Section Head Required (NPSHR). When the NPSHR is 6
greater than NPSHA the cavitation develops. Figure (2) shows
that NPSHR > NPSHA at the flow-rate equal or higher than π
350 L/min (.0058 cubic meter/sec) which means the pump PAB ,0 (t ) = 2VLL I L cos(ωt ) × cos(ωt − ϕ − ) (4)
operates under cavitation. 6

2 cos A cos B = cos( A + B ) + cos( A − B ) (5)

π π
PAB , 0 (t ) = V LL I L [cos(ωt + (ωt − ϕ − ) + cos(ωt − (ωt − ϕ − )] (6)
6 6

π π
PAB ,0 (t ) = VLL I L [cos(2ωt − ϕ − ) + cos(ϕ + )] (7)
6 6
The equations 1 - 7 represent a healthy motor; the total
instantaneous input power is constant and equal to the average
real power supplied to the motor.

When a fault, such as bearing defect, rotor cage fault,

mechanical vibration or fault in the driven load; the current,
Figure 2: Relation between the NPSHR and NBSHA torque and speed of the motor are affected in a periodic
manner. Denoting by f 0 to the fundamental frequency of the

2 Copyright © 2007 by ASME

fault-induced oscillations, all line currents i A , iB and iC are increases, the load current increases which leads to an increase
in motor current [12, 13, 14 1].
simultaneously modulated with that frequency. Accordingly,
the current in phase A of the supply line can now be expressed
The motor phase current at different flow rates(RMS value)
as, 4.5
Phase A
No cavitation Predicted cavitation
4.4

i A (t ) = i A, 0 (t )[1 + m cos(ω 0 t )] (8) 4.3

4.2

Where m is the modulation index, whose value depends on the

P h ase cu rren t(A )

4.1

severity of the abnormality and ω0 = 2πf 0 4

3.9

Substituting 2 in 8, yields 3.8

π π
3.7

iA(t) = iA,0 (t) + 2ILm[cos(ωt −ϕ − ) + (ω0t) + cos(ωt −ϕ − ) − (ω0t)] (9) 3.6

6 6
3.5
100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

I m π π Flow rate (l/min)

i A (t ) = i A, 0 (t ) + L (cos(ω + ω0 )t − ϕ − ) + cos(ω − ω0 )t − ϕ − )] (10)

2 6 6
Figure 3: Phase current against flow rate
Putting ω0 equal to 2πf 0 and ω equal to 2πf in equation
10, this equation indicates that in the spectrum of the stator At a flow, rate greater than 350 l/min., however, the phase
current, apart from the fundamental f1 equal the supply current decreases as the flow rate increases. The main reason
for this reduction in phase current is the development of
frequency f , there appears two sideband components cavitation. If the induction motor speed-torque characteristic is
at f1 ± f 0 . considered, the only fault in the pumping system that may
cause a reduction in the load current with an increase in flow
rate is cavitation. In this way, the phase current RMS value can
TIME BASED ANALYSIS OF THE CURRENT SIGNAL be used as a reliable method for detecting and diagnosing
Raw Data Analysis cavitation in a centrifugal pump.

Most of studies that have implemented the MCSA analysis
method for condition monitoring have used spectrum analysis
[5, 11]. The main reason of using spectrum analysis of current
signal is the clear relation between each frequency and the
machine operating parameters of the monitored machine. In
addition to frequency analysis, the author found that the
analysis of the current in time domain using the RMS value of
the phase current could be a useful way to trace any changes in
the pump condition, particularly the presence of cavitation.
This is possible because of the way of change in hydraulic load
on the motor during the cavitation process.
RMS Value Analysis
Furthermore, the results presented in figure 3 agree with the
pump cavitation characteristics presented in [15] and vibration
and acoustics results presented in [16]. These results indicate
that the level of vibration and acoustics are nearly equal at a
flow rate equal or less than 350 l/min. Both vibration and
acoustics levels suddenly increased at flow rate exceeding 350
l/min. Based on these results, the author concludes that the use
of MCSA method jointly with vibration or acoustics methods is
a good strategy for cavitation detection and diagnosis in
centrifugal pump.
FREQUENCY BASED ANALYSIS OF THE CURRENT
SIGNAL

