The present invention relates to a compensation apparatus in order to compensate for bearing currents in an electrical machine, and to an electrical machine which is equipped with a compensation apparatus such as this. The present invention furthermore relates to a corresponding method for compensation for bearing currents.
Nowadays, variable-speed motors are generally fed by voltage intermediate-circuit converters. These voltage-intermediate-circuit converters for feed purposes lead to bearing currents in the bearings of the motor. These bearing currents can lead to premature failure of the bearings, depending on the design of the motor. Failure is due to groove formation on the running suhigh-frequencyaces of the bearing (vibration, noise) and/or to decomposition of the bearing grease.
Current-isolated bearings, for example bearings with ceramic insulation on the outer ring, are thus widely used in order to suppress bearing currents. Alternatively, hybrid bearings have been used, with steel rings and ceramic roller bodies in order to avoid bearing currents. However, these bearings are very expensive and are thus avoided, as far as possible. Furthermore, solutions in which the rotor is grounded by means of grounding brushes are known in order to prevent bearing currents. However, the grounding brushes are subject to wear and the contact reliability is not ensured, particularly in rugged environmental conditions. Furthermore, the Rockwell company have proposed in an “Industry White Paper” entitled “Inverter-Driven Induction Motors Shaft and Bearing Current Solutions” for a specific shield to be provided between the rotor and the stator. Furthermore, in this context, converters are also known which use specific pulse patterns to reduce the bearing currents. All of these solutions have the common feature that they are relatively expensive and complex.