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HOME > MOTORS / DRIVES > PREVENTING DAMAGE TO MOTOR BEARINGS

Preventing Damage to Motor Bearings

WILLIAM OH Electro Static TechnologyMechanic Falls, Maine Apr 1, 2007
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The use of variable-frequency drives (VFDs) to control alternating-current (AC) motors Five Best Practices to Improve Building
has increased dramatically in recent years. In addition to featuring low operating costs Management Systems (BMS) Cybersecurity
and high performance, VFDs save energy. The challenge facing system designers and
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engineers is to minimize damage to AC motors from shaft current. From its first minute
The Dilemma of Aging Facilities: Strategies for
of operation, a VFD induces destructive voltages that build up on a motor shaft until they Future-Proofing a Higher Education Campus
find discharge paths to the frame (ground). In most cases, motor bearings present the
path of least resistance. Once voltage is sufficient to overcome the resistance of the
oil-film layer on a bearing, shaft current discharges, causing electrical-discharge-
machining pits and fusion craters in the race wall and ball bearings. This phenomenon
continues until the bearings become so severely pitted that fluting, excessive noise, and
failure occur. Mitigation of this damage is possible through various strategies. Some are
narrow in application, and most are costly. Many are not technically feasible. However, a
new technology employs a circumferential ring of conductive microfibers to discharge
harmful currents and provide a low-cost solution to the problem.

VFDS INDUCE SHAFT CURRENTS IN AC MOTORS Webinars

Mainly because of an increased focus on energy savings, the use of pulse-width-
NOV 22, 2016
modulated (PWM) VFDs to control AC motors has grown considerably over the past few
WEBINAR
years. While they offer plenty of benefits, VFDs are not without their problems.
The Future of
Engineering
Shaft currents induced by VFDs can lead to motor failures. Without some form of Simulation and
mitigation, shaft currents travel to ground through bearings, causing pitting, fusion Computer-Aided
Design is Here
craters, fluting, excessive bearing noise, eventual bearing failure, and subsequent motor
failure. OCT 6, 2016
WEBINAR
This is not a small problem. Consider the following: Dedicated Outside Air
Systems: The
Most motor bearings are designed to last for 100,000 hr, yet motors controlled by Comfortable and
Efficient Future of
VFDs can fail within one month (720 hr).1
Ventilation

Of the VFD-controlled, 30- to 60-hp vane-axial-fan motors an HVAC contractor SEP 29, 2016
installed on a large building project, all failed within a year (two within six months). WEBINAR
Repair costs totaled more than $110,000.2 Smart Maintenance
Brings Rewards
Several large pulp and paper companies surveyed noted that the VFD-controlled AC
motors used in their plants typically fail within six months because of bearing View All
damage.3

A large U.S. motor manufacturer has cited eliminating drive-related motor failures
as its No. 1 engineering challenge.4 Blogs & Opinions

There are almost a dozen blogs on the Internet focused on discussing problems

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 presented by VFD-induced shaft currents, sharing information and experiences, Blogs Columns
and suggesting solutions.

Motor failures caused by VFD-induced shaft currents result in hundreds of

thousands of hours of unplanned downtime each year in the United States alone. In A
Christmas
addition, these failures affect the performance and mean time between failure of the A/C Carol
original-equipment-manufacturing systems in which they are used. by
Lawrence
With an approximate 16-percent motor-price increase from 2005 to 2006 — caused (Larry)
by rising copper prices — this problem will become even more costly.5 Clark,
QCxP,
ELECTRICAL DAMAGE TO BEARINGS
GGP,
LEED
Because of the high-speed switching frequencies used in PWM inverters, all VFDs induce
AP+
shaft current in AC motors. The switching frequencies of the insulated-gate bipolar
Posted 2
transistors used in these drives produce voltages on the motor shaft during normal
weeks ago
operation through electromagnetic induction. These voltages, which can register 70 v or in Clark's
more (peak to peak), are measured easily by touching an oscilloscope probe to a shaft Remarks
while a motor is running (Photo A).