Since the current data is deterministic stationary type, the
changes in the phase current with respect to the flow rate can be
clearly represented using the RMS value of the phase current.
Figure 3 shows the RMS value of the phase current at different
flow rates. From the figure, it can be seen that at flow rates
between 200 – 350 l/min, the phase current increases as the
flow rate increases. This range represents the normal operating
range of the tested pump. At this range, the NPSHA is greater
than the NPSHR, hence the pump operates without cavitation.
In this range, the curve in figure 3 obeys induction motor
operation characteristics i.e. as the load on the motor (flow rate)
Baseline Frequency Analysis
The pump cavitation characteristic detailed in [15] found that
pump cavitation starts at a flow equal or greater than 350 l/min.
Therefore, the phase current spectrum of flow rate equal to or
less than 345 l/min can be used as a baseline spectrum. In this
study, the phase current spectrum of the flow rate equal to 250
l/min was chosen as the baseline spectrum. The establishment
of baseline spectrum of a healthy machine is the first step in
most monitoring systems.

3 Copyright © 2007 by ASME

 The motor phase current at flow rate: 250 l/min (0 - 250 Hz) Figure 5 presents the second part of the baseline spectrum (250-
50

Sf 600 Hz). Similar to the lower part of the spectrum (0-250 Hz),
50 Hz
0
the most dominant frequencies are the harmonics of the supply
frequency. In addition to the mentioned frequencies, many
-50 3Sf
distinctive frequencies are difficult to relate to the specific
Rf 53 Hz
source because they are not the integral multiple of shaft
Power spectrum (dB)

47.5 Hz

-100 23 Hz 2xSf
frequency or supply frequency. Table 1 summarise the most
44 Hz
76 Hz
2xRf 147 Hz
4Sf
VPF important current baseline frequencies and their sources.
56 Hz 223 Hz
87 Hz 104 Hz 3xRf
-150
123 Hz

-200
No Frequency (Hz) Source
1 50 Current supply
-250
2 Multiple of 50 Current supply
3 47.5 Shaft frequency
-300
0 50 100 150 200 250
4 95.5 2nd harmonic of shaft frequency
Frequency (Hz) 5 338 7th harmonic of shaft speed
6 241 5th harmonic of shaft frequency

figure 4: Current baseline spectrum (0-250Hz) 7 580 Cooling fan passing frequency
8 47.5 and 53 Sideband around supply frequency
9 44 and 56 Sideband around supply frequency
To gain a clear idea about the content of the current spectrum, it
is divided into two parts (figures 4 and 5) - first part includes Table 1: Summary of the baseline spectrum frequencies
frequencies between (0-250 Hz) and second part includes
frequencies between (250-600 Hz). The bandwidth of the Fundamental Current Supply Frequency Analysis
spectrum was chosen based on the maximum frequency of the
current signal. The maximum frequency in the current spectrum As explained above, the current spectrum provides the
will be the fan cooling frequency (580 Hz) and hence, the information about pump operation such as supply, shaft
analysis of a spectrum bandwidth of 600 Hz was selected. rotation, vane-passing frequencies and others. The dominant
frequency is the supply frequency and its harmonics, so much
As shown in figure 4 the low frequency part of the spectrum so, that all the other frequencies appear negligible in
(0-250 Hz) includes many frequencies. Most of these comparison, however, it is important to remember that these
frequencies are related to the pump and motor operation. In smaller frequencies are indispensable when attempting to
general, the spectrum is dominated by supply and shaft correlate cavitation to the current data.
frequencies and their harmonics. The operation of the
centrifugal pump includes finite number of impeller vanes; The spectrum analysis performed was based on the pump
therefore, the healthy spectrum also includes several distinctive cavitation characteristics detailed in [15]. Therefore, the entire
sidebands frequency around the fundamental supply frequency. current spectrum at a flow around 345 l/min was considered as
a healthy spectrum and the current spectrum of the flow rate
The motor phase current at flow rate: 250 l/min (250 - 600 Hz) equal or more than 350 l/min was considered as a faulty
0 spectrum or indicative of pump cavitation. The analysis mostly
was focused on the current fundamental frequency (50 Hz) and
-50 7xSf its sideband frequencies.
-100
6xSf 341 hz
11Sf Figures 6 and 7 show the phase current spectra (0-100Hz) of
9xSf
Power spectrum (dB)

