English the Crucible Essay Example for Free

English the Crucible Essay The definition of a crucible is a place or situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development. This applies to Arthur Miller’s The Crucible in the fact that the small town of Salem, Massachusetts is changed dramatically when a girl and her friends make accusations against people for practicing witchcraft. Many individuals such as Reverend Hale, Mary Warren, John Proctor, and Elizabeth Proctor were also changed through a series of events. Yet there were some people who did not change, even after what they went through. Examples of these people are: Parris, Abigail, Deputy Governor Dansforth, and Judge Hathorne. Of all these characters, the individuals that should definitely be examined in deeper detail as to whether or not they changed are Abigail Williams, Reverend Hale, and John Proctor. The first of these poor souls is Abigail Williams. Towards the beginning of the play she was prideful, yet fearful that her name would be ruined if people found out about her and John Proctor’s affair. She truly shows this feature when she is in Betty’s room and Abigail says in a temper, â€Å"My name is good in the village! I will not have it said my name is spoiled! Goody Proctor is a gossiping liar! † (Miller pg. 12) Abigail remains the same person throughout the entire play, all she wants is John Proctor and all those who could ruin her name dead. This clearly is seen Abigail confronts Proctor in the woods, and she warns him that she will have his wife arrested and charged with witchcraft if he does not go with her. Poor Abigail Williams did not learn or change at all throughout the entire course of events that occurred. Another unfortunate character is that of Reverend Hale. In the beginning he is just another conformed preacher who believes the girls accusations of witchcraft in the town. This is clearly witnessed when he is trying to rid Betty of the devil, asks the girls who was with the devil when they saw him. Then the girls started rambling off names of people in the town and Hale believed them. Later in the play, Reverend Hale changes his mind; he goes from believing the girls to not trusting them. This is evident when they accuse John Proctor of witchcraft, and Reverend Hale tries to stop the court from arresting him. At the end of the play Reverend Hale went from a conformed preacher to a free thinking man who can see through the girls’ lies of witchcraft. Reverend hale has without a doubt turned his views for the better. The last of the unlucky people, is John Proctor. He was, in the earlier scenes, a quieter, sort of a stand-offish type of person. This is seen when he comes to town only to get his servant, Mary Warren, and doesn’t really speak to anyone. Later in the play he starts to change his attitude to more of an assertive and forceful person when his wife is taken when she is accused of witchcraft. It is clearly seen when he goes to the court house to testify, with Marry Warren, against Abigail Williams and the other girls, to prove that they were lying the entire time about the whole witchcraft finger pointing. The piteous Mr. Proctor may have changed, but not as much as he could have. Throughout this entire book many characters changed and many others have not. Overall, Reverend Hale appears to be the character that changed the most. This is so because he started out as conformed to society in the sense of believing that those accused where actual witches or warlocks. Later though, he did change his thinking and did start to believe people like John Proctor who knew that the girls were lying about all of the accusations of witchcraft and wizardry. All in all, Reverend Hale is that only character that changed the most overall throughout the entire play.

