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Proactive Maintenance Strategy for Electrically Induced Bearing Damage

David Kowal
General
Motor, Vibration
Not Classified
Proactive Maintenance Strategy for Electrically Induced Bearing Damage
by David Kowal
Application Development Engineer for Computational Systems, Inc. (CSI)

Abstract
Unknown to many, a small percentage of machinery component damage can be traced to the passage of
electrical current through the component (i.e. bearings, couplings, gears, seals). The damage, referred to as EDM
(Electrical Discharge Machining), originates from either an electromagnetic source, an electrostatic source, an
external voltage source, or a combination of the sources. EDM damage occurs more often in variable frequency
drive AC motors and DC motors then other types of machinery, but this kind of damage isn't limited to only these
types of equipment.
This paper describes checks you can perform to 1) assist in detecting for the existence EDM damage, 2) check
shaft grounding systems to determine their effectiveness, and 3) track down the origin of the voltage source. It is
not the intention of this paper to discuss in any detail the different voltage sources which could result in or the
corrective actions which can be taken to prevent EDM damage.
Introduction
Under the best of conditions every bearing has, like any component, a point at which it will eventually fail. A
bearing's life, depending on its operation (i.e. number hours in service, number of starts and stops, load, speed,
etc.) can vary from 5,000 -100,000 operating hours. Table 1 lists some typical bearing operating hours provided by
one bearing manufacturer [1].
Machine

Operating Hours

Machines not fully utilized 8 hours per day: gear drives for
general purpose, electric motors for industrial use, rotary
crushers

10,000 - 25,000

Machines fully utilized 8 hours per day: ventilator fans,

conveyor belts, printing equipment, separators and centrifuges

20,000 - 30,000

Machines for continuous use 24 hours per day: medium sized

electrical machinery, compressors, pumps, textile machinery

40,000 - 50,000

Water works machinery, rotary furnaces, propulsion machinery

for ocean-going vessels

60,000 - 100,000

Large electric machinery, mine pumps and mine ventilator

fans, tunnel bearings for ocean-going vessels

~ 100,000

Table 1. Typical bearing operating hours.

The maximum life of the bearing is reduced when additional factors (e.g. misalignment, imbalance, overloaded

conditions, EDM, etc.) are present.

EDM Damage
Some machines have been plagued with chronic bearing failures, due to EDM, in less than 250 hours of
operation. Other machines with EDM damaged bearings may achieve greater hours of operation, but in all cases
the life of the bearing was cut short. One source mentions that one bearing manufacturer suggests that 8% of all
electric motor bearing failures were electrically induced [2]. Another source mentions that 25% of all motor bearing
failures are due to EDM; more specifically, high-frequencies switching [3]. The difference in the two papers could
be contributed to a difference in motor population considered.
Before EDM damage can occur, a voltage potential and a path for current to flow must exist. Shaft voltages, to
some degree, exist on all machines. EDM problems occur either from a decrease in lubrication dielectric or from
an increase in the shaft voltages resulting from [4]:
Electromagnetic voltages (i.e. broken rotor bars, turn-to-turn shorts, eccentric rotors, etc.).
Electrostatic voltages (i.e. accumula-tion of charged ions from stem turbines and conveyor belts, AC variable
frequency drive systems, DC drive systems, etc.).
External voltages (i.e. welders, voltages applied to the process, etc.).
Combinations of the above voltages.
A path, for current to flow, is the second necessary ingredient for EDM damage to occur. In most cases the path is
usually through the bearing. The bearing can be thought of as being two capacitors in series. Like any capacitor, if
enough voltage is applied to one plate (i.e. shaft or bearing inner race) the dielectric (i.e. bearing lubrication) will
breakdown resulting in a path to the second plate (i.e. bearing ball or roller). This in turn results in a path to the
third plate (i.e. shaft or bearing outer race). When the path is created current flows through it. The resulting current
flow creates an electric arc across the plates, thus damaging the bearing's surfaces.
Proactive Maintenance Strategy
What do you do when you suspect EDM damage? If you suspect bearing damage from EDM, there are questions
you can ask and checks you can perform assist you in determining whether EDM could be a problem or not and if
so, how to locate the source of the problem.
1. Does the machine have a history of either undiagnosed failures or diagnosed failures due to EDM? Some
machines are plagued with repeated bearing failures due to EDM. How long has the machine been service? If the
machine has been in service for 15 years, and the problem just started, something may have changed for the
EDM problem to occur.
2. Look at the past history of other machines of the same type and application. If one machine has problems due
to EDM (depending on the machine, the machine's operation, the machine's environment, etc.) it is likely other
machines of the same type and operation will be susceptible to EDM damage.
3. Is the machine in the highest risk group? Machines in the high risk group have been determined to be more
susceptible to EDM damage then other machines [4].
Variable frequency variable speed AC and DC motors
Large frame motors (over 1000 HP)
Motors with a history of unexplained chronic bearing failure or failure due to EDM
Newly installed and rebuilt motors placed into service
Motors with shaft grounding systems installed
Vertical motors.
4. Look at the machine's construction. Does the machine have a shaft grounding system and if so, is the shaft
grounding system sealed or open to environmental contamination? Are any of the bearings or the coupling
insulated? Is the bearing lubrication conductive? Are the bearing balls ceramic? Is the motor equipped with a
Faraday Shield? Are filters installed in either the power supply or line to reduce problems due to EDM? Depending

