Grounded Electrodes Approach to Reduce Bearing Currents: Robustness Analysis for Open-Slots Machines

Bearing currents, a critical concern in modern electric motors powered by frequency converters, lead to overheating, increased vibration, and accelerated wear. The Grounded Electrodes Approach (GEA) involves placing thin grounded wires within stator slot openings to act as partial electrostatic shields, targeting the reduction of parasitic capacitance between the winding and the rotor. This paper presents an in-depth analysis of the GEA and extends previous findings by numerically exploring the impact of electrode misplacement on the effectiveness of bearing current mitigation in open-slot machines. Various misplacement scenarios are considered, providing valuable insights for optimizing the application of the GEA in practical settings. The outcomes contribute to the ongoing discourse on reliable electric machine design, offering nuanced perspectives on electrode positioning’s critical role in bearing currents mitigation for open-slots configurations.