Mitigation techniques for bearing currents in inverter-supplied drive systems

IEEE INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS MAGAZINE • JULY|AUG 2006 • WWW.IEEE.ORG/IAS

© PHOTODISC

HE EFFECTS OF PARASITIC BEARING Different mitigation techniques to eliminate inverter-

T currents in variable-speed drive systems

caused by fast-switching insulated gate
bipolar transistor (IGBT) inverters have
been reported during the past several years [1]–[24]. In the
induced bearing currents have also been proposed.
The studies reported were done using varied measure-
ment techniques and test setups, rendering forthright
comparison of the qualitative and quantitative results dif-
past, research has focused on phys- ficult. Thus, quantification of the
ical explanations of the bearing relative weights of the different
BY A. MUETZE & A. BINDER
currents for a given drive system parameters on the phenomena
at a particular power level. The still requires additional clarifica-
results presented are based on specific investigations with tion. Such clarification is the goal of this article.
either small or large motors with respective power ratings A systematic analysis of the qualitative and quantitative
of Pr = 1 . . . 15 kW and Pr ≥ 150 kW. One research lab influence of different parameters on a variable-speed drive sys-
reported on investigations done on motors with power rat- tem was carried out. The investigations were conducted
22
ings of Pr = 30 . . . 70 kW and Pr = 355 kW [20]–[22]. under identical conditions on motors rated from 11 to 500 kW
1077-2618/06/$20.00©2006 IEEE
using commercially available compo-
nents. Thus, the parameters that are
relevant for occurrence of inverter- DIFFERENT
induced bearing currents can be identi-
fied even in complex drive systems as MITIGATION
well as in the field, where complex TECHNIQUES
modeling may not be possible. This
allows identification of the endanger- TO ELIMINATE
ment of a given adjustable-drive sys-
tem due to inverter-induced bearing INVERTER-
currents before the damage occurs.
INDUCED
Review of Bearing Currents in
Inverter-Fed Motors BEARING
The major cause of parasitic bearing
currents is the common-mode voltage CURRENTS HAVE
source developed by the feeding ALSO BEEN
inverter exposing the motor terminals
to high dv/dt. The principal contribut- PROPOSED.
ing phenomena can be summarized as
follows (Figure 1):
1) Small capacitive currents:
The high dv/dt interacts with the capacitances
between stator laminations, windings, rotor, and
the bearings to generate a capacitive current
flow in the range of 5–200 mA [20]. These cur-
rents are so small that they are usually consid-
ered to be harmless.
2) Electrostatic discharge machining (EDM)
currents: The common-mode voltage source
charges the bearings via a capacitive voltage divider,
Test Setup
Three power levels—11, 110, and 500
kW—have been chosen for this investi-
gation. The test configurations consist
of two induction motors and a number
of IGBT inverters for each power level,
all from different manufacturers. In
addition, different cables and inverter
output filters, as well as insulated and
hybrid bearings, have been introduced
to provide numerous adjustable-speed
drive configurations (Tables 1–4).
Measurements were performed dur-
ing no-load operation. The shaft-mount-
ed fans were removed to achieve bearing
temperatures that are typical for loaded
operation ( Tb = 70 . . . 80 ◦ C). For each
operating point, large numbers of mea-
surement samples (>30) were recorded
with a time window of 8 ms/sample.
Average peak-to-peak values were
Inverter-Induced Bearing Currents
dv/dt at Motor Terminals
Common Mode Ground Currents
Capacitive EDM High-

IEEE INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS MAGAZINE • JULY|AUG 2006 • WWW.IEEE.ORG/IAS

