Shaft Voltage and Current Monitoring

By: Muhammad Saeed Akhtar

January 8, 2021
 Purpose
• The purpose of shaft monitoring is to indicate the presence
of high levels of voltage or current on the motor or
generator shaft in order to detect poor grounding shaft
performance prior to bearing failures.
• Poor performance of a shaft grounding brush is one of the
most frequent reasons for the build-up of shaft voltage and
current.   During the normal operation of electrical
machines, AC and DC voltages can be induced in the shaft,
or created by the rotating elements of the turbine,
connected to the same shaft.
 Other key causes include
• Potential applied to the shaft as result of rotor winding
ground fault or spikes caused by excitation system (spikes
up to 200 V).
• Asymmetry of magnetic fields caused by design,
manufacturing details, rotor winding shorted turns or by
large stator core faults
• Flux generated by axially magnetized turbine and generator
parts
• Electrostatic effects caused by charged turbine steam or
lubricants
Importance of Shaft Voltage and Current Monitoring

• If shaft voltages are high enough, shaft currents can cause arching
between the shaft and the bearing. The arching elevates the
temperature enough to cause the metal to vaporize and result in
pitting of the bearings.
• Shaft voltage monitoring will also provide additional benefits that
may include:
• Avoiding unexpected mechanical failures of the bearings by
identifying poorly performing brushes for replacement.
• Identifying the quality of repairs or maintenance on brushes
• Prioritizing maintenance on machines in your fleet where it is
most needed
Methods For Shaft Voltage and Current Monitoring

• On-line shaft monitoring using the Guard II requires the

permanent installation or modification of 1 or 2 voltage
brushes.  Shaft current and voltage signals are
continuously measured by the monitor to trend and alert
when grounding maintenance is required.
• Installation of the GuardII can be performed without a
unit shutdown, but the installation of the voltage brushes
and connection to the shaft grounding brush might
require a shutdown depending on the type of the brush
installed.
 Objective
The objective of power system protection are:
• To prevent injury to personnel
• To minimize damage to the system components
• To limit the extent and duration of service interruption
whenever:
– Equipment failure
– Human error
– Adverse natural events occur
• To isolate a faulty section of electrical power system from rest of
the live system so that the rest portion can function satisfactorily.
 Safety
• Preventive of human injury is the most important
objective of electrical system protection.
• Interrupting devices should have adequate
interrupting capability
• Energized parts should be sufficiently enclosed or
isolated so as not to expose personnel to explosion,
fire, arcing, or shock.
 Safety
• Safety has priority over service continuity,
equipment damage, or economics
• ANSI / NFPA 70 & NEC have prescribed practices
to enhance the safety of electrical system.