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Coating Material Design for Traction Motor Bearings of Electric Vehicles Under Electrical Loads
Date Issued
01-01-2022
Author(s)
Balakrishna, G. V.
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras
Abstract
Bearings in the electric vehicle drive motors experience stray currents and voltages, leading to local damage and an increase in noise and vibration. A method suggested to mitigate the electric current induced failures is to use an insulated coating, typically made of alumina on either the inner race or outer race. An ideal insulated coating can protect the bearings from damage due to extreme currents. The current research work is aimed to estimate the coating parameters, such as thickness, needed to minimize the flow of current inside the bearing parts. Numerical simulations are carried out to evaluate the insulation coating’s effectiveness in the bearing using commercial finite element software, and the results were validated with the analytical estimates. Porosity in the ceramic coatings plays an essential role in the flow of current through the bearings. The results will help determine an optimized coating thickness which will prevent premature failure of drive motor bearings due to electrical loads.