or bearing voltage ratio (BVR), resulting in a dis- Rotor Ground
Bearing Currents Frequency
Currents (4)
charge current pulse when the threshold voltage of Currents (1) (2) Shaft Voltage
the bearings is exceeded.
3) Circulating bearing currents: The high dv/dt at
Circulating Bearing
the motor terminals generates considerable high- Currents (3)
frequency stator ground current. This current 1
excites a circular magnetic flux that induces par-
Bearing currents in inverter-supplied drive systems.
asitic shaft voltages, giving rise to circulating
bearing currents.
4) Rotor ground currents: In some configurations,
the rotor may be connected to earth potential TABLE 1. INVESTIGATED SQUIRREL-CAGE
with a significantly lower impedance path than INDUCTION MOTORS (400 V, 50 HZ).
the grounding of the stator housing (e.g., via the Power/ Shaft
driven load). In these cases, the ground current kW Poles Height/mm Motor
generated by the high dv/dt at the motor termi- 11 4 160 M11a, M11b
nals flows partly as rotor ground current via the
bearings of the motor. 110 4 280 M110a, M110b
500 6 400 M500a
Research Program
2 400 M500b
A research program was carried out [25] to meet the
objectives outlined above. This program included several
motors and inverters with power levels from 11–500 kW
as well as operation with numerous cables, filters, and TABLE 2. SELECTED IGBT INVERTERS
bearings. The investigations were conducted under (DC-LINK Vdc = 560 V).
exactly the same test conditions for all configurations, Power/kW Control fp /kHz Inverter
using identical measurement techniques and test setups.
11 PWM 3 I11a
Drawing on the results of this test program, this article
presents an experimental evaluation of bearing current 110 PWM 4.5 I110a
mitigation techniques including: 1) shielded cables, 2) fil- 500 PWM 1.7 I500 23
ters, and 3) insulated and hybrid bearings.
 calculated using the maximum values in each stored wave- In some drive applications, motors can be grounded
form to achieve statistically reliable results. via the driven load. To investigate this situation, the drive
end of the rotor shaft was grounded with a cable (length
Selected System Components lc = 2 m) to the laboratory common ground terminal
The most important parameters of the system components (Figure 3).
selected for this investigation are presented in Tables 1–4.
Tests were carried out on both motors for each power level Review: Nature of Bearing
using one inverter out of those available. The alternative Currents For Different Motor Sizes
bearing tests were an exception since they were carried out
on a single motor at each power level. Measurement Results
The EDM currents reach their maximum amplitudes at a
Grounding Configuration particular motor speed. This maximum value decreases
The motors were mounted on electrically insulated test and shifts to higher motor speeds with increasing bear-
benches and grounded via the earth conductor of the ing temperature. Circulating bearing currents are maxi-
motor cable to the inverter ground terminal. The invert- mal at low motor speed, decreasing with rising motor
ers were grounded to the laboratory common ground ter- speed and increasing with rises in bearing temperature
minal (Figure 2). (Figure 4). This holds true for all of the investigated
motor-inverter combinations. Thus,
motor size has an important impact on
TABLE 3. INVESTIGATED MOTOR CABLES. the nature of the parasitic bearing cur-
rents that flow in the system. As long
Power
as the rotor is not grounded, the small
Level/kW Type Rating Remark
motors (11 kW) exhibit mainly EDM
11 Unshielded 4 × 2.5 mm2 currents, whereas circulating currents
Shielded 3 × 2.5 mm2 Co-axial PE progressively dominate as the motor
size increases [25].
110 Unshielded 4 × 70 mm
2

Shielded 4 × 70 mm2 Alum. tape and Evaluation of the

braided shield Endangerment of the Bearings
500 Unshielded 3 × 150 mm2 Two cables in parallel The bearings of a machine depend on
+ 1 × 70 mm2 motor size, field of application, and
IEEE INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS MAGAZINE • JULY|AUG 2006 • WWW.IEEE.ORG/IAS

condition of operation, and they may

Shielded 3 × 150 mm2 Two cables in parallel vary in many aspects between differ-
+ 3 × 25 mm2 Alum. tape and ent machines. Therefore, absolute val-
braided shield ues of bearing currents are not the
appropriate measure to evaluate the

TABLE 4. INVESTIGATED INVERTER-OUTPUT FILTERS (NO CONNECTION TO THE INVERTER DC-LINK).