Social Work in Anti-Discrimination

Social Work in Anti-Discrimination Explain the role of the social worker and consider the purpose of intervention and service delivery making links with Anti-Discriminatory Practice and Anti-Oppressive Practice and the importance of working in partnership with users of services and other professionals and agencies. In this assignment I am going to be looking at mental health. In particular mental health affecting older people. I am aware that mental health issues affect people of all ages affecting each individual in a unique way. A social workers role can be described in many ways and the role can vary depending on the service user. However in general social workers aim to empower people to make decisions for themselves. An essential part of the social workers role is working as part of a multi-disciplinary team and sign-posting service users to all services applicable to them. The fundamental principles of good social work practice are knowledge, skills and values, they all go hand in hand. They are useful divisions that can aid understanding. To ensure good practice all 3 need to be used together, making competent social work practice. Focusing on mental health in older people as your client it is important a social worker to be aware of and work within The Mental Health Act 1983. The Mental Health Act 1983 was established to ensure approved mental health professionals assess and treat people with mental health conditions and to protect the rights of these service users. It provides safeguards for people in hospitals as well. When looking at the history of mental health what stands out is that through the centuries there has been an accepted way of dealing with people with mental health problems. However the used method in the past is now considered to be inhumane and largely unsuccessful, but also at this time alongside the orthodox practitioners there were others with a more enlightened approach. Most histories concentrate on the gruesome facts rather than the positive aspects, going back as far as Victorian times, for example the Victorian asylums. Historical notes show how there isnt much that is actually new in todays approaches, it has all been said before but the issue with their acceptance is that mainstream treatment still retains its hold. Mental health problems are considered to be more common in older adults. The most common mental health condition among older people is depression. Depression affects 1 in 5 older people living in the community and 2 in 5 living in care homes. -Adults in Later Life with Mental Health problems, Mental Health Foundation quoting Psychiatry in the Elderly (3rd edition) Oxford University Press (2002) (http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/information/mental-health-overview/statistics, 2006) However another common illness affecting older people is dementia. Dementia affects 5% of people over the age of 65 and 20% of those over 80. About 700,000 people in the UK have dementia (1.2% of the population) at any one time. -National Institute for Clinical Excellence (2004) (http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/information/mental-health-overview/statistics,   2006) As a social worker upon meeting the client, your initial role is to carry out a carers assessment. You need to carry out an accurate assessment to enable you to make the necessary recommendations and referrals. This leads to signposting to relevant services even when the client doesnt meet the service criteria. For successful signposting you need to have an accurate understanding of how relevant organisations in mental health are MIND. Your assessment gives you the relevant information to be aware of what you need to do for your client. You now need to gain trust and build a positive relationship. However you need to be professional and always be honest, you are not the clients friend, as being their friend conflicts with personal boundaries. You need to be clear and define your role to avoid confusion. You will be keeping records, discussing secrets and reporting to other professionals. A successful model of assessment for this type of client is SWOT. This involves looking at the strengths and weaknesses which are the advantages and disadvantages for our client. Then looking at the opportunities which involve looking at all opportunities for change that you can provide. The final part of your SWOT analysis means looking at the threats. SWOT analysis helps you to think through each issue allowing you to look at the problem and lead to possible solutions and prepare for possible threats. A major and vital part of this particular assessment is about whats happening now. A SWOT analysis provides evidence to explain your actions. It needs to be specific, and will vary dramatically from person to person. It is a helpful tool in helping you to weigh up the pros and cons and help you to balance them out. With mental health the actual illness is going to have a major affect on the SWOT analysis. The stage of the illness can be an advantage or a disadvantage. A threat with mental health will always be the deterioration of the illness. With older people family can be a major strength if they play an active part in the clients life. However bare in mind the lack of a family can be a big disadvantage, having affects on the client. Anti-oppressive practice is a piece of social work jargon, but is based on a very simple yet important idea. Social work is all about empowering others and assisting those who feel oppressed in getting both their needs and rights recognised and met. Anti-oppressive practice is informed by values and always takes into consideration both the views and experiences of oppressed people. Practitioners are required to analyse how the socially constructed divisions of race, age, gender, class, sexuality and disability, and the impact of differential access to resources interconnect and interact to define the life experiences of individuals and communities. (Davies, 2009, p14) Therefore the practitioner is able to both recognise and challenge all situations of oppression within their work. Anti-discriminatory practice emphasises the different ways in which people tend to be discriminated against, as individuals and groups, it also highlights the need for professional practice to counter such discrimination. Discrimination can occur due to lots of different types of oppressive differentiation. The primary goal of anti-discriminatory practice is the promotion of equality and social justice. (Davies, 2009, p13) Anti-discriminatory practice is not a separate social work theory or method, but a value that should under-pin all practice generally. Both anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice theories seek to assist clients to gain awareness into how oppression affects their lives, and to promote different strategies for opposing discrimination and gaining mutual support. It should also prevent different agencies from being discriminatory. True partnership working can create empowerment. It is a basic part of good practice and of values work. Feeling the need to rescue the client is oppressive; you should be working with the service user to rescue themselves. Helping clients to become more independent and less dependent on the system is a positive way forward, and should have a positive long-term affect on the client. Effective partnership is based on a variety of factors and therefore will vary accordingly. A few of these factors are based on values, beliefs, ideals and even practical factors such as funding and resources. Social workers have a duty of responsibility to both the client and other family members who play an active role in the clients life. You should work together with your service user, their family and other agencies, you all need to be aware of difficulties and expect setbacks but remember you can get through it together. When working with other agencies you need to share the responsibility and have open and honest communication. A social workers role is one of both care manager and care co-ordinator. In mental health you will need to be working with other organisations and as it is a health issue you will be working with medical professionals.

