Induction motors (IMs) are present in practically all production processes and account for two-thirds of the energy consumption in industrial settings. Therefore, monitoring them is essential to prevent accidents, optimize production, and increase energy efficiency. Monitoring methods found in the literature require a certain level of invasiveness, causing some applications to be unfeasible. In the present study, a new completely non-invasive method implemented in an embedded system performs the embedded processing of the sound signal emitted by an in-service IM to estimate speed, torque, and efficiency. Motor speed is estimated from the analysis in the frequency domain using the Fourier Transform. Torque and efficiency are estimated from the speed and motor nameplate information. To perform the tests and validate the proposed method/system, a workbench with a controllable torque was used. The workbench was also equipped to allow the results to be compared with the airgap torque method. The results indicate a high accuracy for the nominal load (error of approximately 1%) in the measurement of the efficiency and torque, and a mean relative error of 0.2% for the speed.

Three-phase induction motors are widely used in various industrial sectors and are responsible for a significant portion of the total electrical energy consumed. To ensure their efficient operation, it is necessary to apply control systems with specific algorithms able to estimate rotation speed accurately and with an adequate response time. However, the angular speed sensors used in induction motors are generally expensive and unreliable, and they may be unsuitable for use in hostile environments. This paper presents an algorithm for speed estimation in three-phase induction motors using the chaotic variable of maximum density. The technique used in this work analyzes the current signals from the motor power supply without invasive sensors on its structure. The results show that speed estimation is achieved with a response time lower than that obtained by classical techniques based on the Fourier Transform. This technique allows for the provision of motor shaft speed values when operated under variable load.