IoT application for monitoring and storage of temperature history in electric motors

Abstract

The three-phase induction motor is the most used type of motor. It is estimated that more than 90% of the mechanical energy used in industry is supplied by three-phase induction motors. Therefore, an early and unexpected failure of an electric motor is quite costly to the industry. This paper aims to present the development of an IoT (Internet of Things) application for monitoring and storing the operating temperature history of three-phase electric motors through a wireless sensor network. Real-time temperature values, peak temperature values, tables and graphics of internal engine temperatures are displayed from web pages. Two 1200 HP motors were monitored. The temperatures were obtained through PT100 transducers installed in the motor windings and the ambient temperature read by a digital sensor. The data read by the sensors is kept in a database in the clouds, in order to generate relevant information to support the maintenance management of these assets. Part of the application processing is performed in the clouds, such as the parameterization of the microcontroller program and sending notifications via email, for cases of reading failure, communication failure and high temperature alert. The results demonstrate the applicability and functionality of the application in an industrial environment, allowing the identification of various engine behaviors over time.