Power
Level/kW Type Filter Remark
11 dv/dt filter DVDT11a RLC-combination
dv/dt filter DVDT11b With additional common
mode choke
Sinusoidal SF11a L = 2 mH, CLL = 2 µF
Sinusoidal SF11b L = 1 mH, CLL = 4 µF
Common-mode choke CMC11a Ferrite
Common-mode choke CMC11b Laminated steel
110 dv/dt reactor DVDT110a L = 0.092 mH
dv/dt reactor DVDT110b L = 0.5 mH
Sinusoidal SF110 L = 0.5 mH, CLL = 35 µF
Common-mode choke CMC100 Ferrite
500 dv/dt reactor DVDT500 L = 0.05 mH
Sinusoidal SF500 L = 0.05 mH, CLL = 24 µF
Common-mode choke CMC500 Laminated steel
24
endangerment of bearings due to bear-
ing currents. Thus, for this purpose,
the notation of the “apparent bearing A SYSTEMATIC
current density” Jb = îb /AH has been
introduced in the context of “classical” ANALYSIS OF THE
bearing currents of large line-fed QUALITATIVE AND
motors, where îb is the bearing current
peak value and AH is the Hertzian QUANTITATIVE
contact area between balls and race.
It is generally accepted that an INFLUENCE OF
apparent current density limit of
Jb ≤ 0.1 . . . 0.3 A/mm2 results in safe DIFFERENT
operation, whereas Jb ≥ 0.7 A/mm2
leads to bearing failure. With regard PARAMETERS ON
to the measurement results, this dam-
age threshold level is not reached at A VARIABLE-
the 11 and 110 kW power levels, SPEED DRIVE
whereas the larger motors at the 500
kW power level exceed Jb = 0.7 SYSTEM WAS
A/mm 2 , especially at low motor
speeds. Therefore, mitigation tech- CARRIED OUT.
niques to reduce bearing currents are
necessary at these elevated power lev-
els. However, in the research program,
mitigation techniques for the smaller motors are also
investigated. As a matter of fact, assuming approximate-
ly the same EDM bearing current amplitude and similar
values of the BVR and breakdown voltage, EDM bear-
ings may be dangerous to smaller motors with smaller
bearings, necessitating smaller Hertzian contact areas
and larger apparent bearing current densities. ferent parts of the physical processes that generate para-
motor size has a much bigger influence
on the nature of the occurring bearing
currents than the motor-inverter com-
bination for a given power level, pro-
vided that the inverter does not contain
an inverter-output filter.
Experimental Evaluation
of Mitigation Techniques
Different mitigation techniques have
been proposed to eliminate inverter-
induced bearing currents, e.g., [2], [5],
[7]–[12], [14]–[18], and [22]–[24].
They can be divided into two groups,
depending on their function:
■ Mitigation techniques on the
inverter side: These techniques
include inverter output filters,
special voltage modulation
techniques, and common-mode
voltage filters to eliminate the
common-mode voltage; special
cables, e.g., shielded cables,
may also be included.
■ Countermeasured against bearing currents
within or at the motor: These countermeasures
include insulated bearings, ceramic or hybrid bear-
ings, insulated couplings, low-impedance grease,
rotor brushes, and faraday shielded rotors [7].
Mitigation techniques for bearing currents affect dif-

IEEE INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS MAGAZINE • JULY|AUG 2006 • WWW.IEEE.ORG/IAS

sitic bearing currents. Therefore, the influence and
Physical Explanation effectiveness of these techniques depend strongly on the
The capacitance between the motor winding and the stator type of bearing currents that are flowing. Comparatively,
frame Cwf increases with the square of the motor size a great deal is known about the design of special modula-
because the length and height of the slots are about propor- tion techniques and inverter-output filters—notably at
tional to the motor size [26]. This capacitance has a strong small power levels—to eliminate the common-mode volt-
influence on the generated ground currents. Thus, the sta- age at the inverter output, which is the main source of the
tor ground currents increase proportionally to the square of phenomena. Here, different mitigation techniques using
the motor size, leading to a higher circulating flux and commercially available components are systematically
finally to flow of circulating bearing currents. Therefore, analyzed on motors up to 500 kW under exactly the same

L1, L2, L3 L1, L2, L3

Inverter Inverter
Motor
3∼
Motor 3∼ L1, L2, L3 3∼ L1, L2, L3
3∼ 3∼
3∼ Grid Grid

Shaft

2 3 25
Baseline grounding configuration. Grounded rotor configuration.
 conditions. The different mitigation
techniques discussed in this article
include shielded cables, filters, and
insulated and hybrid bearings. Because
the same measurement technique and
setup were used, the results can be
compared with each other, thereby also
allowing quantification of the results.
Cable Type
The use of shielded rather than
unshielded motor cables is not an
effective mitigation technique for
bearing currents of the EDM and cir-
culating types. The stator ground
currents actually increase due to the
lower grounding impedance of
shielded cable. This results in a high-
er magnetic flux coupling the rotor
shaft that induces higher circulating
bearing currents, notably at elevated
THE DIFFERENT motor speeds (n ≥ 1000 r/min).
EDM bearing currents are not affect-
MITIGATION ed by the use of shielded cables
because they are not related to the
TECHNIQUES stator ground current.
The situation is different for the
DISCUSSED IN THIS rotor ground currents that may be of
dangerously high amplitude. These
ARTICLE INCLUDE currents occur when the rotor is
SHIELDED CABLES, grounded (e.g., via the driven load)
and unshielded motor cables are used.
FILTERS, AND When a shielded cable is used for the
motor supply, no additional rotor
INSULATED AND ground current flows, even when the
rotor shaft is grounded. Due to the
HYBRID shield, the grounding impedance of
the stator is much lower than that of
BEARINGS. the rotor (Figure 5).

