Bearing current remediation options

The vast majority of bearing failures in electric motors and electric motor-driven equipment are due to mechanical and thermal causes. Bearing current in induction motor can result in premature bearing failure. Proper remediation methods depend upon a thorough understanding of the potential current paths in a given installation. Diagrams of current flow paths were presented here to illustrate potential issues. Proper grounding is a key to shunting currents away from paths that flow through motor or driven equipment bearings.

[1]  R. C. Quirt Voltages to ground in load-commutated inverters , 1988 .

[2]  A. von Jouanne,et al.  A dual-bridge inverter approach to eliminating common mode voltages and bearing and leakage currents , 1997, PESC97. Record 28th Annual IEEE Power Electronics Specialists Conference. Formerly Power Conditioning Specialists Conference 1970-71. Power Processing and Electronic Specialists Conference 1972.

[3]  J.M. Bentley,et al.  Evaluation of motor power cables for PWM AC drives , 1996, Conference Record of 1996 Annual Pulp and Paper Industry Technical Conference.

[4]  Doyle F. Busse,et al.  An evaluation of the electrostatic shielded induction motor: a solution for rotor shaft voltage buildup and bearing current , 1996, IAS '96. Conference Record of the 1996 IEEE Industry Applications Conference Thirty-First IAS Annual Meeting.

[5]  J. Erdman,et al.  Effect of PWM inverters on AC motor bearing currents and shaft voltages , 1995, Proceedings of 1995 IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition - APEC'95.

[6]  Thomas A. Lipo,et al.  Source of induction motor bearing currents caused by PWM inverters , 1996 .