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How Do VFDs Cause Bearing Damage?

Historically, electric induction motors were designed to

be operated on 3-phase sine wave power. This type of
input power is termed balanced. When properly
balanced, the common mode voltage the sum of the 3
phases equals zero volts and electrical bearing
protection is generally not needed (except for very large
motors, over 500 frame).

But when motors are operated by variable frequency

drives (VFDs), the insulated-gate bipolar transistors
used in most VFDs convert pure sine wave power to a
series of positive and negative pulses. Consequently,
input voltage to the motor is never balanced. Instead of
a steady zero volts, it switches rapidly from positive to
zero to negative and back, and the common mode
voltage is usually a square wave or a 6-step voltage waveform.

This nonzero common mode voltage in a motors stator windings causes motor bearings to charge up
like a capacitor. For example, suppose that at one moment, the common mode voltage is positive inside
the stator windings. This positive common mode
voltage induces a positive voltage on the rotor through
capacitive coupling. The motor frame is grounded at a
neutral earth ground reference.

With the rotor now positive and the frame neutral,

there is a potential difference across the motors
bearings between the rotating shaft and motors
grounded frame. Because the bearings are full of
electrically insulating (dielectric) grease, which forms
a non-conductive film between the balls and race walls,
electrical current does not normally flow through the
bearings. This works exactly like a capacitor: two
conductors separated by a non-conductive dielectric. If
you apply a voltage to a capacitor, it will charge up,
and store energy, but not let any current flow
through unless the dielectric breaks down.

Every capacitor has a breakdown voltage*; the voltage above which the insulator breaks down and allows
a burst of current to flow all at once. This is just like lightning: When the voltage between a cloud and
the ground gets big enough, the air normally a good insulator becomes ionized and suddenly becomes
conductive. The result is a rapid discharge: charge flows rapidly through the now-conductive air with the
often-destructive release of stored energy. After discharge, the voltage across the capacitor will be zero
(or at least much lower).

Now back to the motor: If the shaft voltage builds up high enough, it will discharge by arcing through
the bearing: Electrons will leap through the bearing like a miniature lightning bolt, and destructively
release the energy that was stored in the bearings capacitance. This arc is called a capacitive discharge
current, and the damage it does to bearing surfaces is called EDM (electrical discharge machining).
Capacitive EDM currents can occur in all motors run on VFDs, regardless of their size.
A second form of bearing current produced by VFDs high frequency (HF) circulating currents
results from a high-frequency magnetic flux produced by common mode current (the sum of the currents
flowing in each of the three phases). HF circulating currents consist of electrons arcing from the shaft
through one bearing, running down the frame, and arcing through the other bearing back to the shaft. The
frequency range for these circulating currents is in the kHz or MHz. The size of these currents, and the
damage they do, depends on motor size. They first become a problem in motors above 100 HP (75 kW),
and in general, the larger the motor, the greater the damage they cause.

Both

capacitive discharge currents and high-frequency circulating currents

damage the bearings. Because the bearing lubricant is dielectric, these
currents can only flow by arcing through the grease. This both
degrades the grease, reducing its lubricating properties, and damages
the metal surfaces inside the bearing. This surface damage is directly
caused by the electrical arcing, like tiny lightning bolts blasting
through the bearing thousands of times per second! Each arc
creates a pit, a tiny molten crater where it strikes. As the pits
accumulate, they lead to visible frosting, and eventually to fluting
(washboard-like ridges in the bearing race). As bearings degrade,
friction increases, leading to noise, deterioration of bearing
grease/lubrication, and the likelihood of total bearing failure and
costly unplanned downtime. In fact, this entire process can take place
in as little as 3 months!
Best Practices for Bearing Protection

In our last post, we described how VFDs cause electrical bearing damage. So, how do you protect motors
from this damage?

Capacitive EDM currents are caused by electrons need

to go through the bearings to travel between the shaft
and ground. So to prevent EDM currents, you only
need to provide an alternative, low-resistance path from
shaft to ground. AEGIS Bearing Protection Rings
provide such a path, channeling these currents away
from bearings and safely to ground.

For low-voltage motors (up to 100 HP), the best practice is to install an AEGIS SGR Bearing Protection
Ring either internally or externally on either the drive
end or non-drive end of the motor to discharge
capacitively induced shaft voltage.

For motors greater than 100 HP, capacitive EDM currents

will still be present, but now high-frequency circulating
currents will occur as well. The best way to prevent HF
circulating currents is to interrupt them with insulation or
isolation of the bearing at the opposite end from the
AEGIS Ring. For motors between 100 and 500 HP, install
an AEGIS SGR Ring on the drive end, and isolate the
bearing housing on the non-drive end with an insulating sleeve or coating, or an insulated ceramic or
hybrid bearing to disrupt circulating currents.

For low-voltage motors greater than 500 HP or medium-voltage motors, use an AEGIS PRO Ring instead
of an SGR Ring.

For all motors with both bearings insulated, install the

correct AEGIS Ring (SGR or PRO) on the drive end
(either externally or internally) to protect the bearings in
attached equipment.

Regardless of the type of AEGIS Ring or where you

install it, be sure to apply AEGIS Colloidal Silver to
motor shaft circumference in the area where the rings
microfiber brushes will contact it.