Magnetic Bearing Configurations: Theoretical and Experimental Studies

• Published in: IEEE transactions on magnetics Vol. 44; no. 2; pp. 292 - 300
• Main Authors: Samanta, P., Hirani, H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.02.2008; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Contact of materials. Friction. Wear; Costs; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Damping; Displacement; Dynamical systems; Dynamics; Exact sciences and technology; Friction; Hydrodynamic bearing; Hydrodynamics; Instability; Loads (forces); low-friction bearing; Lubrication; Magnetic bearings; Magnetic levitation; Magnetic sensors; Magnetism; Materials science; Mechanical properties and methods of testing. Rheology. Fracture mechanics. Tribology; Metals. Metallurgy; natural frequency of magnetic bearing; Other topics in materials science; Permanent magnets; permanent-magnet bearing; Physics; Sensor systems; Shafts; Stiffness; wearless bearing; low-friction bearing; natural frequency of magnetic bearing; Mechanical properties; Theoretical study; Permanent magnets; Hydrodynamic bearing; Experimental study; Friction; Wear; wear- less bearing; Magnetic properties; Tribology; permanent-magnet bearing
• ISSN: 0018-9464; 1941-0069
• DOI: 10.1109/TMAG.2007.912854

A radial magnetic bearing, consisting of two permanent magnets, is an attractive choice because of its zero wear, negligible friction, and low cost, but it suffers from low load capacity, low radial stiffness, lack of damping, and high axial instability. To enhance the radial load and radial stiffness, and reduce the axial thrust, we have made a theoretical and experimental study of various radial configurations, including hydrodynamic lubrication to improve dynamic performance of the magnetic bearing. We developed an experimental setup to investigate the performance of bearing configurations under different operating conditions. The motion of a rotating shaft is mapped by two displacement sensors with a data acquisition system and personal computer. The first critical speed of each configuration is determined experimentally and verified through frequency analysis. We present a polar plot of displacement data.