MAGNETIC BEARING HAVING FEATURES FOR LOW POWER CONSUMPTION, REDUCED WEIGHT, AND FAULT-TOLERANT OPERATION

摘要

A magnetic bearing for suspending a rotatable shaft comprises a backiron (1), and a plurality of poles (2) fixedly coupled to the backiron and extending radially inward toward the rotatable shaft (6). The magnetic bearing also comprises a plurality of electromagnetic coils (4) each being circumferentially disposed around the backiron or the poles, and a magnetic target ring (5) fixedly coupled to the rotor shaft. Each of the poles is separated from the magnetic target ring by an airgap (3). The magnetic bearing further comprises one or more electrical circuits electrically coupled to the plurality of electromagnetic coils and being adapted to energize the plurality of electromagnetic coils so that magnetic flux is induced in the airgaps. The magnetic bearing includes features providing relating to fault detection and fault-tolerant operation. The magnetic bearing also includes mechanical and control-system features that reduce the power consumption of the magnetic bearing.