Effects of the Bearing Currents to the Motor Bearings

By: Harris Joe Anches Mentor: Engr. Eugene Occea

ABSTRACT The vast majority of bearing failures in electric motors and electric motor-driven equipment are due to mechanical and thermal causes. However, currents that flow through the motor bearings can also create premature bearing failure. In this paper, the utility and inverter driven motor bearing currents and the potential current paths are identified and methods to break these current paths through motor modifications are presented. Methods to shunt these currents away from the motor or driven equipment bearings through improved high frequency grounding are also discussed.

OBJECTIVES
To conduct a study of bearing currents that are present on the motor bearings. To identify the different causes that leads to the creation of bearing currents. To design a schematic diagrams showing the potential current paths.

To come up with a solution to shunt this current paths.

To come up with a solution to eliminate the causes of this currents.

To have an overall recommendation of the study.

INTRODUCTION Causes of bearing failure:

Mechanical and Thermal:
misalignment vibration incorrect lubrication excessive radial or axial loading lubricant contamination

inadequate maintenance.

Electrical Bearing currents

What is a bearing? derived from a verb to bear, or to support. What is a bearing current?
Current that pass through the bearing due to the induced voltage on the shaft of the motor.

How does a bearing current caused bearing failure?

What causes bearing currents?

o Electrostatic Charge introduced from the outside of the motor or from an external source. o Electromagnetic Unbalanced Introduced within the motor itself or known as the alternating flux.

What is an AC motor?
An electric motor driven by an alternating current (AC)
Synchronous motor Asynchronous motor or Induction Motor

Induction Motor
an AC motor in which all electromagnetic energy is transferred by inductive coupling from a primary winding to a secondary winding being separated by an air gap.
Squirrel Cage - it is a cylinder mounted on a shaft.

Wound Rotor - the rotor windings are connected through slip rings

Utility Driven Motor Variable Speed Driven Motor

Fixed & Variable Speed induction motor The vast majority of bearing failures in electric motors are due to mechanical and thermal causes.

Bearing currents in the Electric motor are not new. In fact, they have been around since electric motors were invented.
These currents are due to the induced voltage on the shaft.

Causes & Effects Lack of symmetry

Perfect symmetry is difficult to achieve due to automated manufacturing methods and anisotropic properties of magnetic materials, such as electrical steel. Because of the low frequency nature of bearing currents in an AC driven motors results in a current paths through what are generally considered to be conductive materials (motor shafts, frames, bearing races and bearing balls)

lack of symmetry
Because of the low frequency nature of bearing currents in an AC driven motors results in a current paths through what are generally considered to be conductive materials (motor shafts, frames, bearing races and bearing balls) Putting insulating materials in the conducting current paths can eliminate the low frequency bearing currents.

INSULATION

Bearing at RISK!
Ground

Causes & Effects Alternating flux or the electromagnetic unbalanced

Electric steel is not totally homogenous therefore flux paths in the motor are not entirely symmetrical.
Out-of-round or off-center rotors Open rotor bars Magnetically non-symmetrical iron Asymmetrically placed stator winding

Asymmetrical flux through the steel results in AC flux lines that enclose the shaft.

electromagnetic unbalanced
This can drive a current down the shaft, to the bearings, through the frame and back again through the bearings.

INSULATION Bearing at RISK!

Causes and Effects Common Mode Voltage (CMV)

A non-zero value of the summation of voltages in a three phase motor. Due to the unbalanced of the voltage drop in a three phase motor. common mode coupling currents (dV/dt)

common mode voltage

Utility Inverter Driven Driven motor motor / Sine wave Driven CMV Phase A Phase B Phase C =
0

Unbalance Balance Source Source

What happens to the CMV? When the CMV links the rotor, apreferred charge will accumulate on the to capacitively coupled current between the stator winding and Due To Due reduce to capacitive bearing damage, coupled current the from the path stator for all winding these currents to the This current flows through theis stator winding insulation, which is rotor. Since the unbalance source external the motor, rotor is frame. the rotor stator across winding-to-ground the air gap. This current path. Here, finds no a to current path that flows passes through capacitively conductive at high frequencies. With a poor motor-tocurrent will flow through the bearings to ground and back to the the through motor or a conductive load bearings. coupling, and through at least one load inverter high frequency ground connection, this current will also flow source, taking the path of least resistance. bearing, to the load ground, and to the driven through the motor frame, the motor bearing, motorground. shaft, conductive coupling, load bearing, load ground, and finally to driven ground.
rotor-to-shaft stator winding-to-frame stator-to-rotor winding-to-ground coupling couplingcurrent current shaft current coupling current

Bearing Failure!

VSD

Stator

How can this currents damages the motor?

Those potential current paths can cause damages on the races and rolling elements of the bearing. Frosted appearance might be seen on the rolling elements of the bearing

If mechanical vibration is present (which is true for all motors) the rolling elements will bounce during rotation and create a fluting pattern.
This greatly increases friction and vibration and such bearing may catastrophically fail in less than 6 weeks.
A 9 year life test at Regal Beloit confirmed the relationship between vibration and fluting.

How can we bypass these currents? Insulate the drive end and the non-drive end bearings of the motor. Insulate the drive end and the non-drive end bearings of the motor.
There might be a possibility that the current will flow through the load bearing following the low impedance motor elements.

Not insulated

VSD

Non-Drive Drive end end Insulate

Ground brush