International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395 -0056

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Service failure analysis of D C Motor Commutator

Prateek Rajput1, Manish Vishwakarma2
1 Research Scholar, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, M.A.N.I.T, Bhopal, India

2 Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, M.A.N.I.T, Bhopal, India

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Abstract - Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) is a tool
used for assessing probable failure modes and their reasons. It
aids in ranking the failure modes and mentions remedial
actions for the avoidance of sudden failures in system and
enhancement in availability of system. In this work, an attempt
has been made to use FMEA for the commutator of series D C
motor. This approach is helpful in ensuring effective motor Fig-1: Basic diagram of energy conversion in motor
performance.

Key Words: FMEA, RPN, Commutator

1.3 Constructional features of DC motor
1. INTRODUCTION
Construction of DC motor includes following parts [6]
1. Stator Frame: The stator frame is the static portion of the
1.1 Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) motor. That frame comprises the motor casing, along with
two or more permanent magnet pole pieces. [9]
FMEA is one such quality tool which is used for reliability 2. Armature: It is rotating part of DC motor. It has slots, teeth
analysis and is fruitful to improve reliability of a product or and winding in slots. These windings are electrically
system. FMEA scrutinizes the potential failure modes of connected with commutator.
system and analyse reason and effect of each failure mode. It 3. Commutator: It is cylindrical structure mounted on the
helps to identify loop holes in system, puts forward shaft through commutator hub. It is made up from wedge
development measures and design plans, so as to improve shaped hard drawn copper segments which are highly
the reliability of product or system.[3] FMEA also find its conductive. These copper segments are separated from each
application to describe quality review points, preventive other through thin mica insulation. These slots are arranged
maintenance actions, operational constraints, measures on steel cylinder. This assembly is forced and press fitted on
required to lessen the failure risk.[8] Ideally, FMEAs are the shaft.
applied in the product design or process development The EMF produced in armature conductor is alternating. The
stages, although use of FMEA on existing products and direction of EMF is reversed when conductor passes from
processes can also yield substantial benefits.[11] north pole to south pole. This reversal process of current is
In this paper D C series motor is taken for study. In series known as commutation. Failure in such process results in
motors, the field coil and armature have series connection. sparking between interface of commutator and brush
This project is about the commutator failure in DC motor by causing wear and pitting on commutator surface and of
using FMEA technique which identifies how the process will brushes. [14] Major concern is required to prevent such
flop and how to abolish or reduce risk of failure. failure. In present paper FMEA is being done for
commutation failure. This FMEA is helpful in understanding
various failure modes and their severity. This analysis also
1.2 D C motor includes control action as a part of preventive maintenance
so that sudden failure in system can be prevented to occur.
To obtain mechanical energy from electrical energy Causes of failure modes helps designer to modify design so
electromechanical energy conversion process is required. that chance of such failure can be lowered.
Electromechanical conversion device is a linkage in the 4. Brushes and brush holder: Brushes are required to gather
middle of electrical and mechanical systems. Dynamo is such the current through rotating Commutator or to lead the
type of a device. Dynamo convert electrical energy to current to it. Carbon or graphite is generally used as brush
mechanical energy or mechanical energy to electrical energy. material. So that the Commutator surface is not decayed.
When a dynamo is run by a prime mover and it supply This brush is housed in brush holder. Spring attached with
electrical energy then it is called as generator while when brush holder presses brush against the commutator.
dynamo takes electrical energy as input and gives
mechanical energy as output then it is called as motor. [5]

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 The first step required to perform FMEA is to select and

define the system.
 Construct system block diagram.
 Identify all possible potential failure modes and their
immediate effect on system operation or on its
functionality.
 Value each failure mode in terms of the most awful
consequences i.e. Classify the failure effects by severity.
 Calculate risk priority number.
 Find techniques for failure recognition and
Fig-2: Commutator of DC motor compensating provisions for each failure mode.
 Find out actions required to prevent the failure or
identify correctness in design to control the risk.
1.4 Application of D C Motor
 After taking corrective action modifications will be done
to check the effects of each failures.
D C motor is variable speed motor. These motors have high
 Prepare a FMEA report and also mark out the problems
torque at low speed and low torque at high speed as shown which are not able to be corrected by design changes.
in fig 1[5] Due to its characteristics it is used in places where
For such problems identify the measures which are able
high torque is required at low speed. So such motors found to diminish the threat of failure.
their application in electric locomotives, elevators, cranes,
trolley cars etc.