Bearing Current / A (pk-to-pk) Bearing Current / A (pk-to-pk)

3
EDM Currents Bearing Temperature /T b Bearing Temperature /T b
2 25 °C 50 °C 70 °C 25 °C 45 °C 65 °C
2
Increase Due to
EDM Circulating Currents
Currents EDM and
IEEE INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS MAGAZINE • JULY|AUG 2006 • WWW.IEEE.ORG/IAS

1 Circulating Currents
1

0 0
0 300 600 900 1,200 1,500 0 300 600 900 1,200 1,500
n (r/min) n (r/min)
(a) (b)

Bearing Current / A (pk-to-pk)

Bearing Temperature /T b
15
25°C 45°C 70°C

10

Increase Due to
Circulating Currents
5

0
0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000
n (r/min)
(c)

4
Measured bearing currents at the (a) 11, (b) 110, and (c) 500 kW power levels with variable motor speed n and bearing
temperature T b . (a) Motor M11a, inverter I11a, 50-m unshielded cable. (b) Motor M110a, inverter I110a, 50-m unshielded
26
cable. (c) Motor M500b, inverter 1500a, 10-m unshielded cable.
Filters
For each power level, a number of different inverter-
output filters listed in Table 4 have been investigated.
These are dv/dt filters (11 kW power level) and dv/dt
reactors (110 and 500 kW power levels), sinusoidal fil-
ters, and common-mode chokes. It is important to note
that all of the filters consist of passive components. None
of the filters contain a connection to the inverter dc link.
Even the common-mode chokes only insert a higher
impedance into the zero-sequence circuit. As a result,
they suppress the common-mode current but not the
common-mode voltage.
The influence of these filters on the bearing currents
depends strongly on the type of bearing current that is flow-
ing. All filters influence the dv/dt of the voltages at the
motor terminals. It is important to note that the sinusoidal
filters lead to nearly sinusoidal line-to-line voltages, but not
sinusoidal line-to-earth voltages. Depending on the type of
filter, the dv/dt at the motor terminals is reduced from dv/dt
≥ 1.5 kV/µs down to dv/dt ≤ 0.5 kV/µs (Figure 6).
Since the dv/dt of the line-to-earth voltages at the
motor terminals has a large impact on ground current
generation, these currents are also significantly influenced
by filter operation (Figure 7). The dv/dt filters, dv/dt reac-
tors, and sinusoidal filters lead to reduction of the stator
ground currents by approximately 30–50% and up to
90% with the common-mode chokes. This holds true for
all three investigated power levels.
Since the circulating bearing currents are induced by
stator ground currents, the amplitudes of the circulating
bearing currents for the larger motors (110 and 500 kW
power levels) are reduced by approximately the same

Current / Unshielded Cable Shielded Cable Current / Unshielded Cable Shielded Cable
A (pk-to-pk) A (pk-to-pk)
15/min 1,500/min 15/min 1,500/min 15/min 1,500/min 15/min 1,500/min
10 35
9 Motor M110a Motor M500a
30
8
Motor M110b 25 Motor M500b
7
6 20
5
4 15
3 10
2 5
1
0 0
d

d
d

de

de

de

de

de

de

de

de
de

de

de

de

de

de

de

de

un

un

un

un

un

un

un

un
un

un

un

un

un

un

un

un

IEEE INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS MAGAZINE • JULY|AUG 2006 • WWW.IEEE.ORG/IAS

ro

ro

ro

ro

ro

ro

ro

ro
ro

ro

ro

ro

ro

ro

ro

ro

G
G

or

ot
ot

or

ot

ot

or

or
ot

ot

ot
or

ot

or

or

or

N
N

N
ot
ot

ot

ot
N

N
N
ot

ot

ot

ot

R
R

R
or
or

or

or
R

R
or

or

or
or

ot
ot

ot

ot
ot

ot

ot
ot

R
R

R
R

R
R

(a) (b)
5
Measured bearing currents for grounded and ungrounded rotors with the use of shielded and unshielded motor cable;
motor speed n = 15 / 1,500 r/min and bearing temperature T b ≈ 70◦ C: (a) 110 kW power level, 50-m cable, inverter I110a
and (b) 500 kW power level, 50-m cable, inverter 1500a.