Once these voltages reach a level sufficient to overcome the dielectric properties of the
grease in motor bearings, they discharge along the path of least resistance — typically the
bearings — to the motor housing. (Bearings are designed to operate with a thin layer of oil
Taking
between the rotating ball and bearing race.) During almost every VFD cycle, induced shaft the High
voltage discharges from the motor shaft to the frame via the bearings, leaving a small Road in
Promoting
fusion crater in the bearing race. These discharges are so frequent that, before long, the Sustainability
entire bearing race becomes marked with countless pits, known as frosting. As damage by
continues, the frosting increases, eventually leading to noisy bearings and bearing failure. Lawrence
A phenomenon known as fluting may occur as well, producing washboard-like ridges (Larry)
across the frosted bearing race. Fluting can cause excessive noise and vibration that, in Clark,
QCxP,
heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems, is magnified and transmitted by the
GGP,
ducting. Regardless of the type of bearing or race damage that occurs, the resulting motor
LEED
failure often costs many thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars in downtime and AP+
lost production. Posted 4
weeks ago
Failure rates vary widely depending on many factors, but evidence suggests that a
in Clark's
significant portion of failures occur only three to 12 months after system startup. Because Remarks
many of today's AC motors have sealed bearings to keep out dirt and other contaminants,
electrical damage has become the most common cause of bearing failure in AC motors
with VFDs. If half of all AC-motor failures are caused by bearing failure, almost 80
percent of these are caused by electrical damage to bearings.6
On the
New bearing race Phaseout
of HFCs
Viewed under a scanning electron microscope, a new bearing race wall has a smooth and a
surface (Photo B). As the motor runs, a track eventually forms where the bearing ball Milestone
for
contacts the wall. Without electrical discharge damage, this type of mechanical wear Nuclear
would be the only cause of degradation. Power
by
Pitting Lawrence
(Larry)
Photo C shows a frosted bearing race wall after 5,400 hr of continuous use in a VFD/AC
Clark,
motor system. Early damage typically takes the form of pitting. These fusion craters QCxP,
increase in number and size as each cycle of induced voltage discharges from the shaft GGP,
through the bearings to the frame and ground. Soon, the entire race is covered with LEED
millions of pits. As new fusion craters form over old ones, a “frosted” surface that easily is AP+
visible to the naked eye appears. Posted 6
weeks ago
Fluting in Clark's
Remarks
In a phenomenon known as fluting (Photo D), the operational frequency of a VFD causes
concentrated pitting at regular intervals along the bearing race wall, forming a
“washboard” pattern. This pattern results in vibration and noise. In an HVAC system, this
noise can be transmitted throughout a facility via air ducts.

2 of 6 12/27/2016 12:54 PM
 STRATEGIES FOR MITIGATING SHAFT-CURRENT DAMAGE

As demonstrated previously, electrical damage to VFD/AC-motor bearings begins at

startup and grows progressively worse. As a result of this damage, the bearings eventually
fail. To prevent such damage in the first place, the induced shaft current must be diverted
from the bearings by insulation and/or an alternate path to ground. The connection
Insulation
has timed out
Insulating motor bearings is a solution that tends to shift the problem elsewhere as shaft
current looks for another path to ground. Sometimes, because of the capacitive effect of
The server at pages.hpac.com is taking too
ceramic insulation, high-frequency VFD-induced currents pass through the insulating
long to respond.
layer and cause bearing failure. If an attached piece of equipment, such as a pump,
provides this path, it often winds up with bearing damage of its own. Insulation and other The site could be temporarily unavailable
bearing-isolation strategies can be costly to implement. or too busy. Try again in a few moments.

Alternate discharge paths Connect With Us

When properly implemented, these strategies are preferable to insulation because they
neutralize shaft current. Techniques range in cost and sometimes can be applied only
selectively, depending on motor size or application. The ideal solution would provide a
low-resistance path from shaft to frame, cost relatively little, and be applied broadly
across all VFD/AC-motor applications, affording the greatest degree of bearing protection
and maximum return on investment.

SHAFT-CURRENT-MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES

Although there are a number of technologies available to protect AC-motor bearings from
damage caused by shaft currents, few meet all of the criteria of effectiveness, cost, and
application versatility.

Faraday shield

The faraday shield prevents a VFD current from being induced onto a shaft by effectively
blocking the current with a capacitive barrier between the stator and rotor. However, this
solution is difficult and expensive to implement and generally has been abandoned as a
practical solution.

Insulated bearings

Insulating material, usually a nonconductive resin or ceramic layer, isolates bearings and
prevents shaft current from discharging through them to a frame. This forces current to
seek another path to ground, such as through an attached pump or tachometer or even
the load. Because of the high cost of insulating bearing journals, this solution generally is
limited to larger-sized National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) motors.
Sometimes, high-frequency VFD-induced currents actually pass through the insulating
layer and cause bearing damage anyway. Another drawback is the potential for
contaminated insulation, which can establish a current path through bearings over time.