Plato’s Apology Essay -- essays research papers

Plato’s Apology Socrates was a very simple man who did not have many material possessions and spoke in a plain, conversational manner. Acknowledging his own ignorance, he engaged in conversations with people claiming to be experts, usually in ethical matters. By asking simple questions, Socrates gradually revealed that these people were in fact very confused and did not actually know anything about the matters about which they claimed to be an expert. Socrates felt that the quest for wisdom and the instruction of others through dialogue and inquiry were the highest aims in life. He felt that "The unexamined life is not worth living." Plato's Apology is the speech Socrates made at his trial. Socrates was charged with not recognizing the gods recognized by the state and corrupting the youth of Athens. In The Apology, Socrates attempted to defend himself. He spoke in a very simple, uncomplicated manner. He explained that he had no experience with the law and courts and that he would just use honesty and directness. He also explained that he behaved in the way that he did because of a prophecy by the oracle at Delphi, which claimed that he was the wisest of all men. Recognizing that he was ignorant in most things, Socrates concluded that he must be wiser than other men only in that he knew that he knew nothing. Socrates explained that he considered it his duty to question people in order to expose their false wisdom as ignorance. By doing this, the youth of Athens bega...

Support from Individuals Social Network Essay -- Sociology, Family an

Before discussing the different kinds of support that can be given by a person’s social network, an understanding of what a social network is and the people it can include is necessary. This essay will begin with a brief definition and then go on to list and review the different kinds of support that can be provided. ‘A social network consists of a set of people with whom one maintains contact and has some form of social bond’. (K101, Unit 10, p75). This means that a social network is a group of people with which a person has regular interaction with such as Family, Friends, Neighbours or Work colleagues. However taking into account the introduction of easier, cheaper access to the Internet, E-mail and mobile phones over recent years and of course people moving across the country or world, social networks are no longer just confined to where people live. Family and friends can offer informal support such as Practical help and advice with things like childcare or household topics and chores. Emotional support if an individual is undergoing feelings of uncertainty or personal difficulties, and financial help by lending money for debts, everyday living or perhaps advice on spending. Informal support is often a relationship with a degree of mutual help, as seen in various sections throughout the K101 module; such as Peter Townsend’s research into family life in Bethnal Green. He explained how ‘Help was reciprocated- through the provision of meals, the care of children and in other ways’ (Bornat and Blakemore, 2008, P 13) and also Pauline, an active volunteer from Thornhill who after suffering a stroke, her best friend Elaine became her day-to-day source of emotional support, while Pauline’s neighbours provided practical help an... ...r found that paying her bills and everyday routines like shopping where hard to manage. Care workers supported her by going with her to pay bills and to buy food at first. As the service user still wanted to maintain her independence suitable adaptions to her telephone was made and a voluntary shopping service was offered to her with a trained worker that could understand her over the phone, aids to help with memory and everyday tasks where also provided. In conclusion an individual’s social network can be extremely important not just for support but also for physical and mental well-being. Limitations to creating or maintaining social work can vary from person to person such as isolation, vulnerability and impairments. Care workers must be mindful of these limitations so that they can provide and introduce the correct support needed for the right individual.