322 Hz 8xSF 10Sf 523 Hz four healthy (without cavitation) current signals at flow rates
-150
277 Hz 423 Hz
fan passing
frequency
200, 250, 300 and 350 l/min. Here, it can be seen that all the
spectrums have nearly the same features. The important
-200
features are the sidebands around the fundamental frequency
and all the three spectra are nearly identical. In these figures,
-250
there are two distinctive sidebands (indicated by an arrow and
-300
circle). There is small change in the frequency of the first
sideband (46.7- 47.3 Hz and 52.8-53.3 Hz) with respect of
-350
change in the pump flow rate. As the flow rate increases the
250 300 350 400 450
Frequency (Hz)
500 550 600 frequency of the first sideband (indicated by arrow) decreases.
The space between the fundamental frequency and the first
sideband is around 3.2 Hz, which nearly equals to two times the
Figure 5: Current baseline spectrum (250 - 600 Hz) slip-poles frequency (SPF).

4 Copyright © 2007 by ASME

 The motor phase current at flow rate: 250 l/min (0 - 250 Hz) The power spectra of phase current (0 - 250 Hz)
50 50
Q=200 l/min Q=200 l/min
Sf Q=250 l/min Sf
50 Hz Q=250 l/min
Q=300 l/min 50 Hz Q=300 l/min
0 0
Q=350 l/min Q=350 l/min
Q=400 l/min

-50 -50

Power spectrum (dB)

Power spectrum (dB)

20 25 Hz 20 - 25 Hz
-100 46.7 - 47.3 Hz 52.8 - 53.3 Hz -100 46.7 47.3 Hz 52.8 - 53.3 Hz
75 - 80 Hz
75 - 80 Hz

-150 -150

-200 -200

-250
-250

-300
-300 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Frequency (Hz)
Frequency (Hz)

Figure 8: Phase current spectra (with and without cavitation)

Figure 6: Phase current spectra (no cavitation)

The change in the second sideband (circled) also has the same
way of the first sideband, however, is more distinctive (20-25 100
The motor phase current (0 - 100 Hz)
Hz and 75-80 Hz). As can be seen in the figure, the sideband 0
Q=200 l/min)
25 Hz
frequency increases as the flow rate increases. Based on the -100
75 Hz

trend of both sidebands, both sidebands can be used to monitor -200

the condition of the pump. -300
Power spectrum (dB) 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
100
Q=300 l/min)
0
21 Hz 79 Hz
-100

The motor phase current (0 - 100 Hz) -200

100
Q=200 l/min) -300
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
0
25 Hz 75 Hz 100
-100 Q=400 l/min)
0 23 Hz
-200 77 Hz
-100
-300
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 -200
Power spectrum (dB)

100 -300
Q=300 l/min) 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
0 21 Hz Frequency (Hz)
79 Hz
-100
-200
-300 Figure 9: Fundamental supply frequency (at different flow rates)
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
100
Q=350 l/min)
0 20 Hz As seen in these figures, at the flow rate up to 300 l/min as the
80 Hz
-100 flow increases the space between the fundamental supply
-200 frequency and the both sidebands increases. At the flow rate
-300
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
equal to 400 l/min, however, the space between the
Frequency (Hz) fundamental frequency and the second sideband decreases
relatively.
Figure 7: Fundamental supply frequency (no cavitation) Since the only parameter which changes in the pumping system
is the flow rate, which causes the change in the load current and
hence the shaft speed, therefore, the trend of all the sidebands is
related to the motor load and its shaft speed. As shown in
Figures 8 and 9 present the power spectra of the motor phase figures 8 & 9, all the changes in the sidebands at flow rate up to
current at different flow rates. These flow rates include both the 345 l/min has the same trend (i.e. decrease as flow rate
flows where the pump operates with and without cavitation. increases), while the trend of the sidebands at flow rate up o
These spectra have same features of the previous spectra. These 400 l/min has opposite characteristic (increases as flow rate
features are the fundamental supply frequency and two increases). The relation between the different flow rates and the
sideband frequencies. Both sideband frequencies change as the 1st sideband and 2nd sideband is presented in tables 2 and 3.
flow rate changes.

