REDUCTION OF THE BEARING CURRENT IN PWM MOTOR DRIVES

BY MEANS OF COMMON MODE VOLTAGE CANCELLATION

Ryszard STRZELECKI, Robert SMOLESKI, Adam KEMPSKI
Technical University of Zielona Gora
Zielona Gora (Poland)

Abstract - In this paper the method of active

common mode voltage cancellation using serial
active filter is presented. The filter is based on
emitter
follower
using
complementary
MOSFET transistors. The experimental results
show that designed and constructed active filter
is capable to significantly reduction of common
mode voltage and to whole elimination of
bearing currents (EDM Electric Discharge
Machining) in bearings of induction motors fed
from PWM voltage source inverters. The power
dissipation in active filter is analyzed as well.
1. INTRODUCTION
The phenomenon of bearing currents in induction
motors has been known for decades. It has been
reported by Alger [1] in the 1920s that the basic
reason for these currents is asymmetric flux
distribution inside of the motor. This problem has
been effective solved with modern motor designing
and
manufacturing
practices.
However,
unexpectedly, the problem has returned since
power electronic devices are becoming common in
adjustable speed drives (ASD). During the past few
years it has recognized that the numbers of
prematurely faulted bearings of induction motors
fed from PWM inverters has increased
significantly [2]. These failures can be easily
distinguished from the other due to unique
detoriation pattern (flutting on a bearing race).
Mainly responsible for the bearing currents in
modern ASDs is unavoidable instantaneous
electrical asymmetry at the output of the inverter.
2. COMMON MODE VOLTAGE AND
BEARING CURRENTS IN PWM ASD DRIVE
When the motor is powered by PWM inverter, it is

impossible to achieve the balance between phases

instantaneously. The average voltage in a neutral
point with respect to ground create so called
common mode (CM) voltage source of system:

un =

u A + u B + uC
3

(1)

Fig.1. shows the output phase voltage waveforms

generated as a series of nearly rectangular pulses of
different widths and resulting CM voltage
waveform.
500V
0V
500V
0V
500V
0V
500V

Phase A
Phase B

Phase C
Common mode voltage UN

0V

20

40 ms

Fig.1. Common mode voltage generation at the

output of PWM inverter.
The CM voltage is a staircase function of
amplitude equal to DC bus voltage Ud and the
frequency equal to the inverter switching
frequency. The steps of CM voltage are 1/3 Ud as
it is schematically shown on Fig.1. The
experimental waveform of CM voltage is depicted
on Fig.2.

Fig.2. Common mode voltage at the output of

inverter.
The source of CM voltage at the output of inverter
is the cause of a voltage emerging on the shaft
because of the distribution of parasitic capacitances
inside of the motor. These create an internal
capacitive divider and the shaft voltage can be
expressed [2] as:

UW
C SW
=
U
S SW + C B + CWK

In modern bearings the thickness of lubrication

layers is 0.2 m 2 m [3]. It enables charge to
accumulate on the rotor assembly until the voltage
exceeds the dielectric capability of the bearing
grease and then can lead to frequently repeated
flashover in bearings. This is known as an electric
discharge machining (EDM). It is the reason of
premature electrical induced bearing failure.
Under normal operating conditions it is impossible
to observe directly the bearing currents that flow
inside the bearing. To detect bearing currents the
special treatment has been employed. To break up
the EDM current path the bearings have been
insulated from the motor frame and thin insulator
layers have been bypassed by special measuring
wires (Fig.4).
Insulation layer

(2)

where :
UW -shaft voltage,
U -voltage of stator windings neutral point,
CSW-capacitance between stator windings and
rotor,
CB-bearing capacitance,
CWK-capacitance of air gap.

Special wire

PE

Fig.4. Measuring arrangement.

The necessary condition for a shaft voltage

appearance is the bearing capacitance CB (between
balls and races of bearing). It has appeared as a
result of a thin hydrodynamic oil film in rotating
bearings.In this case the bearing balls are not in
electrical contact with races because the grease has
an insulating effect. Fig.3 shows common mode
voltage at stator windings neutral point and shaft
voltage.

The destructive EDM current is a wave-formed

impulse with risetime of nanoseconds. A peak of
EDM current can reach a value of amperes
As we have been proved in previous works [4] the
EDM pulses are electrostatic effects and they
appear randomly. Their occurrence depends mainly
on the level of shaft voltage. The EDM currents are
often observed directly coupled to a switching
instant of the inverter but in our investigations we
have often observed the delay time between
reaching the level of shaft voltage which is
sufficient to discharge and the moment of
breakdown as well (Fig.5).