Fig-3: Torque-Speed characteristics of DC series motor [5]

where,
Torque in N-m
Speed in rpm

2. BRIEF HISTORY OF FMECA

FMEA is invented by the United States in the 1950s. For

enhancement in primary flight control system Aircraft
Corporation implemented “failure mode and effect analysis".
This study was conducted by lacking of criticality analysis,
although it gave fruitful results. [3]In the mid-1960s, FMECA
was formally used by the USA's aerospace industry and were
specifically focused on safety issues. The goal with safety
FMEAs was, and remains today, to prevent safety accidents
and incidents from occurring. [11] In midway of 1970
automotive began to use FMEA. They found FMEA as a
quality step up tool for industry. In 1980 microelectronic
industry also started to use FMEA. American automotive
industry began to use FMEA methods in the mid-1980s [3]

3. METHODOLOGY FLOW DIG. FOR FMEA PROCEDURE [13]

The Basic steps or procedure required to perform for FMEA
4. TERMINOLOGY IN FMEA
is pronounced in us military standard document MIL-STD-
1629A. [11] Process required to perform FMEA includes
1. Failure Mode: It concerns the ways through which system
some steps. These steps are given below.
or component get fail to perform its intended function.

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 International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395 -0056
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2. Failure Effect: It is an influence of failure on process, Table: 2[2]

system or on equipment. It is hostile consequence that the
handler might experience. Occurrence Meaning
3. Failure Cause: It considers reasons of failure. Rating

5. CALCULATION OF RPN 1 Failure eliminated or no know

occurrence
RPN i.e. risk priority number is the indicator for the 2,3 Low or very few
determining proper corrective action on the failure modes.
Risk Priority Number is evaluated by multiplying three 4,5,6 Moderate or few occasional
variables. These variables are severity, occurrence and
detection. For each failure mode different values are 7,8 High or repeated failure occurrence
assigned for its severity, occurrence and detection. These
ranking values vary from 0 to 10. 9,10 Very high rate of failure or inevitable
Failures
RPN = Severity X Occurrence X Detection

The value of RPN vary from 1 to 1000.The area of great

anxiety is become easy to determine after calculating RPN.
5.3 DETECTION RATINGS
Smaller value of RPN is better than higher value of RPN. [10]
Based on the probability that particular failure mode will be
5.1 Severity ranking detected before it cause serious effect on system detection
ranking is being given.
If a failure occurs it may be very serious for the system or
Table: 3[2]
may have very less effect on system. Failure seriousness on
the system is ranked by this severity ranking. [2] Severity
Detection Description
scale ranking vary from 1 to 10. Table given below helps to
Rating
select rank for various failure effect.
1 Very certain that the failure will be
Table: 1[2] detected

2-4 High probability that the defect will be

Severity Description
detected
Rating

1-2 Minor effect on system and difficult to detect 5-6 Moderate probability that the failure
change in system performance will be detected

3-5 Failure slightly harm system performance

7-8 Low probability that the failure will be
6-7 Change in system performance and detected
degradation in component can be detected
9-10 Very Low probability that the defect
8-9 Severe changes in system performance and will be detected.
lead to non-functionality of system

10 System suddenly comes to breakdown or

even may cause physical injury
Table: 4 FMEA chart of commutator

5.2 OCCURANCE RATINGS

It denotes frequency of failure. Each failure mode has to be

given some occurrence ranking from 1 to 10 Table given
below describe the scale of occurrence rating.

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S.No Compone Function Potential Potential Effect of Preventive S O D RPN

. nt failure cause/mechanis failure action
mode m of failure

1 Commutat Commutation Streaking a) Too porous a) Copper a) Adjust 2 8 3 48

-or brush grade particles spring pressure
starts pickup
b) Insufficient from b) Prevent it
brush spring commutator from
tension atmospheric
b) System not contamination
c)Contaminated affected very
atmosphere much unless
severe
streaking

Threading a) Too porous a) Rapid a) Adjust 6 7 4 168

brush grade brush wear spring pressure

b) Insufficient b) Transfer of b) Prevent it

brush spring excessive from
tension amount of atmospheric
metal to contamination
c) Contaminated brush from
atmosphere commutator
during
d) Uneven current
commutation
distribution