Robert Penn Warrens All the Kings Men Essays -- Warren All Kings Me

Robert Penn Warren's All the King's Men â€Å"If the human race didn’t remember anything it would be perfectly happy" (44). Thus runs one of the early musings of Jack Burden, the protagonist of Robert Penn Warren’s All the King’s Men. Throughout the story, however, as Jack gradually opens his eyes to the realities of his own nature and his world, he realizes that the human race cannot forget the past and survive. Man must not only remember, but also embrace the past, because it teaches him the truth about himself and enables him to face the future. As he begins to understand the people in his life and their actions, Jack learns that one can rarely make sense of an event until that event has become a part of the past, to be reconstructed and eventually understood in memory. T.S. Eliot expresses this idea in â€Å"The Dry Salvages†: â€Å"We had the experience but missed the meaning, / And approach to the meaning restores the experience / In a different form, beyond any meaning / We can assign to happiness" (194). Only by deliberately recalling the past can one understand the metaphysical and spiritual significance of his experiences. For this reason, Jack cannot make sense of the fateful day of Willie Stark’s murder until â€Å"long after†¦when I had been able to gather the pieces of the puzzle up and put them together to see the pattern" (Warren 407). The pattern of the past reveals the pattern of fallen human nature, thus opening man’s eyes to his own folly and enabling him to grow in wisdom. Man must not only remember his past, but also choose to remember it as it really happened—for, to again quote Eliot, â€Å"What might have been is an abstraction" (175). Fantasizing about an abstract, idealized past will never give success i... ...176). History provides a moral and spiritual point of reference for each new epoch. In All the King’s Men, Jack Burden the historian discovers that the past, honestly considered, does not deceive, nor do its vivid object lessons lead men astray. As Jack replays in his memory the actions of the characters (including himself) in the drama of his life, he grows to understand the roles played by those characters in his spiritual development, and to love them for their true nature. By contemplating the past in this manner, Jack builds out of truth and time a foundation that will raise him to stand strong in an uncertain future. Works Cited Eliot, T. S. Collected Poems 1909-1962. Harcourt: New York, 1963. Warren, Robert Penn. All the King's Men. New York: Grosset, 1946. Weaver, Richard. Ideas Have Consequences. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1948.

Role of the HR Professional

No matter the breadth or the depth of an organization, it will always have the inherent need for human resources. It is safe to say that without manpower, no organization in the world would exist. Recognizing not only the need for people, but more importantly, the need for skilled, efficient and loyal employees has been a key turning point in defining the role of the HR professional. As the â€Å"people people† or organizations, today†s HR professionals work in a wide variety of capacities as mediators, mentors, job analysts, and career planners – to name a few. However, perhaps some of the most important and challenging functions of HR professionals are directly related to the recruitment, selection, training, and appraisal of the organization†s employees (or potential employees as the case may be). It is up to HR manager or management team to create processes and methodologies in recruiting, training, and appraising its staff in such a way that it is congruent with the values, vision and culture of the organization. This can be an enormous challenge – especially in today†s business world where companies are constantly acquiring and merging together forming whole new identities at an exponential rate. In dealing with the ambiguity of the corporate world HR professionals realize that it is not singular performance of each and every HR function that will assure the best human resources for their organizations, it is the alignment and integration of all of the HR functions that create an environment that empowers and encourages employee growth, competency, and loyalty. There are two main components of the staffing function, which are the recruitment and selection of potential employees. Recruitment, which involves all actions in attracting applicants from both inside and outside the organization, is one of the most pivotal roles of the HR professional. The bottom line in the recruiting effort is to attract the most qualified applicants for the needed positions by communicating the qualifications needed in order to fulfill the position. With a constant cycle of mergers and acquisitions occurring around the globe involving some of the world†s most monolithic organizations, the role of recruiter has changed vastly over the past few years. Because organizations are finding themselves more and