on where the failure occurred, knowing these things can help determine the origin of and the failure responsible for
the EDM damage.
5. What is the machine driving or being driven by? If the problem is in an AC variable frequency drive motor or DC
motor driving a gearbox, the odds are the EDM problem is from the motor's power supply and not the driven unit.
If the problem is in the inboard bearing of a center hung fan being driven by a AC constant speed motor and the
fan is moving air saturated with particulate, then the odds are the problem is from the a static charge build up on
the fan. Note: Even though the odds indicate the possible origin of EDM problem, other types of EDM damage can
result in the same failures.
6. Is the problem the result of a decrease in dielectric insulation? Is the correct bearing lubrication being used? Is
the bearing lubrication contaminated? Has the bearing lubrication dielectric break-down threshold been reduced
due to misalignment, excessive load, lack of lubrication, etc.? Each bearing lubrication has its own dielectric
break-down threshold. The breakdown threshold is dependent on the dielectric of the lubrication and distance
between the plates. If the wrong lubrication is used, the lubrication becomes contaminated, or the distance
between the plates is reduced then the amount of voltage required to cross the gap is also reduced.
7. What was the last thing done to the machine? In one case, a plant replaced the rusted shims from under all
their gearboxes, with new stainless steel shims. After doing this, they started losing the outboard bearings on the
input shaft of all gearboxes to EDM damage. The gearboxes were being driven by DC motors with both bearings
insulated. The rusted shims acted like an insulator preventing the flow of current. In some cases the source of the
problem can be traced back to the last thing done to the machine (i.e. x-raying parts on a machine and not
degaussing when finished or using the wrong bearing lubrication).
8. One thing you can and should do if the machine's damaged bearing has already been removed, is to visually
inspect it. Visual inspection of the bearing damage is one of the best ways to identify the type of damage. EDM
damage has four characteristic appearances: 1) fluting, 2) frosting, 3) electric pitting, and 4) electric arc tracks.
The washboard looking damage, referred to as flutes, shown in Figure 1 and the symmetrical frosting damage,
shown in Figure 2, are probably the easiest to visually identify. I say this only because I don't know of another fault
that will result in damage with this kind of appearance. The best way to confirm EDM damage, for all four
characteristics, is through magnification of the damaged area.

Figure 1. Bearing outer race with EDM fluting damage.

Figure 2. Bearing outer race with EDM frosting damage

9. Check to see if the machine's temperature and noise levels have increased. Increases in these are not
necessarily indications of EDM damage, but EDM damage can result in increased levels. Note: There have been
reported cases where catastrophic bearing failure occurred before temperature and noise levels increased to
noticeable levels.
10. Acquire vibration spectrum data, using at least 800 lines of resolution, at all bearing locations. This includes
insulated bearings. One of the worst fluted damaged bearings I have seen was a bearing with its insulation
compromised. Typically, in a bearing with fluting damage (see Figure 1) and frosting damage (see Figure 2), you
are looking for is a mound of energy with BPFO and/or BPFI sideband spacing. In a previous paper, I stated that
the mound of energy appears between 2000 - 4000 Hz (see Figure 3) [4].

Figure 3. Spectrum plot with mound of energy due to EDM

While continued research has substantiated that many machines with this type of EDM damage do exhibit this
mound of energy in this range, we have found a few machines which show this characteristic pattern outside this
range. On two variable frequency drive AC motors with EDM damage I have seen the energy mound center
frequency around 900 Hz on one motor running at 723 RPM and 5600 Hz on the other motor running at 4500
RPM. In both cases this is about 80 times turning speed. On DC motors, which so far most of my work has been
on, the energy mound center frequency was around 1000 Hz on a 457 RPM motor and between 2000 Hz and
4000 Hz on motors running between 900 RPM and 1350 RPM. In these cases this is about 130 times turning
speed. At this time all of the variables involved in calculating the location of the energy mound center frequency
have not been identified yet.
In addition to the vibration spectrum data, acquire and look at the vibration waveform in G's. If you have a CSI
Model 2120 analyzer, acquire and look at PeakVue data using a filter setting above the energy mound
suspected of being due to EDM. Like temperature and noise levels, these are not necessarily indications of EDM
damage. Bearing damage due to EDM can result in increased waveform amplitudes and bearing fault frequencies
in the PeakVue data.
11. Acquire shaft-to-ground voltage and current measurements using a shaft riding probe. You will want to acquire
AC RMS voltage and current readings, DC voltage and current readings, and peak voltage readings. The shaft
riding probe manufactured by Computational Systems, Inc. or an oscilloscope attached to a shaft riding probe can
be used to acquire all of these readings. Note: The CSI shaft riding probe works in conjunction with one their
analyzers. A multimeter can be used to acquire the AC RMS voltage and current readings and DC voltage and
current readings. It can not be used to acquire the peak voltage readings, since the peak voltage spikes you need