Line-to-Ground Voltage Line-to-Ground Voltage

0.5 kV/Div 0.5 kV/Div
LeCroy LeCroy

dv/dt Reactor No Filter

DVDT110a
dv/dt Reactor
dv/dt Reactor DVDT500
DVDT110b
Sinusoidal Filter
Common-Mode Choke SF500
CMC110

Common-Mode Choke Common-Mode Choke

CMC500 CMC500

2 µs/Div 2 µs/Div
(a) (b)
6
Measured line-to-ground voltages with alternative filters (10-m shielded cable): (a) 110 kW power level, motor M110b,
27
inverter I110a and (b) 500 kW power level, motor M500b, inverter I500.
 percentages as the stator ground cur-
rents (Figure 8). The rotor ground cur-
rents are reduced to the same extent
and for the same reason as the stator
ground currents when filters are used.
At the 110 kW power level, only
small, harmless EDM bearing currents
occur at motor speed n greater than
1,000 r/min. This is also true for the
500-kW motors in combination with
common-mode chokes.
The EDM-type bearing currents
generated in the 11-kW motors are
unaffected by all of the investigated
filters because the filters do not elimi-
nate the common-mode voltages. The
voltage buildup in the bearings
remains unchanged (Figure 9).
Insulated Bearings
Insulated (“coated”) bearings are steel
bearings with an insulating aluminum
AT 11 KW RATED oxide layer deposited on the outer sur-
face of the outer bearing ring. These
POWER, THE bearings have already been used to
suppress “classical” bearing currents
AMPLITUDES OF caused by magnetic asymmetries in
line-fed motors.
THE EDM The thickness of the insulating coat
BEARING ranges between 50 and 250 µm
depending on the bearing manufactur-
CURRENTS ARE er and type of bearing. Coated bearings
acquired for this investigation had coat
RATHER SMALL. thickness of 50 µm (11 kW power
level) and 250 µm (110 and 500 kW
power levels). These bearings introduce
an ohmic and a capacitive impedance

Stator Ground Current Stator Ground Current

5 A/Div 20 A/Div
LeCroy
LeCroy

No Filter
dv/dt Reactor
DVDT110a
dv/dt Reactor
dv/dt Reactor DVDT500
DVDT110b
Sinusoidal Filter
SF500
Common-Mode Choke
IEEE INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS MAGAZINE • JULY|AUG 2006 • WWW.IEEE.ORG/IAS

CMC110
Common-Mode Choke Common-Mode Choke
CMC500 CMC500
2 µs/Div 2 µs/Div
(a) (b)
7
Measured stator ground currents with alternative filters (10-m shielded cable): (a) 110 kW power level, motor M110b,
inverter I110a and (b) 500 kW power level, motor M500b, inverter I500.

Current / A (pk-to-pk) Current / A (pk-to-pk)

45 120
40 Motor M110a, ig Motor M500a, ig
Motor M110b, ig 100 Motor M500b, ig
35 Motor M110a, ib Motor M500a, ib
30 Motor M110b, ib 80 Motor M500b, ib
25
60
20
15 40
10
20
5
0 0
r

