Experimental validation of the circulating-bearing-currents mathematical theory in the 20 MHz frequency range

The high-frequency circulating bearing currents can be described through an eddy-current model. This article proposes a different paradigm in the study of the circulating bearing currents: instead of using finite element tools to validate the mathematical theory, the authors of this article have built an experimental mockup. The simplicity and ease of use of the proposed scale model, makes it ideal to be used in the validation of the circulating-bearing-currents theory. The mathematical tools allow the computation of the circulating bearing currents starting from the conception phase of the motor, thus potentially avoiding additional costs on maintenance throughout motor's life.