to detect can have very narrow pulse duration's. Peak voltage spiking, which is responsible for most AC variable
frequency drive and DC drive bearing failures, occurs too fast to be read by a multimeter. For example, bearing
damage may be occurring from 30 V (peak) spikes, but a multimeter may only read 100 millivolts AC RMS. The
higher voltage reading should be a concern. Note: The minimum peak voltage spike duration that can be
measured will vary from instrument to instrument.
WARNING!!! Extreme caution should be used when placing anything near or against a rotating shaft. Exercise
extreme care to keep all body parts, clothing, cables, etc. away from the shaft. It is recommended that before you
place anything near or against the rotating shaft that you use a strobe light and look at the shaft surface to check
for any possible obstructions or hazards, such as a key or key way.
The question most often asked with this type of data is, "What voltage and/or current level is damaging?"
Depending on whether the voltage source is electromagnetic, electrostatic, or externally supplied, the answer can
vary depending on who you ask. NEMA MG 1-1993, Section IV, Part 31 states that bearing failure due to electrical
arcing, on motors with frame sizes less than the 500 frame series, can occur if shaft voltages higher than 300
millivolts (peak) are present [5]. One source suggests that peak voltages greater than 3 volts will result in EDM
bearing damage [3]. Some have reported peak voltage levels of 50 - 60 volts on motors with EDM damage. Others
have reported levels greater than 100 volts (peak) on motors with EDM damage. I have seen levels as small as 2
volts (peak) on motors with and without bearing damage. The amount of voltage required to breakdown the
bearing lubrication will vary from machine-to-machine. It has been my experience, the initial levels established in
Table 2 [4] are a good starting point for determining voltage and current levels for most machines.
RELATIVE SEVERITY
GUIDLINES
Measurement
RMS or DC

Amplitudes
Low

Questionable

High

<1

1-3

>3

TBD

TBD

TBD

<3

3 - 10

>10

Voltage (volts)
RMS or DC
Current (mAmps)
Peak Voltage
(volts)
Table 2. Amplitude severity guidelines for shaft voltages and currents.
TBD - these values are to be determined.
Low - little likelihood of damage sustained.
Questionable - if levels are measured and the machine has a history of chronic problems which could be
related, then corrective action should be considered.
High - these levels should be considered unusual and that on-going damage due to EDM between the shaft and
ground is probable.
On machines with electromagnetic induced voltages you should see increased AC RMS voltage readings. On
machines with electrostatic and externally applied voltages you should see higher peak voltage levels. Increased
current levels on machines with constant voltage levels could be the result of a low resistance path (e.g. bearing).
Shaft-to-ground voltage and current measurements are be useful in
1. measuring shaft voltage and current levels which could potentially result in damage,
2. locating the origin of the voltage source resulting in the damage,
3. checking shaft grounding systems to determine their effectiveness,
4. looking for changes in voltage and current levels which may result from EDM damage or other mechanical
faults (i.e. rubs, eccentricity, misalignment, etc.), and
5. establishing baseline levels which can be used in making corrective action decisions on machines, hopefully
long before damage occurs.

Conclusion
Bearing damage resulting from EDM doesn't have to be chronic or remain unexplained. Understanding what
voltage sources result in and which machines are more susceptible to EDM damage, knowing what questions to
ask, knowing how to identify EDM damage through visual inspection and vibration data, and acquiring shaft-toground voltage and current readings can assist you in combating this phenomena.

PeakVue is a registered trademark of Computational Systems, Inc.

References
1. SKF USA Inc., Mounted Products catalog, publication 610-711, 1997, pg. 11.
2. D. Busse, J. Erdman, R. Kerkman, D. Schlegel, and G. Skibinski, "Characteristics of Shaft Voltage and Bearing
Currents," IEEE Industrial Applications Magazine, November/December 1997, pp. 21-32.
3. Annette von Jouanne, and Haoran Zhang, "Bearing Currents: A Major Source of Mechanical Failure for Motors
in Adjustable Speed Drive Applications," Turning Point, September 1998, pg. 3 & 7.
4. David Kowal, "Bearing Damage Resulting from Shaft Voltages and Currents,"Reliability Magazine, April 1998,
pp. 29-38 or CSI 1997 User Conference, Nashville, TN, October 13 - 17, 1997, pp. 373 - 390.
5. NEMA Motors and Generators Standards Publication, MG 1-1993, Section IV, Part 31.
All contents copyright 1998 - 2006, Computational Systems, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.

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