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Preventing VFD/AC Drive Induced Electrical Damage to

AC Motor Bearings
by William Oh
Electro Static Technology, An ITW Company

Overview
The use of variable-frequency drives (VFDs) to control AC
motors has increased dramatically in recent years. In
addition to their low operating cost and high performance,
they save energy. Today, the challenge facing system
designers and engineers is to minimize damage to AC
motors from shaft current. From its first minute of operation,
a VFD induces destructive voltages that build up on the
motor shaft until they find discharge paths to the frame
(ground). In most cases, the motor bearings present the
path of least resistance. Once voltage is sufficient to
overcome the resistance of the oil film layer in the bearing,
shaft current discharges, causing electrical discharge
machining (EDM) 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
micro fibers to discharge harmful currents and provide a
low-cost solution to the problem.

Shaft currents induced by VFDs can lead to motor failures.

Without some form of mitigation, shaft currents travel to
ground through bearings, causing pitting, fusion craters,
fluting, excessive bearing noise, eventual bearing failure,
and subsequent motor failure.
This is not a small problem. Consider:
Most motor bearings are designed to last for 100,000
hours, yet motors controlled by VFDs can fail within
one month (720 hours).
An HVAC system contractor recently reported that, of
the 30-60 HP VFD-controlled vane axial fans he
installed in a large building project, two failed within
six months and 100% of the motors failed within one
year.
Several large pulp and paper companies surveyed
noted that the VFD-controlled AC motors used in their
plants typically fail due to bearing damage within six
months.
The largest motor manufacturer in the United States
has cited eliminating drive-related motor failures as its
number-one engineering challenge.
Today, there are almost a dozen blogs on the Internet
focused on discussing the problems presented by
VFD-induced shaft currents, sharing information and
experiences, and suggesting solutions.
Motor failures caused by VFD-induced shaft currents
result in hundreds of thousands of hours of unplanned
downtime, in the United States alone, each year. In
addition, these failures affect the performance and
mean time between failure (MTBF) of the original
equipment manufacturing (OEM) systems in which
they are used.
With recent motor-price increases (approximately 16%
over last year) due to rising copper prices, this problem
will become even more costly.

Electrical Damage to Bearings

AEGIS Bearing Protection Rings

Variable Frequency Drives Induce Shaft Currents in

AC Motors
Due in large part to an increased focus on energy savings,
the use of pulse-width-modulated (PWM) variablefrequency drives (VFDs) to control AC motors has grown
dramatically over the last few years. While they offer low
operating costs and high performance, VFDs are not
without their problems.

Due to the high-speed switching frequencies used in PWM

inverters, all variable frequency drives induce shaft current
in AC motors. The switching frequencies of insulated-gate
bipolar transistors (IGBT) used in these drives produce
voltages on the motor shaft during normal operation
through electromagnetic induction. These voltages, which
can register 70 volts or more (peak-to-peak), are easily
measured by touching an oscilloscope probe to the shaft
while the motor is running.
Once these voltages reach a level sufficient to overcome
the dielectric properties of the grease in the bearings, they
discharge along the path of least resistance typically the
motor bearings to the motor housing. (Bearings are

designed to operate with a very thin layer of oil between

the rotating ball and the bearing race.) During virtually
every VFD cycle, induced shaft voltage discharges from the
motor shaft to the frame via the bearings, leaving a small
fusion crater in the bearing race.

Pitting: Below is a frosted bearing race wall after 5400

hours of continuous use in a VFD/AC motor system. Early
damage typically takes the form of pitting. These fusion
craters increase in number and size as each cycle of induced
voltage discharges from the shaft through the bearings to
the frame and ground. Soon the entire race is covered with
millions of pits. As new fusion craters form over old ones,
eventually a frosted surface easily visible to the naked
eye appears.
Frosted Bearing Race

Voltage repeatedly builds up on a motor shaft, then discharges

through bearings, damaging them and shortening motor life.

These discharges are so frequent that before long the entire

bearing race becomes marked with countless pits known
as frosting. As damage continues, the frosting increases,
eventually leading to noisy bearings and bearing failure. A
phenomenon known as fluting may occur as well,
producing washboard-like ridges across the frosted bearing
race. Fluting can cause excessive noise and vibration that, in
heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems, is
magnified and transmitted by the ducting. Regardless of
the type of bearing or race damage that occurs, the resulting
motor failure often costs many thousands or even tens of
thousands of dollars in downtime and lost production.

Fluting: In a phenomenon known as fluting, the

operational frequency of the 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.

Failure rates vary widely depending on many factors, but

evidence suggests that a significant portion of failures
occur only 3 to 12 months after system startup. Because
many of todays 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
due to bearing failure, almost 80% of these are caused by
electrical damage to bearings.
New bearing race: Viewed under a scanning electron
microscope, a new bearing race wall is a smooth surface. As
the motor runs, a track eventually forms where the bearing
ball contacts the wall. With no electrical discharge damage,
this type of mechanical wear would be the only cause of
degradation.
New Bearing Race

Strategies for Mitigating Shaft Current Damage

As demonstrated above, 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.
Insulation: 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 ceramic insulation, high-frequency
VFD-induced currents actually pass through the insulating
layer and cause bearing failure. If attached equipment, such
as a pump, provides this path, the other equipment often
winds up with bearing damage of its own. Insulation and
other bearing-isolation strategies can be costly to
implement.