more saturated with talented and highly competent employees, they are looking to fulfill vacant positions within the organization. This is also a very logical approach because existing employees are already well oriented with the policies and culture of the organization and do not need to undergo the orientation that an â€Å"external hire† would require. In contrast, recruiters have also had to become much more creative and ultimately aggressive in recruiting potential applicants externally. With the introduction of the World Wide Web and the increase in competitiveness among universities, colleges and other post-secondary institutions, graduates are entering the business world with more knowledge, skills and insight than ever before, making them desirable assets to many organizations. With the increase in popularity of job fairs, co-op programs and web-based career centers, recruiters are now equipped with the resources they need to seek out and entice the most qualified of applicants. At the same time, graduates and other people seeking employment have become empowered to seek out their most desirable positions, and are challenging recruiters with a much more proactive and aggressive approach themselves. Once the recruiter has aptly performed the function of attracting qualified applicants, they then assume the role of â€Å"selector†. In this capacity, it is up to the HR professional to select the best possible applicants to fill the positions that are needed. Usually the selection process involves the consideration of three types of information: 1. Education, Work Experience and Background History 2. KSAO†s – Ability, Performance, Personality, Honesty/Integrity 3. Medical Condition or similar considerations – physical and psychological health The selection process also usually involves, the initial sharing of information, filling out and application, initial interview, the administration of any tests, a final interview (or secondary interview with potential colleagues), reference checks, and then the final selection is made. Although the selection process varies in different organizations, the underlying framework is usually the same. Throughout the entire recruiting and selection processes, the HR professional must also use their intuition and consider the applicant using less â€Å"tangible† measurement methods, such as observing their mannerisms, understanding the applicants† personal values and beliefs and what their extra-curricular interests are. Although an applicant is judged more on his or her qualifications and skills, as a â€Å"selector†, it is important for the HR professional to select someone whose values and beliefs are congruent with the company and who they feel would best â€Å"fit† within the culture of the organization. If an HR professional is able to use their intuition and â€Å"people skills† effectively in attracting and selecting applicants, they are ultimately integrating and aligning their â€Å"staffing† role with their successive role as a trainer, which follows once a successful applicant has been selected. The health of any organization depends on the development of its people. If indeed the greatest asset is its human resources, then it is even more vital that the organization allow for its HR professionals to invest time and energy into this vital planning function. As was stated earlier, the success of the HR professional in being an effective recruiter and selector is key in ultimately determining their success as a trainer, and the employees† success in becoming well-oriented with the philosophy, policies, procedures, and culture of the organization. When planning how best to train new and existing employees, HR professionals should always be sure to address both immediate and long-range goals, behaviours and skills. However, more often than not, just like anyone else, HR people cannot always assume or pretend to know what would best work for everyone, so it is critical that before planning out the training process, they must conduct a thorough needs assessment. This can be done through many ways such as the administration of questionnaires and surveys to determine employee needs and expectations, observation of job functions and the organization as a whole, and other methods of qualitative information gathering. Once a training plan has been established, the entire process by which people learn what is expected of them in their new roles in the organization is socialization. This process, not unlike many other HR processes, has multiple stages such as: Entry/Anticipatory Socialization, Socialization/Accommodation, and Mutual Acceptance. It is important for HR professionals to recognize and encourage the full development of the new employee through all of these stages. Throughout the orientation and training of new (or old) employees, it is also important for an HR professional to conduct a training and development assessment. A thorough assessment would include an analysis of the training needs as well as the development needs over