What is it about?

We tried to predict wear of different carbon brushes used in electric motor. Parameters such as speed of the motor, electric current, type of the motor, etc. all influence wear of carbon brushes. Based on large data base, we tried to estimate how strongly life of the brush is determined by each of those parameters. Life time test results were generously donated by largest European manufacturer of vacuum cleaner motors, company Domel.

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Why is it important?

This work is based on data from real life application (vacuum cleaner motor). To gain prediction model (simple formula) we had to systematically analyze large amounts of life time test reports. Based on gained data, the most important parameters were recognized and finally models were learned based on that data. As a result it is very trivial to calculate how life of the motor is influenced by changing one or more of those parameters. For instance: if we know the speed of the motor will increase for 10%, then it is eacy to estmate how much would such a change reduce life of that particular motor.

Perspectives

Publication is important because it is the only attempt on how to predict brush wear based on large amount of life time test reports. Usually wear analysis are based on changing single parameter or at most two parameters in laboratory set-environment. What is later on happening in real time world (within final application or on field) is usually very different from laboratory conditions. Next to it, parameters determining life of the brush usually work as cross-correlated variables and not as independent ones. Therefore it is important to learn on very wide range of operational data (power range, different brush grades, differnt brush pressure, low-high speed motors, etc.). Wide range of different operational and design parameters is essential for a robust and reliable prediction model. Probably paper isn't that beneficial for tribologists, but surely provides useful information for electric motor reliability and design engineers.

Mr Blaž Benedik
Domel

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Prediction of vacuum cleaner motor brush life: a regression approach, IET Electric Power Applications, November 2015, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (the IET),
DOI: 10.1049/iet-epa.2014.0437.
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