Fig.3. Common mode voltage at stator windings

neutral point and shaft voltage.

Fig.5. Shaft voltage and bearing current events.

The voltage rise rate du/dt has then a minor

influence. Therefore, as we have proved using
statistical approach [5], passive methods for
common mode current reduction are not effective
solutions for bearing currents elimination
(histograms on Fig.6 and Fig.7).

follower (T1,T2). The common mode voltage is

detected on Y-connected capacitors (C1) and added
to the phase voltages by the common mode
transformer (Fig.8). Such technique of elimination
can be identified with serial active filter.

Fig.8. Drive system with serial active filter.

3.2. Accuracy of CM voltage compensation in
experimental system
Fig.6. 3-D histogram of bearing current amplitude
and awaiting time to puncture (drive without CM
choke).

Fig.7. 3-D histogram of bearing current amplitude

and awaiting time to puncture(drive with CM choke)

The original arrangement build by Ogasawara and

Akagi was designed using bipolar transistors for
3x200V 60Hz inverter supply. Each of transistors
of emitter follower has to work under whole DClink voltage (282 V).
In our investigations we have examined the
concept of serial active filter for 3x380V 50Hz.
Bipolar p-n-p transistors of rating voltage of 600 V
are not available as a standard. MOSFET
P-channel transistors of required ratings are
accessible easier. They are faster than bipolar
transistors but require use of gate resistor. The
voltage drop on the gate resistor in switching
instant of the inverter can cause slight deviation of
full compensation, especially in case of very fast
switching event. Fig.9. shows CM voltage in
neutral point of wye-connected capacitors at the
output of inverter and CM voltage at the output of
emitter follower.

3. EDM CURRENT ELIMINATION BY

MEANS OF CM VOLTAGE CANCELLATION
3.1. Principle of serial active filter
The active common mode voltage cancellation
method proposed by Ogasawara and Akagi [6]
allows mitigating the problem at its source rather
than suppressing du/dt by means of conventional
passive methods. Natural consequence of the
common mode voltage elimination is the
elimination of the shaft voltage and bearing
currents.
The addition common mode voltage of opposite
polarity to phase voltages realizes the
compensation in the proposed system. It is
executed with the application of the emitter

Fig.9. CM voltage at neutral point at the output of

inverter and CM voltage at the output of emitter
follower.

As we can see from the Fig.9 output voltage of

emitter follower maps common mode voltage
waveform almost perfectly with the exception of
high frequency oscillations after the fastest
switching. Observed strongly damped switching
oscillations are caused by high value of voltage
drop on the gate resistor in this case. Fig.10 shows
the influence of risetime of common mode voltage
waveform on voltage drop on the gate resistor and
voltage waveform at the output of emitter follower.

Fig.11. Drain-source voltage, drain current and

power dissipation in emitter follower; fc = 16kHz.

Fig.10. Voltage drop on the gate resistor and

voltage at the output of emitter follower.
3.3. Power dissipation in the emitter follower
The magnetizing current is supplied mainly from
the emitter follower due to the low output
impedance of this circuit. It means that
magnetizing current flows in both transistors and
power losses in emitter follower depend on
inductance of load (CM transformer). The
magnetizing current has approximately piecewise
triangular waveforms because of rectangular shape
of common mode voltage. The amplitude of this
current depends on inductance of CM transformer
and carrier frequency of inverter. The absolute
maximum power dissipation and carrier frequency
period are the basis of the selection of magnetizing
inductance of CM transformer [7].
Fig.11-15 show the comparison of power
dissipation in one of transistors at different carrier
frequency of inverter. Additionally, these figures
show waveforms of drain-source voltage and drain
current, respectively. The total amount of
dissipated power in whole emitter follower is
approximately two times greater.

Fig.12. Drain-source voltage, drain current and

power dissipation in emitter follower; fc = 12kHz.

Fig.13. Drain-source voltage, drain current and

power dissipation in emitter follower; fc = 8kHz.

Fig.14. Drain-source voltage, drain current and

power dissipation in emitter follower; fc = 4kHz.

Fig.16. Shaft voltage and bearing current in drive

with serial active filter.

Total power dissipation measured in the same time

interval has changed from 13.6 W for carrier
frequency 16kHz to 35.2 W for 4kHz.

Note that trigger status on Fig. 16 is set as

normal and the trigger value is 20 mA only.

4. EFFECT ON EDM CURRENTS

Presented serial active common mode filter is
capable for elimination of baring current by means
of common mode cancellation. Fig.15. shows an
effect of serial active filter on CM voltage and
shaft voltage waveforms.