the next few years. Training needs should be based on immediate needs for changes in behaviour, where as the long-range development goals should be based on the acquisition of knowledge and skills to be used now and in the future. Positioning employee training to focus on short and long term development helps HR professionals to look â€Å"down the road† and address how they can help their employees meet challenges, create change and ensure the overall health of the organization. In using this futuristic approach, an imperative strategic alignment is built to integrate employee training and development, with that of employee performance management. Once employees have gone through all of the processes or socialization and have become well-oriented with how the organization functions on all levels, it is at this time that the HR professional takes on yet another role as that of performance measurer and manager. There are two primary reasons for performance management: 1. Administrative: includes promotional consideration, dismissal consideration, compensation, benchmarking and the ability to manage performance at all levels 2. Developmental: includes the ability to provide feedback, assessing training needs, encouraging external and internal motivation, and analysis current job design Historically, the only people directly involved in the appraisal of an employee†s performance were the employee and their immediate supervisor. However, as the practice of HR evolves, so have many of its functions, especially in the area performance appraisal. Today, more and more organizations are adopting the practice of â€Å"360 degree feedback† in evaluating their employees† performances. This method involves not only the boss and the employee, but also the employee†s peers, subordinates, and clients. ‘This relatively new practice facilitates a much more well-rounded and thorough evaluation of the employees performance and has been proven to be much more useful in assessing the employees developmental needs and areas for improvement. However, like any major practice, the â€Å"360 degree feedback† method is not without it complications. Allowing this type of participation in performance appraisal can cause such problems as: the â€Å"Halo Effect†, central tendency, overt leniency or strictness, and biased appraisals. In recognizing these common appraisal problems, it can be said that the ends still justify the means in this case. As long as appraisals are designed to be relevant to the job, sensitive, reliable, fair, and practical, employees receive a much better picture of how they are doing in their jobs and where they can improve. It is my opinion that the strategic integration of the HR functions that have been discussed in this paper such as staffing, training, and performance management are not aligned in the sense of a linear relationship. In my mind, they are linked cyclically, with each function being a continuation of the previous function. For example, once a performance appraisal has been conducted, it is at this time that a training needs assessment is also conducted, allowing all parties involved to gain a better understanding of the areas in which improvement is needed. In turn, this would be where the HR professional would take on the role of trainer and facilitate the further development of the employee. It can also be seen that performance appraisals are also very helpful within the recruitment and selection role in aiding the HR professional to gain a better understanding of the qualifications and behaviours that are essential in seeking out potential candidates and choosing the best one for the job. Writing this paper and taking closer look at these specific HR functions has helped me to gain a better understanding of the many roles that the HR professional has to assume at any given time. It has also given me a greater appreciation for the underlying connectivity between all of the HR functions and how strongly they are linked.

Low Voltage Effects on Ac Motors

Low Voltage Effects on AC Motors A drop in voltage will result in a proportionate increase in current. If the current exceeds the nameplate rating and is not corrected, this can result in damage to the motor from overheating Nameplate Rating An electric motor will have a nameplate rating for both voltage and amperage. When a load is on a motor, the motor must draw a fixed amount of power. The required power is about equal to volts times amps. Should the voltage fall below the nameplate rating, the amperage will increase. This can result in increased heat that will shorten the motor's life, according to Motorsanddrives. om. Torque The motor is subject to several kinds of torque. The starting or start-up torque is the amount present when the motor is stationary and power is applied. The pull-up torque is the minimum amount necessary for the motor during the starting sequence. Effects of Low Voltage on Torque A reduced amount of voltage will reduce the amount of torque. This can result in difficulty for start