Magnetic bearing apparatus

• US 5,355,041 A
• Filed: 03/29/1993
• Issued: 10/11/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eishi Marui, Mamoru Suzuki, Yuji Shirao
• Original Assignee: Ebara Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Mamoru, Shirao, Yuji, Marui, Eishi
• Primary Examiner(s): SKUDY, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US08/038,979
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 310/90.5, 310/68 B, 324/207.16, 324/207.25
• US Class Current: 310/90.5
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 32/0448 by using the electromagnet itself as sensor, e.g. sensorless magnetic bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 32/0459 Details of the magnetic circuit
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 32/048 with active support of two degrees of freedom, e.g. radial magnetic bearings

Abstract

A radial magnetic bearing apparatus suspends a rotating shaft and stably operates at a level exceeding a bending intrinsic vibration value of the rotating shaft by controlling magnetic forces generated by control coils wound around control magnetic poles. Grooves are provided on the surface of each control magnetic pole facing the rotating shaft, and sensor coils are wound to pass through the grooves in order to detect the position of the rotating shaft in the radial direction. A part of each control magnetic pole may be used as magnetic poles of an inductance-type displacement sensor.

Claims

1. A radial magnetic bearing apparatus for rotatably suspending an object made of a magnetic material by means of a magnetic attracting force, comprising:

at least one control magnetic pole means disposed around the object for suspending the object and controlling a radial position thereof, each said control magnetic pole means having an end surface opposing to the object; and

at least one displacement sensor means for detecting a radial position of the object, each said displacement sensor means comprising at least two sensor magnetic poles formed on said end surface of each said control magnetic pole means and sensor coils wound around the sensor magnetic poles;

wherein said sensor coils provided at each said control magnetic pole means are connected in series to generate magnetic fields in opposite directions to each other.

2. A radial magnetic bearing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two grooves are provided on the end surface of each said control magnetic pole means in a rotational direction of the object to form the sensor magnetic poles.

3. A radial magnetic bearing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two grooves are provided on the end surface of each said control magnetic pole means in an axial direction of the object to form the sensor magnetic poles.

4. A radial magnetic bearing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said sensor coils provided on a first pair of adjacent two said control magnetic pole means are connected in series with said sensor coils provided on a second pair of adjacent two said control magnetic pole means located opposite to said first pair with respect to the object.

5. A radial magnetic bearing apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said sensor coils provided on a first pair of adjacent two said control magnetic pole means are connected in series with said sensor coils provided on a second pair of adjacent two said control magnetic pole means located opposite to said first pair with respect to the object.

6. A radial magnetic bearing apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein adjacent two said sensor coils provided on adjacent two said control magnetic pole means are connected to generate a same polarity on a same side of adjacent two said sensor coils.

7. A radial magnetic bearing apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein any adjacent two said sensor coils provided on adjacent two said control magnetic pole means are connected to generate a same polarity on a same side of adjacent two said sensor coils.