Fig.15. Common mode voltage and shaft voltage in

drive with serial active filter.
The almost perfectly cancellation of CM voltage in
our system causes that value of shaft voltage not
exceed 3 V. It is to small value to puncture of the
grease film in bearing. In such condition bearing
currents have not emerged. It has been
experimentally proved that no EDM current was
observed in long measuring period (Fig.16).

5. CONCLUSIONS
The aim of our work has been adapted the concept
of common mode voltage cancellation to EDM
current elimination in ASD drives fed from mains
of rated value obligatory in UE. It was necessary to
apply MOSFET transistors in place of bipolar
transistors used in original work of Ogasawara and
Akagi. In spite of voltage drop on gate resistor our
serial active filter is effective solution for CM
voltage cancellation and consequently of EDM
currents problem.
The power dissipation of emitter follower
corresponds to a small fraction of rated power of
induction motor and strongly depends on inverter
carrier frequency and inductance of CM
transformer. Applying of high carrier frequency
leads to decrease of magnetizing current and
allows reducing dissipating power and active filter
dimensions. Our current researches concern on the
selection of MOSFET transistors and core material
of CM transformer to decrease of power
dissipation and dimensions of active filter.
6. REFERENCES
1. Alger, Samson: Shaft Currents in Electric
Machines, A.I.R.E. Conference, Philadelphia,
Pa., February 1924.
2. Macdonald D., Gray W.: PWM drive related
bearing failures, IEEE Industry Appl.
Magazine July/August, 1999 pp. 41-47.
3. Doyle Busse et al.: System Electrical
Parameters and Their Effects on Bearing
Currents, IEEE Trans. on Industry Appl., vol.
33, No. 2, March/April 1997 p.577-585.

4. Kempski
A.:
Capacitively
Coupled
Discharging Currents in Bearings of Induction
Motor Fed from PWM
(Pulsewidth
Modulation) Inverters, Electrostatics 2001
Journal of Electrostatics (in press).
5. Kempski A., Strzelecki R., Smoleski R.,
Fedyczak Z.: Bearing Current Path and Pulse
Rate in PWM-Inverter-Fed Induction Motor
PESC2001 Vancouver, in press.
6. Ogasawara S., Akagi H.: An Active Circuit for
Cancellation of Common Mode Voltage
Generated by PWM Inverter, PESC97, 1997,
pp.1547-1553.
7. Ogasawara S., Akagi H. Modeling and
Damping of High-Frequency
Leakage
Currents in PWM Inverter-Fed AC Motor
Drive System, IEEE Industry Appl. Magazine,
September/October, 1996 pp.1105-1113.
Prof. Ryszard Strzelecki
was born in 1955 in Bydgoszcz, Poland. He received
M.Sc. degree from Technical University of Kiev, Ph.D.
and D.Sc. degrees from Institute of Electrodynamics of
the Ukrainian Academy of Science. Presently he is
Professor of Institute of Electrical Engineering in
Technical University of Zielona Gra, Poland. His
research interests are in area of modelling, control,
design and stability analysis of the power electronics
systems.
Mailing address:
Ryszard Strzelecki
Technical University of Zielona Gra
Institute of Electrical Engineering
Ul. Podgrna 50
65-246 Zielona Gra
phone:(+48)(0-68) 32-82-508, fax:(+48)(0-68)325 46 15
e-mail: r.strzelecki@iep.pz.zgora.pl
Dr Adam Kempski
was born in 1953 in Kpno, Poland. He received the
M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from
Technical University of Wrocaw. At present he is
Researcher in Institute of Electrical Engineering of
Technical University of Zielona Gra. His field of
interest is Electromagnetic Compatibility in Power
Electronics.
Mailing address:
Adam Kempski
Technical University of Zielona Gra
Institute of Electrical Engineering
Ul. Podgrna 50
65-246 Zielona Gra
phone:(+48)(0-68) 32-82-342, fax:(+48)(0-68)325 46 15
e-mail: a.kempski@iep.pz.zgora.pl

M.Sc. Robert Smoleski

was born in 1973 in Krosno Odrzaskie, Poland. He
received the M.Sc. degree in electrical engineering from
Technical University of Zielona Gra. At present he is
Researcher in Institute of Electrical Engineering of
Technical University of Zielona Gra. His field of
interest is Electromagnetic Compatibility in Power
Electronics.
Mailing address:
Robert Smoleski
Technical University of Zielona Gra
Institute of Electrical Engineering
Ul. Podgrna 50
65-246 Zielona Gra
phone:(+48)(0-68) 32-82-253, fax:(+48)(0-68)325 46 15
e-mail: r.smolenski@iep.pz.zgora.pl