loads. A reduction of voltage to 80 percent would result in a torque value of only 64 percent. In light loads, a reduction in voltage may actually be preferable because it will result in increased efficiency.Even a small voltage unbalance will result in large current unbalance during the running of motor by a factor of 6 times. †¢ Negative phase sequence components will lead to heating of motor †¢ Negative phase sequence currents leads to reduction in motor output torque. †¢ Motor is forced to run at higher slip leading to increased rotor loss and reduced efficiency. †¢ Electricity boards should look in to this phenomenon seriously where irrigation pump sets suffer the voltage imbalance, even 1% loss of efficiency for the country like India would mean a great loss. HP irrigation pump sets with a quantity of 6 Lakh approximate, the loss of power would be 22MW and annual wastage of Rs. 47. 5 millions (At 3 Rs/unit, 4 Hrs of Pump working and 6 month’s season Keys to maximize the service life of industrial motors Why do motors fail? Certain components of motors degrade with time and operating stress. Electrical insulation weakens over time with exposure to voltage unbalance, over and under-voltage, voltage disturbances, and temperature. Contact between moving surfaces causes wear.Wear is affected by dirt, moisture, and corrosive fumes and is greatly accelerated when lubricant is misapplied, becomes overheated or contaminated, or is not replaced at regular intervals. When any components are degraded beyond the point of economical repair, the motor’s economic life is ended. For the smallest and least expensive motors, the motor is put out of service when a component such as a bearing fails. Depending upon type and replacement cost, larger motors—up to 20 or 50 horsepower (hp)—may be refurbished and get new bearings, but are usually scrapped after a winding burnout.Still larger and more expensive motors may be refurbished and rewound to extend life indefinitely. An economic analysis should always be completed prior to a motor’s failure to ensure that the appropriate repair/replace decision is made. Extend Motor Life with Improved Bearing Care Bearing failures are the root cause for the great majority of electric motor downtime, repair and replacement costs. Bearing and motor manufacturers are aware of the situation. Motor repair shops can attribute much of their business to bearing failures.And motor users see bearing failure as the fundamental cause of virtually every electric motor repair expense. Studies conducted by the Electrical Apparatus Service Association also demonstrate that bearing failures are by far the most common cause of motor failures. Knowing that shaft bearings are the Achilles’ heel of industrial electric motors is not a new idea in maintenance departments, but what is new is recognizing that something can be done to prevent most motor bea ring failures. Factors Affecting Bearing Life Electric motors actually present a relatively easy duty for shaft bearings.The motor rotor is lightweight, yet because of its large shaft diameter, the bearings are large. For example, the bearings supporting the 140 lb. Rotor for a typical 40 hp. 1800 rpm industrial motor are so large that they have an L-10 minimum design fatigue life of 3000 years, or 10 percent of the bearings are statistically expected to fail from fatigue after 3000 years of operation. Plant operating experience, however, strongly contradicts such optimistic estimates of motor bearing life. In actual industrial environments, bearing failure is rarely caused by fatigue; it is caused by less-than-ideal lubrication.Because of contaminated lubrication, bearings fail well before they serve their theoretical fatigue life. There are many reasons for less than-ideal bearing lubrication. Lubricants can leak out; chemical attacks or thermal conditions can decompose or break d own lubricants; lubricants can become contaminated with non-lubricants such as water, dust, or rust from the bearings themselves. These lubrication problems can be eliminated. Motor bearings can last virtually forever by simply providing an ideal contamination-free, well-lubricated bearing environment.Conventional wisdom teaches that such an ideal motor bearing environment can be provided by using a dry-running lip seal or using sealed (lubricated-for-life) bearings. Indeed, for many light-duty applications, such bearing protection techniques are often sufficient to allow bearings to last as long as the equipment itself. However, these bearing protection methods have not significantly reduced the rate of bearing failure in severe-duty industrial motors. Bearings in industrial applications continue to fail because of inadequate lubrication caused by lubricant loss, contamination, and decomposition and break-down.Lip seals invariably wear out well before the bearing fails, and sealed bearings inherently foreshorten the life of a bearing to the service life of the contained grease (usually only about 3,000 to 5,000 hours for most industrial