Grooving a) Abrasive dust a) increase in a) Adding 8 6 5 240

in atmosphere electrical filters or
resistance ducting for
b) Use of too clean air
abrasive brush b)Heat
grade generation b) Clean air
on brush and borne abrasive
commutator dust

c) Flash over
arc may be
produced
between
brush and
commutator

Bar edge a) Excessive a) Sparking a) Check and 8 6 7 336

burning vibration at brush adjust neutral
commutator setting of brush
b) Incorrect brush surface
alignment

C) Commutator b) Check

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 International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395 -0056
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becomes over b) interpole

heated and Overheating strength
softened
c) Install split
brushes to
improve
current
distribution

Copper a) Vibration of a) Make a) Try to avoid 9 5 8 360

drag high frequency machine low load
and low prone to flash condition
amplitude over
b) use suitable
b) Use of abrasive b) At low grade of brush
brush load
condition
increase in
friction

c)
Hammering
effect on
commutator

and System Health Management (PHM), 2012 IEEE

6. CONCLUSION Conference on (pp. 1-9). IEEE.
[4] Janarthanan, V. & Kumar, D. R. Root Cause Analysis and
Commutation is very important process in D C motor Process Failure Mode and Effect Analysis of TIG Welding on
functioning. In this paper failure mode effect analysis is SS 304L Materials. Manufacturing Innovation Strategies &
being done for commutator failure. Failure in commutator Appealing Advancements MISAA2013, LM305, 1-8.
will result in functioning loss of D C motor or even arcing [5] J B Gupta, Basic Electrical Engineering, S. K. Kataria &
may cause. Some preventive action is also given to prevent Sons, Fifth edition 2008-09
the commutator failure. As catastrophic failures are reduced [6] Maintenance Handbook on Traction Motor Tao – 659,
through implementing suggested action functioning life of Indian railway, 1997
commutator get enhanced. Downtime of D C motor is also [7] McDermott, R., Mikulak, R. J., & Beauregard, M.
reduced by preventing commutator failure. (1996). The basics of FMEA. Steiner Books.
[8] MIL-STD 1629 "Procedures for performing a failure mode
7. REFERENCE and effect analysis" 1980
[9] M Veera Chandra Kumar, M.Sridhar Bhatlu,
[1] Aravind P, Rooban Babu R, Arun Dhakshinamoorthy, K.V.B.G.S.S.Datta, S.Adivishnu Surya Kumar, Bidirectional
Venkat Prabhu N, Subramanian SP¸ An integrated approach Speed Control Of Dc Motor Using Gsm, Vol.3., Issue.5., 2015
for prediction of failures by process failure mode and effect (Sept.-Oct.)
analysis (PFMEA) in MIG Welding-a predictive analysis [10] Rakesh.R, Bobin Cherian Jos, George Mathew, FMEA
(ISBN-978-93-82208-00-6) Analysis for Reducing Breakdowns of a Sub System in the
[2] Arun, J., Kumar, S. P., Venkatesh, M., & Giridharan, A. S. Life Care Product Manufacturing Industry, Volume 2, Issue 2,
Reliability Study on Spark Plugs Using Process Failure Mode March 2013
and Effect Analysis. Issue, 2, 13-21. [11] Robin E. McDermott, Raymond J. Mikulak, Michael R.
[3] Chen, Y., Ye, C., Liu, B., & Kang, R. (2012, May). Status of Beauregard, The Basics of FMEA, 2nd edition, 2009
FMECA research and engineering application. In Prognostics [12] Robert John Hamilton, DC Motor Brush Life, IEEE
Transactions on Industry Applications, Vol. 36, No. 6,
November/December 2000

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 International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395 -0056
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[13] Sheng-Hsien (Gary) Teng, Shin-Yann (Michael) Ho,

Failure mode and effects analysis, An integrated approach
for product design and process control, 1995
[14] V N Mittle, Basic Electrical Engineering, Tata McGraw-
Hill, 2004
[15] Yasar, I., Canakci, A., & Arslan, F. (2007). The effect of
brush spring pressure on the wear behaviour of copper–
graphite brushes with electrical current. Tribology
International, 40(9), 1381-1386.

BIOGRAPHIES

Prateek Rajput,
pursuing M. Tech. in Mechanical engineering (Maintenance
engineering and management) from Maulana Azad National
Institute of Technology, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh (India)
Email: prateek.rajput90@gmail.com

Dr. Manish Vishwakarma

Designation: Assistant Professor
Qualification: PhD.
Research Area: Maintenance engineering
Email: manishvishwa1808@gmail.com

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