00

0
lte

lte
10

10

11

11

50

50

50
T5
Fi

V1

V1

SF

Fi
C

SF

C
M

VD
o

M
o
D

D
N

C
D

(a) (b)
8
Measured stator ground and bearing currents with alternative filters, 10-m shielded cable, motor speed n = 15 r/min,
28
bearing temperature T b ≈ 70 ◦ C: (a) 110 kW power level and (b) 500 kW power level.
into the bearing current path. As a kW) that suffer from EDM bearing
result, all types of parasitic bearing currents, and it is already imple-
currents are significantly reduced. THIS PROGRAM mented by some manufacturers of
For the small motors (11 kW such motors. Hybrid bearings are not
power level), the amplitudes of the INCLUDED necessary for large motors that suffer
measured EDM bearing currents are from circulating bearing currents.
reduced to less than 60% of their val-
SEVERAL For these larger machines, less expen-
ues with conventional, noninsulated MOTORS AND sive insulated bearings are sufficient
bearings in the case of one installed to suppress the bearing currents.
insulated bearing and to less than INVERTERS WITH
40% in the case of two insulated bear- Conclusion
ings. If only one insulated bearing is POWER LEVELS The important correlations between
used, elevated bearing current flows different drive system parameters, pos-
in the conventional, noninsulated FROM 11–500 KW sibly occurring bearing currents, and
bearing, thereby accelerating its wear mitigation techniques were qualitative-
rate Figure 10(a). AS WELL AS ly and quantitatively analyzed in an
At 11 kW rated power, the ampli- OPERATION WITH identical manner for motors from
tudes of the EDM bearing currents are 11–500 kW rated power. The results
rather small. Therefore, coated bear- NUMEROUS are well in accordance with previous
ings are generally not required for literature. They complement it by pro-
motors of this size. However, they may CABLES, FILTERS, viding forthright, comparable results
be useful for smaller motors with rat- obtained by using commercially avail-
ings less than 1 kW with small bear- AND BEARINGS. able components. Thus, it is possible to
ings and small Hertzian contact areas identify the endangerment of a given
AH . In these small machines, EDM adjustable-drive system due to inverter-
bearing currents of the same ampli- induced bearing currents before such
tudes result in higher bearing current densities. damage occurs even when complex modeling is not possi-
It is also important to note that the EDM bearing cur- ble because the necessary data are not available.
rents are measured in a conductor that bridges the insula- The effectiveness of the investigated mitigation
tion between the bearing and the end shield. No direct techniques for parasitic bearing currents during inverter-
measurements of the discharge currents inside the bearings operation—shielded cable, passive filters, and insulated/

IEEE INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS MAGAZINE • JULY|AUG 2006 • WWW.IEEE.ORG/IAS

are possible; these might be somewhat larger than the hybrid bearings—depends mainly on the type of bearing
available measurements. current (Table 5). It is important to distinguish between
For the large motors (110 and 500 kW power levels), the different types to counteract the cause-and-effect chain
the circulating bearing currents are reduced to presumably in an appropriate manner.
safe levels below Jb = 0.3
A/mm2 . In the case of one insu-
lated bearing, they are reduced to
less than 40% of their values Common-Mode Voltage
with noninsulated bearings; in 0.5 kV/Div
LeCroy
the case of two insulated bear-
ings, they are reduced to less than Sinusoidal Filter
SF11a
20% [Figure 10(b) and (c)]. Even
with only one insulated bearing,
the bearing current densities are
less than Jb = 0.4 A/mm2 . dv/dt Filter
DVDT11a
Hybrid Bearings
Hybrid bearings consist of steel
bearing rings and ceramic bear-
Common-Mode Choke
ing rolls or balls. Measure-
CMC11a
ments have been performed on
the 11- and 110-kW motors
equipped with these bearings.
The three types of bearing cur- Common-Mode Choke
rents—EDM, circulating, and CMC11b
rotor ground currents—are
completely suppressed when 0.5 ms/Div
9
hybrid bearings are used. This
mitigation technique is recom- Measured common-mode voltages, measured between motor star point and motor
29
mended for small motors (<1 grounding terminal with alternative filters, motor M11b, inverter I11a, 2-m unshielded cable.
 Bearing Current / A (pk-to-pk) Bearing Current / A (pk-to-pk)
1.4 6 DE and NDE: Insulated Bearing
DE and NDE: Insulated Bearing
NDE: Insulated Bearing
1.2 NDE: Insulated Bearing 5
Conventional Bearings Conventional Bearings
1.0
Reduction 4
0.8 Reduction
3
0.6
Reduction
2
0.4
1
0.2
0.0 0
0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 0 250 500 750 1,000 1,250 1,500 1,750 2,000
n (r/min) n (r/min)
(a) (b)

Bearing Current / A (pk-to-pk)

18 DE and NDE: Insulated Bearing
16 NDE: Insulated Bearing
14 Conventional Bearings
12
10 Reduction
8 Reduction
6
4
2
0
0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000
IEEE INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS MAGAZINE • JULY|AUG 2006 • WWW.IEEE.ORG/IAS

n (r/min)
(c)
10
Measured bearing currents with use of insulated bearings at the 11 kW, 110 kW, and 500 kW power levels; variable motor
speed n, bearing temperature T b ≈ 70◦ C. (a) 11 kW power level, motor M11b, inverter I11a, 2-m cable. (b) 110 kW power
level, motor M110b, inverter I110a, 10-m cable. (c) 500 kW power level, motor M500b, inverter I500a, 2-m cable.

TABLE 5. MITIGATION TECHNIQUES FOR BEARING CURRENTS.