services). Maintenance professionals may find the following suggestions on how to forestall motor hearing failure obvious, but some new techniques and technologies are available. Lubricate Bearing at Correct Intervals Despite years of warnings from bearing manufacturers, over lubrication continues to plague many motor bearings. Too much grease can cause overheating of the bearings.The lubrication instructions supplied by the motor manufacturer will specify the quantity and frequency of lubrication. Generally, two-pole motors should be greased twice a year, four-pole and slower motors only once a year. Use the Best Available Grease The most commonly used bearing grease is polyurea-based, a low-cost, low-performance, highly compatible lubricant. However, it does not handle water well, a serious drawback for many industrial appli cations. It reacts readily with water and loses its ability to lubricate bearings. Industrial motor bearings should be lubricated with a synthetic-based aluminum complex grease.A high-quality grease pays for its additional cost in reduced motor downtime and repair costs. Keep Out Moisture Unless the motor is being hosed down or it operates in a humid environment, reasonably shielded motor bearings may not become seriously contaminated with moisture while the motor is running. However, when the rotor is shut down, moisture and condensation can collect on the surface of the bearing components. Eventually, this water breaks through the oil and grease barrier, contacts the metal parts of the bearing, and produces tiny particles of iron oxide.These rust particles make an excellent grinding compound when mixed with the grease. resulting in premature failure of the bearing because of surface degradation. Preventing water contamination is a major challenge to bearing housing design. Close s haft-to-endbell clearances cannot stop the movement of humid air. Contact seals will quit contacting, resulting in large gaps that allow movement of air and water vapor across the bearing. Vapor-blocking bearing isolators, such as the one illustrated, are among the more successful devices presently available to prevent water vapor from entering a stationary bearing.When the motor shaft is rotating, the isolator opens, eliminating the possibility of friction and wear. However, when the shaft is stationary, the isolator closes, preventing movement of air or water across its face. With no wear from rotating friction, the seal may last indefinitely, and surely as long as the fatigue-failure life of the bearing. Keep Out Dirt Lip seals, contact seals, and frequent grease replacement help minimize the amount of dirt and other air-borne abrasives that can contaminate bearing lubricant. These solutions, however, have some drawbacks.Lip seals have a short service life, and frequent grease di splacement is expensive and messy. One successful approach to keeping air-borne dirt and liquids out of an operating bearing is to install a labyrinth-type non-contact seal over the bearing housing. These bearing isolators, readily available from suppliers, combine a tortuous labyrinth path with impingement and centrifugal forces to trap and remove air-borne dirt and liquid; virtually no contamination can reach the bearing. Because the bearing isolator is a non-contact device, it will generally be the longest-lasting component of the motor.Although not intended as such, a bearing isolator could serve as an emergency sleeve bearing if the primary bearing fails, possibly preventing damage to the motor’s stator and rotor. In emergency situations, the bearing isolator can allow continued operation for a short time and still prevent the need to rewind the motor when the bearing is replaced. Bearing isolators constructed of bronze or other non-sparking materials also can prevent ha zardous sparks that could otherwise occur when the bearing’s rolling elements fail. Other SuggestionsImproved bearing protection and lubrication will reduce downtime and the maintenance costs of electric motors, but other important motor design features contribute to long service life, including over-sized high quality bearings, high-tech winding insulation, superior fan design, high-performance paint (such as epoxy) and a strong, rigid cast iron frame. These features, usually standard or readily available, are found in most industrial-grade severe-duty electric motors. High-performance bearing protection systems. however, are not universally accepted as essential for long motor life.Specifying permanent bearing protection for new motors, or retrofitting isolators onto existing equipment, usually requires initiative on the part of the user’s maintenance or engineering staff. Permanent, absolute bearing protection has a greater effect on motor life than any other decisi ons made in specifying, equipping, and caring for electric motors. Keeping bearings lubricated with the right amount of clean, uncontaminated, high-quality lubricant allows bearings in most industrial motors to outlast all other motor components.