Modeling Electrical Motor Faults with FEM Simulation using ANSYS MAXWELL

About Course

Electrical machines rarely fail without warning—faults develop gradually and impact performance, reliability, and safety. In this course, you’ll learn how to model and analyze common motor faults using finite element method (FEM) simulation tools such as ANSYS Maxwell and EMWorks EMAG. Step by step, we will cover how to set up fault conditions, interpret results, and link simulations to real-world behavior.

You will explore:

Single phasing and phase imbalance
Short-circuit faults (winding and line-to-line)
Voltage unbalance and distortion
Rotor-related faults such as broken bars and eccentricity
How these faults affect torque, losses, efficiency, and thermal behavior

By the end of this course, you will be able to create accurate simulation models of faulty motors, compare them with healthy operation, and gain valuable insights for condition monitoring, diagnostics, and fault-tolerant design.

Understanding the most common electrical motor fault types and their physical causes.
Setting up FEM models to simulate healthy and faulty motor conditions.
Modeling supply-related faults such as single phasing, short circuits, and voltage imbalance.
Simulating rotor faults including broken bars and eccentricity in 2D and 3D.
Analyzing permanent magnet demagnetization and its effect on motor performance.
Representing inter-turn short-circuit faults in stator windings.
Evaluating fault impact on torque, efficiency, losses, and thermal behavior.
Identifying diagnostic signatures such as current harmonics and flux distortions.
Comparing simulation results of different fault types with healthy operation.
Gaining insight into fault detection, monitoring, and fault-tolerant motor design.

Course Content

Modeling Demagnetization Faults in Permanent Magnet Motors
Permanent magnet motors are highly efficient, but they are also vulnerable to demagnetization—partial loss of magnet strength due to excessive current, high temperature, or external disturbances. In this section, you will learn how to model demagnetization faults using FEM simulation. We will explore how to represent weakened magnets in the rotor, analyze the resulting impact on back-EMF, torque, efficiency, and cogging behavior, and compare faulty operation with the healthy motor. Practical case studies will demonstrate how simulation can predict performance degradation, guide fault detection, and support robust motor design against demagnetization risks.

Part 1
02:42
Part 2
03:38
Part 3
02:01

Modeling Supply Faults in Electrical Motors: Disconnection, Short-Circuit, and Imbalance
Supply-related faults are among the most common and critical issues in electrical motors, often leading to overheating, torque pulsations, or complete shutdown. In this section, you will learn how to model and simulate different supply faults using FEM analysis, including: Single-phase disconnection (single phasing) Two-phase short circuit Voltage unbalance and asymmetrical supply conditions We will investigate how each fault alters current distribution, torque, efficiency, and thermal stress in the motor. By comparing simulations of healthy and faulty cases, you will gain practical insights into motor response under supply disturbances and how such faults can be detected and mitigated in real-world applications

Modeling Broken Rotor Bar Faults in 2D and 3D Motor Simulations
Induction motors are highly reliable, but rotor faults such as broken bars are a major cause of efficiency loss, vibration, and unexpected shutdowns. In this section, you will learn how to model broken rotor bar faults using both 2D and 3D FEM simulations. We will cover how to represent a broken bar in the rotor geometry, set up simulations for steady-state and transient analysis, and compare the accuracy and computational requirements of 2D versus 3D approaches. Key outcomes include understanding how broken bars affect air-gap flux, current harmonics, torque ripple, and motor performance. Through practical examples, you will see how simulations can support fault detection methods like current signature analysis and help improve the robustness of induction motor design.

Modeling Eccentricity Faults in Electrical Motors
Eccentricity occurs when the rotor is not perfectly centered within the stator, leading to uneven air-gap distribution. This fault can appear as static eccentricity (fixed misalignment), dynamic eccentricity (rotor orbiting inside the stator), or a combination of both. In this section, you will learn how to model different types of eccentricity faults using FEM simulation. We will explore how eccentricity affects air-gap flux density, induces unbalanced magnetic pull (UMP), and creates torque ripple and vibration issues. By comparing simulations of healthy and faulty motors, you will gain insights into performance degradation, diagnostic signatures (such as sideband harmonics in current), and design practices to reduce eccentricity sensitivity.

Modeling Inter-Turn Short Circuit Faults in Electrical Motors
Inter-turn short circuits occur when insulation between turns of a winding fails, creating unintended current loops inside the stator or rotor windings. Even a small shorted section can cause severe local heating, magnetic field distortion, and accelerated insulation breakdown, often leading to catastrophic failure if not detected early. In this section, you will learn how to model inter-turn short-circuit faults using FEM simulation. We will examine how to represent shorted turns in the winding configuration, simulate the resulting unbalanced currents and flux distribution, and evaluate the impact on torque, efficiency, and temperature rise. You will also see how characteristic fault signatures—such as harmonic distortion in current and voltage waveforms—can be captured in simulation and linked to real-world diagnostic methods.

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Modeling Electrical Motor Faults with FEM Simulation using ANSYS MAXWELL

About Course

What Will You Learn?

Course Content

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

General simulation

One phase disconnected

Phase to Phase Short Circuit

Unbalanced input voltage

Part 1 Modeling Broken Bar in 3D simulation

Part 2 Editing Simulation in 3D simulation

Part 3 Modeling Broken Bar in 2D simulation

Static , Dynamic and Mixed Eccentricity Modeling

Part 1 Modeling Current Excited In-turn Short Circuit

Part 2 Modeling Voltage Excited In-turn Short Circuit

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About Course

What Will You Learn?

Course Content

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

General simulation

One phase disconnected

Phase to Phase Short Circuit

Unbalanced input voltage

Part 1 Modeling Broken Bar in 3D simulation

Part 2 Editing Simulation in 3D simulation

Part 3 Modeling Broken Bar in 2D simulation

Static , Dynamic and Mixed Eccentricity Modeling

Part 1 Modeling Current Excited In-turn Short Circuit

Part 2 Modeling Voltage Excited In-turn Short Circuit

Receive a certificate

Student Ratings & Reviews

WiredWhite. Be Electregizing.

Legal

Partnerships

Quick Links

Get In Touch

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