EDM Currents High-Frequency Circulating Currents
(Small Motors: (Larger Motors:
Shaft Height Shaft Height Rotor Ground Currents
≤ 132 . . . 160 mm) ≥ 200 . . . 280 mm) (All Motor Sizes)
Type of No influence Influence depends on motor speed No significant rotor
Cable: (highest amplitudes occur at ground currents with
Shielded/ low motor speed!): shielded cables
Unshielded Low speed: small influence
High speed: small increase with
shielded cables
Passive Filters No influence Reduction of 30 . . . 90 %, depending on the type of filter
Bearing Type Insulated Insulated bearings: reduction of 60 %/80 % (one/two insulated
bearings: bearings)
reduction
of 40 . . . 60 %
Hybrid bearings: complete suppression
30
 Shielded cables can be used to avoid additional harmful
bearing currents if the rotor is grounded via the driven load.
Circulating bearing currents can be harmful for motors
with shaft height above 280 mm (110 kW). An additional
dv/dt reactor to decrease the dv/dt of the line-to-earth volt-
ages at the motor terminals can reduce these currents to
safe levels. For large motors with a shaft height of 400
mm (500 kW), this reduction may not be sufficient to
reach a safe level. Instead, one insulated bearing can be
used. Alternatively, the manufacturer can also choose to
insulate the bearing seats in the motor end bells. It is gen-
erally not necessary to use two insulated bearings or even
one or two hybrid bearings for further bearing current
reduction at this large motor size.
Filters that do no eliminate the common-mode voltage
do not influence the EDM bearing currents. The use of fil-
ters that eliminate the common-mode voltage, hybrid bear-
ings, or a faraday shielded rotor is recommended for very
small motors to mitigate these EDM bearing currents.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported in part by the Arbeitsgemein-
schaft Industrielle Forschung (AiF), Germany, Grant
12584N.
References
[1] S. Chen, T.A. Lipo, and D. Fitzgerald, “Modelling of bearing currents
in inverter drives,” IEEE Trans. Ind. Applicat., vol. 32, no. 6, pp.
1365–1370, Nov./Dec. 1996.
[2] S. Chen, “Bearing current, EMI and soft switching in induction motor
drives,” Ph.D. dissertation, UMI’s Dissertation Services, Michigan,
1996.
[3] J. Erdman, R. Kerkman, and D. Schlegel, “Effect of PWM inverters on
AC motor bearing currents and shaft voltages,” IEEE Trans. Ind. Appli-
cat., vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 250–259, Mar./Apr. 1996.
[4] D. Busse, J. Erdman, R. Kerkman, D. Schlegel, and G. Skibinski, “The
effect of PWM voltage source inverters on the mechanical performance
of rolling bearings,” IEEE Trans. Ind. Applicat., vol. 33, pp. 567–576,
Mar./Apr. 1997.
[5] D. Busse, J. Erdman, R. Kerkman, and D. Schlegel, “Bearing currents
and their relationship to PWM drives,” IEEE Trans. Power Electron.,
vol. 12, pp. 243–252, Mar. 1997.
[6] D. Busse, J. Erdman, R. Kerkman, D. Schlegel, and G. Skibinski,
“System electrical parameters and their influence effect on bearing cur-
rents,” IEEE Trans. Ind. Applicat., vol. 33, pp. 577–584, Mar./Apr.
1997.
[7] D. Busse, J. Erdman, R. Kerkman, D. Schlegel, and G. Skibinski, “An
evaluation of the electrostatical shielded induction motor: A solution
for rotor shaft voltage buildup and bearing current,” IEEE Trans. Ind.
Applicat., vol. 33, pp. 1563–1570, Nov./Dec. 1997.
[8] D. Busse, J. Erdman, R. Kerkman, D. Schlegel, and G. Skibinski,
“Characteristics of shaft voltage and bearing currents,” IEEE Ind.
Applicat. Mag., vol. 3, pp. 21–32, Nov./Dec. 1997.
[9] J. Ollila, T. Hammar, J. Lisakkala, and H. Tuusa, “A new reason for
bearing current damages in variable speed drives,” in Proc. 7th European