5 Copyright © 2007 by ASME

 Based on the above result, it is clear that these sidebands The relation between the flow and the 1st sideband
4
reflect the condition of the tested pump. Cavitation is by far the No cavitation Predected cavitation

most likely reason of instabilities in the centrifugal pump 3.8

speed; therefore, these sidebands can be used as indicators of 3.6

cavitation. Based on the relation between the flow rate and 3.4

sidebands, an interesting feature was found which can be used

S pace (H z)
as indication of cavitation in the centrifugal pump. At a flow 3.2

rate equal to or less than 350 l/min, the space between the 3

sideband (spaced ± 27 Hz) from the fundamental frequency 2.8

increased as flow rate increased, whereas, at a flow rate

2.6
exceeding 350 l/min this space decreased as the flow rate
increased. The relationship between the flow rate and the 2.4

sidebands is summarized in tables 2 and 3. The relationship 2.2

100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

between the pump flow rate and the sidebands space is Flow rate (l/min)

presented in figures 10 and 11.

Figure 10: The relation between the flow rate and 1st sideband

No Flow-rate Lower Sf Upper Space

(l/min) (Hz) (Hz)
1 200 25 50 75 25 The main reason of these changes in sidebands is the instability
2 250 23 50 77 27 of the hydraulic load particularly during cavitation process.
3 300 21 50 79 29
4 350 20 50 80 30 These analyses confirm the results obtained from the time-
5 400 23 50 77 27 based analysis in this paper presented in section 2. Furthermore
Table 2: The relation between the flow rate and the 1st sideband confirm all results obtained from the vibration, acoustics and

No Flow-rate Lower Sf Upper Space speed methods presented in [15 16].

(l/min) (Hz) (Hz)
1 200 47.2 50 52.85 2.8
The relation between the flow and the 2nd sideband
2 250 47 50 53 3 40

No cavitation
3 300 46.8 50 53.2 3.2 38
Predected cavitation

4 350 46.7 50 53.3 3.3 36

5 400 47 50 53 3
34

Table 3:The relation between the flow rate and the 2nd sideband 32
S pace (Hz)

30

Figure 10 shows the relation between the different flow rates 28

and the 1st sideband. As shown in the figure, at flow rate less 26
than 350 l/min, the space between the fundamental supply
frequency and 1st sideband increases as a flow rate increase. At 24

a flow rate exceeding 350 l/min, however, the space between 22

the fundamental frequency and 1st sideband decreases as the 20

100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500
flow rate increases. Flow rate (l/min)

Figure 11 illustrates the relation between the different flow

rates and the 2nd sideband. The same as the 1st sideband, the
figure indicates that at flow rate less than 350 l/min, the space
between the fundamental supply frequency and 1st sideband
increases as a flow rate increase. These above relations reflect
exactly the speed/torque characteristic of the induction motor -
as the load on the induction motor increases the load current
increases and the speed decreases.
Figure 11: The relation between the flow rate and 2nd sideband
CONCULOSION
Since the MCSA method does not require any access to the
monitored machine, it can be concluded that MCSA method is
the unique choice in some applications where it is impossible to
place a sensor on the tested machine. In analysing the phase
current of the pump motor in time-domain, it shows that the
RMS value of the phase current correlates to the pump flow-
rate. On this basis, it can deduced that RMS value of the motor
phase current provide a reliable method for identifying
cavitation inception and to assess its severity in time-domain.

6 Copyright © 2007 by ASME

Analysing the phase current in frequency domain, it is found
that the current spectrum includes most of the frequencies
related to the pump operation parameters. The most important
features of the current spectrum are the sideband frequencies
around the supply frequency. Analysing these sideband
frequencies jointly with different pump flow-rates provides
valuable information about cavitation in the centrifugal pump.
[13] Say, M.G., Alternating current machines. fourth edition
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[14] YAMAYEE, Z.A., J. L., and B. JR, Electromechanical
energy devices and power system. 1994: WILEY.
[15] Al-Hashmi, S.A, Detection and Diagnosis of Cavitation in
Centrifugal pumps, in Mechanical Engineering, 2005, The
University of Manchester, Manchester.

[16] Al-Hashmi, S.A., et al. a comparison of the cavitation

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7 Copyright © 2007 by ASME

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