Ceramic bearings

The use of nonconductive ceramic bearings prevents the discharge of shaft current. As
with other isolation measures, shaft current will seek an alternate path to ground. This
technology is costly. In most cases, motors with ceramic bearings must be special ordered
and have long lead times. In addition, because ceramic bearings and steel bearings differ
in compressive strength, ceramic bearings usually must be resized to handle mechanical
static and dynamic loadings.

Conductive grease

In theory, because this grease contains conductive particles, it would provide a lower-
impedance path through bearings and bleed off shaft current through bearings without a
damaging discharge. Unfortunately, the conductive particles in these lubricants increase
mechanical wear of bearings, rendering the lubricants ineffective and often causing
premature failures. This method widely has been abandoned as a viable solution to
bearing currents.

3 of 6 12/27/2016 12:54 PM
 Grounding brush

A metal brush contacting a motor shaft is a more practical and economical way to provide
a low-impedance path to ground, especially for larger NEMA-frame motors. However,
these brushes pose several problems of their own:

They are subject to wear because of the mechanical contact with the shaft.

They collect contaminants on their metal bristles, which destroys their

effectiveness.

They are subject to oxidation buildup, which decreases their grounding

effectiveness.

They require maintenance on a regular basis, increasing their cost.

Shaft-grounding ring (SGR): This new approach involves the use of a ring of specially
engineered conductive microfibers to redirect shaft current and provide a reliable
low-impedance path from shaft to frame, bypassing motor bearings entirely. The ring's
electron-transport technology uses ionization principles to boost the electron-transfer
rate and promote efficient discharge of high-frequency shaft currents induced by VFDs.
With hundreds of thousands of discharge points, an SGR channels shaft currents around
AC motor bearings and protects them from electrical damage. An SGR is a low-cost
solution that can be applied to almost any size AC motor in almost any VFD application.

An SGR offers a combination of benefits, including scalability, easy installation and

maintenance, low cost, and high return on investment.

Scalability

The SGR was designed for motors with shafts from 0.311 to 6.020 in., including NEMA
and International Electrotechnical Commission frames, as well as high-horsepower AC
and DC motors. SGRs have been used for power generators, gas turbines, wind-turbine
generators, AC traction and break motors, cleanrooms, HVAC systems, and other
industrial and commercial applications.

Installation and maintenance

An SGR is installed by sliding the ring over either end of a motor shaft and locking it in
place with screw-on mounting brackets. No machining is required. Once installed, an
SGR requires no maintenance. With no parts to wear out, an SGR lasts as long as
bearings. A split-ring design allows installation around a shaft without disassembling
attached equipment.

Low cost and high return on investment

Typically, an AC motor coupled with a VFD costs from $2,400 to $100,000 or more and
may be part of a manufacturing process that generates revenues from $10,000 to $1
million or more per hour. The cost of installing an SGR in a VFD/AC-motor system is low
when compared with the cost of the overall system — usually, less than 1 percent of the
equipment cost. By preventing electrical damage to bearings, an SGR protects a VFD
system from the costly downtime of unplanned maintenance. In some production
applications, even a momentary stoppage caused by motor failure can cost more than
$250,000, excluding the cost of repairing the motor.

Motor manufacturers and process engineers in industries in which VFDs are used are
aware of the problems and expense caused by electrical damage to bearings. They have
expended a significant amount of time, effort, and money to find a solution to this
problem. An SGR is the most effective and universally applicable solution.

REFERENCES

1. Muetze, A., Binder, A., Vogel, H., & Hering, J. (2004, October). Experimental
evaluation of the endangerment of ball bearings due to inverter-induced bearing
currents. Paper presented at the IEEE/IAS 39th Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA.

4 of 6 12/27/2016 12:54 PM
 2. (Conversation with mechanical contractor, 2006.)

3. (Conversations with reliability engineers, 2006.)

4. (Conversation with product engineer, 2006.)

5. (Conversations with motor suppliers, 2006.)

6. Snyder, D.R. (2007, February). How to prevent electrical erosion in bearings.

Pumps & Systems. Retrieved from http://www.pump-zone.com
/article.php?articleid=322

For past HPAC Engineering articles, visit www.hpac.com.

General manager of Electro Static Technology, William Oh has extensive design and
application experience in automation and product development, specializing in the
mitigation of unwanted electrical currents. A member of the Illinois Tool Works Patent
Society, he holds degrees in mechanical engineering from Pusan National University
and the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. For three years, he was a
visiting researcher at the University of Massachusetts.

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