Conf. Power Electronics and Applications (EPE), Trondheim, 1997, pp.
2539–2542.
[10] Z. Krzemien, “Bearing currents in induction motors supplied with
power from PWM inverters,” in Proc. Int. Conf. Electrical Machines
(ICEM), Istanbul, 1998, pp. 592–596.
[11] A. von Jouanne, H. Zhang, and A.K. Wallace, “An evaluation of mit-
igation techniques for bearing currents, EMI and overvoltages in ASD
applications,” IEEE Trans. Ind. Applicat., vol. 34, pp. 1113–1122,
Sep./Oct. 1998.
[12] S. Bell, T.J. Cookson, S.A. Cope, R.A. Epperly, A. Fischer, D.W.
Schlegel, and G.L. Skibinski, “Experience with variable-frequency dri-
ves and motor bearing reliability,” IEEE Trans. Ind. Applicat., vol. 37,
pp. 1438–1446, Sept.-Oct. 1998.
[13] S. Chen and T.A. Lipo, “Circulating type bearing current in inverter
drives,” IEEE Ind. Applicat. Mag., vol. 4, pp. 32–38, Jan./Feb. 1998.
[14] A.L. Julian, G. Orti, and T.A. Lipo, “Elimination of common-mode
voltage in three-phase sinusoidal power converters,” IEEE Trans. Power
Electron., vol. 14, pp. 982–989, Sept. 1999.
[15] H. Zhang, A. von Jouanne, and D. Shaoan, “A reduced-switch dual-
bridge inverter topology for the mitigation of bearing currents, EMI,
and DC-ling voltage variation,” IEEE Trans. Ind. Applicat., vol. 37, no.
5, pp. 1365–1372, Sep./Oct. 2001.
[16] P. Link, “Minimizing electric bearing currents in ASD systems,”
IEEE Ind. Applicat. Mag. vol. 5, pp. 55–66, July/Aug. 1999.
[17] A. Binder, R. Aust, and A. Schrepfer, “Bearing currents—A danger to
inverter-fed ac motors?,” Iron Steel Eng., pp. 47–52, July 1999.
[18] H.-J. Conraths, F. Giebler, and H.-D. Heining, “Shaft-voltages and
bearing currents—New phenomena in inverter driven induction
machines,” in Proc. 8th Eur. Conf. Power Electronics and Applications
(EPE), Lausanne, 1999, CD-ROM, file number 165.
[19] S. Bhattacharya, L. Resta, D.M. Divan, and D.W. Novotny, “Experi-
mental comparison of motor bearing currents with PWM hard-and
soft-switching voltage-source inverters,” IEEE Trans. Power Applicat.,
vol. 14, pp. 552–562, May 1999.
[20] V. Hausberg and H.-O. Seinsch, “Kapazitive Lagerspannungen
und–stroe-me bei umrichtergespeisten Induktionsmaschinen,” Elect.
IEEE INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS MAGAZINE • JULY|AUG 2006 • WWW.IEEE.ORG/IAS
Eng., vol. 82, pp. 153–162, 2000.
[21] V. Hausberg and H.-O. Seinsch, “Wellenspannungen und
zirkulierende La-gerstroeme bei umrichtergespeisten Induktions-
maschinen,” Elect. Eng., vol. 82, pp. 313–326, 2000.
[22] V. Hausberg and H.-O. Seinsch, “Schutzmaßnahmen gegen Lager-
schaeden umrichtergespeister Motoren,” Elect. Eng., vol. 82, pp.
339–345, 2000.
[23] H.E. Boyanton and G. Hodges, “Bearing fluting,” IEEE Ind. Applicat,
Mag., vol. 8, pp. 53–57, Sept.-Oct. 2002.
[24] R.F. Schiferl and M.J. Melfi, “Bearing current remediation options,”
IEEE Ind. Applicat. Mag., vol. 10, pp. 40–50, July/Aug. 2004.
[25] A. Muetze and A. Binder, “Systematic approach to bearing current
evaluation in speed drive systems,” Eur. Trans. Elect. Power, vol. 15, no.
3, pp. 217–227, 2005.
[26] A. Muetze and A. Binder, “High frequency stator ground currents of
inverter-fed squirrel-cage induction motors up to 500 kW,” in Proc.
10th European Conf. Power Electronics and Applications (EPE), Toulouse,
2003, CD-ROM, file number 027.
A. Muetze (muetze@engr.wisc.edu) is with the Department of
Electrical and Computer Engineering of the University of Wis-
consin, Madison. A. Binder is with the Department of Electri-
cal Energy Conversion of the Darmstadt University of
Technology, Germany. Muetze is an IEEE Member. This article
first appeared in its original form at IEMDC 2003 and was
sponsored for publication by the Industrial Drives Committee.
31