Alternate discharge paths: When properly implemented,

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

a. They are subject to wear because of the

mechanical contact with the shaft.
b. They collect contaminants on their metal
bristles, which destroys their effectiveness.
c. They are subject to oxidation buildup, which
decreases their grounding effectiveness.
d. They require maintenance on a regular basis,
increasing their cost.

Shaft-Current Mitigation Technologies

Although there are a number of technologies now available
to protect AC motor bearings from damage due to shaft
currents, few meet all the criteria of effectiveness, low cost,
and application versatility.
1. Faraday shield: The shield prevents the VFD current
from being induced onto the shaft by effectively
blocking it with a capacitive barrier between the stator
and rotor. However, this solution is extremely difficult to
implement, very expensive, and has been generally
abandoned as a practical solution.
2. Insulated bearings: Insulating material, usually a
nonconductive resin or ceramic layer, isolates the
bearings and prevents shaft current from discharging
through them to the frame. This forces current to seek
another path to ground, such as through an attached
pump or tachometer or even the load. Due to the high
cost of insulating the bearing journals, this solution is
generally limited to larger-sized 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, over
time, establish a current path through the bearings.
3. Ceramic bearings: The use of nonconductive ceramic
balls prevents the discharge of shaft current through
this type of bearing. As with other isolation measures,
shaft current will seek an alternate path to ground. This
technology is very costly, and 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 must be resized in most cases to
handle mechanical static and dynamic loadings.
4. Conductive grease: In theory, because this grease
contains conductive particles, it would provide a lowerimpedance path through the bearing and would bleed
off shaft current through the bearing without the
damaging discharge. Unfortunately, the conductive
particles in these lubricants increase mechanical wear
to the bearing, rendering the lubricants ineffective and
often causing premature failures. This method has been
widely abandoned as a viable solution to bearing
currents.
5. Grounding brush: A metal brush contacting the
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:

AEGIS SGR uKIT

6. Bearing Protection Ring (SGR): This innovative new

approach involves the use of a ring of specially
engineered conductive micro fibers to redirect shaft
current and provide a reliable, very low impedance path
from shaft to frame, bypassing the motor bearings
entirely. The rings patented Electron Transport
Technology uses the principles of ionization to boost
the electron-transfer rate and promote extremely
efficient discharge of the high-frequency shaft currents
induced by VFDs. With hundreds of thousands of
discharge points, the SGR channels shaft currents
around the AC motor bearings and protects them from
electrical damage. The AEGIS SGR is a low-cost
solution that can be applied to virtually any size AC
motor in virtually any VFD application.

Electron Transport Technology

Electron Transport Technology was invented by engineer
William Oh of Electro Static Technology (EST), an Illinois
Tool Works company. EST is a leader in the development
and application of passive ionization technology
solutions for industry.

A More Complete Solution

The AEGIS SGR Conductive MicroFiber Bearing Protection
Ring offers a unique combination of benefits unmatched
by other technologies, including:
Scalability: AEGIS technology is scalable to all sizes of
NEMA-frame and larger motors regardless of shaft size or

application. Introduced to the market in May 2005, the SGR

was designed for motors with shafts from 0.311 to 6.020
including NEMA and IEC frames as well as high-horsepower
AC and DC motors with shaft diameters up to 30. AEGIS
SGRs have been applied to power generators, gas turbines,
wind turbine generators, AC traction and break motors,
cleanrooms and HVAC systems, and a long list of other
industrial and commercial applications.
Installation and maintenance: The SGR is easily installed
by sliding the ring over either end of the motor shaft and
locking it in place with simple screw-on mounting brackets.
Because no machining is required, the SGR can be installed
in minutes even in the field. Once installed, the AEGIS
SGR requires no maintenance. With no parts to wear out,
the SGR lasts as long as the bearings. A split-ring design
allows installation around the shaft without disassembling
attached equipment.
Low cost and high return on investment: One of the
key goals in the design of the AEGIS SGR was to create a
true value for the customer. 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 $1,000,000 or more per hour. The cost of
installing an AEGIS SGR in a VFD/AC motor system is very
low when compared to the cost of the overall system,
usually less than 1% of the equipment cost.
By preventing electrical damage to bearings, the SGR
protects the VFD system from the costly downtime of
unplanned maintenance. In some production applications,
even a momentary stoppage due to motor failure can cost
more than $250,000, excluding the cost of repairing the
motor.
Motor manufacturers and process engineers in industries
where VFDs are used are keenly aware of the problems and
expense caused by electrical damage to bearings. They
have expended significant time, effort, and money to find a
solution to this problem. The AEGIS SGR Conductive
MicroFiber Bearing Protection Ring is the most effective and
universally applicable solution to date.

About the Author

Mr. Oh has extensive design
and application experience in
both automation and product
development, specializing in
passive dissipative technology
for mitigating unwanted
electrical currents. He has
developed products and
manufacturing equipment for
several companies and is a
William Oh,
member of the Illinois Tool Works
General
Manager
Patent Society. With an M.S. in
Mechanical Engineering from the
Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and a
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Pusan National University,
he spent three years as a visiting researcher at the University
of Massachusetts.
September 2006

31 Winterbrook Road
Mechanic Falls, ME 04256
(866) 738-1857
[email protected]
www.est-aegis.com