Split Magnetic Thrust Bearing for Rotating Machinery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing magnetic bearing systems for rotating machines face challenges in maintaining precise axial positioning and radial support with minimal resistance, especially when dealing with large and heavy thrust disks, which complicates assembly and maintenance due to interference fits and the need for circumferentially uniform magnetic fields.
Innovation Solution
A magnetic bearing system with a thrust stator designed to be split into sectors, allowing for the removal of the shaft without disassembling the thrust disk, and the use of semi-circumferentially slotted stator portions with U-shaped coils to create an axi-symmetric field, reducing magnetic losses and facilitating assembly and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the thrust stator is made as a single integrated component to ensure structural strength and magnetic field uniformity, then the magnetic bearing can maintain precise axial positioning, but the assembly and maintenance become complex requiring shaft disassembly and thrust disk removal
Solution Approach 1:
The thrust stator is divided into multiple separable stator sections that can be independently removed from the shaft. Each section maintains the necessary magnetic pole structure while allowing the shaft to be extracted without removing the thrust disk, thus resolving the contradiction between structural integrity and ease of maintenance.
2Ease of operation
If the thrust stator is split into multiple sections to facilitate shaft removal, then assembly and maintenance become easier, but creating a circumferentially uniform magnetic field becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The stator sections are designed with asymmetric magnetic pole configurations that, when assembled together, create a symmetric circumferential magnetic field pattern. This allows the sections to be easily installed and removed while maintaining the required magnetic field uniformity for precise shaft positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The magnetic field uniformity is achieved by designing the pole faces to extend in the axial dimension, creating a three-dimensional magnetic field distribution that compensates for the segmentation in the circumferential direction. This dimensional approach maintains field uniformity despite the divided structure.
3Force
If traditional electromagnetic coils are used in the stator sections, then the magnetic bearing can generate sufficient thrust force, but magnetic losses increase and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Traditional electromagnetic coils are replaced with permanent magnets in the stator sections. This substitution eliminates the need for continuous electrical power to generate the magnetic field, significantly reducing magnetic losses and energy consumption while maintaining sufficient thrust force through the permanent magnetic field.
Solution Approach 2:
The magnetic field generation method is changed from electromagnetic induction (requiring continuous energy input) to permanent magnetism (providing persistent field without energy consumption). This parameter change in the magnetic field source reduces energy losses while maintaining the necessary thrust force levels.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design enhances the maintainability and serviceability of rotating machines by allowing the removal of magnetic bearings without dismounting the shaft, while maintaining precise positioning and minimizing magnetic losses, thus improving operational efficiency and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
a magnetic bearing system including a rotor adapted to be mounted on a shaft... a stator adapted to be fixed to a housing... windings adapted to be connected to a power source... generating an electromagnetic force
Implementation Method 2
Magnetic bearings support the shaft radially for rotation about a precisely established axis while a magnetic thrust bearing keeps the shaft in a precisely fixed axial position
Data Source
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AI summary
Certain exemplary embodiments can provide a system, machine, device, manufacture, circuit, composition of matter, and/or user interface adapted for and/or resulting from, and/or a method and/or machine-readable medium comprising machine-implementable instructions for, activities that can comprise and/or relate to: via a thrust stator of a magnetic bearing, the thrust stator adapted to be split into sectors so that a shaft of a machine can be removed from the magnetic bearing, producing an axi-symmetric field at each pole face of the thrust stator when the sectors are operatively assembled in the machine; and/or a magnetic bearing thrust stator, comprising a plurality of stator sectors, each of the stator sectors comprising a semi-circumferentially slotted stator portion comprising a plurality of semi-circumferential poles and a first coil portion shaped to fit substantially within the semi-circumferentially slotted stator portion.