Passive magnetic bearing element with minimal power losses
First Claim
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a first spatially periodic permanent magnetic array comprising a first Halbach array;
a second spatially periodic permanent magnetic array comprising a second Halbach array, wherein said second spatially periodic permanent magnetic array is fixedly connected to said first spatially periodic permanent magnetic array and spaced apart from said first spatially periodic permanent magnetic array, wherein said first Halbach array and said second Halbach array are geometrically identical such that they have the same number of magnets and the same pole number so that their fields have the same azimuthal spatial periodicity;
a conductor array movably located between said first Halbach array and said second Halbach array, wherein said conductor array comprises a plurality of inductive circuits;
wherein azimuthal magnetic components of said first Halbach array and azimuthal magnetic components of said second Halbach array add at an equilibrium position between them, wherein said first Halbach array and said second Halbach array together are selected from a group consisting of two concentric cylinders and two planar arrays, wherein said two concentric cylinders are oriented azimuthally with respect to each other such that their radial magnetic components cancel at said equilibrium position, wherein said two planar arrays are oriented azimuthally with respect to each other such they are facing each other and that their axial components cancel at said equilibrium position; and
means for sustaining said at least one rotatable element in stable equilibrium until said rotatable element has exceeded a critical angular velocity, wherein at said equilibrium position between said first Halbach array and said second Halbach array, said conductor array intercepts near zero flux, wherein the resistive power losses in said conductor array are reduced to near zero.
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Abstract
Systems employing passive magnetic bearing elements having minimal power losses are provided. Improved stabilizing elements are shown, employing periodic magnet arrays and inductively loaded circuits, but with improved characteristics compared to the elements disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,495,221 entitled "Dynamically Stable Magnetic Suspension/Bearing System." The improvements relate to increasing the magnitude of the force derivative, while at the same time reducing the power dissipated during the normal operation of the bearing system, to provide a passive bearing system that has virtually no losses under equilibrium conditions, that is, when the supported system is not subject to any accelerations except those of gravity.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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a first spatially periodic permanent magnetic array comprising a first Halbach array; a second spatially periodic permanent magnetic array comprising a second Halbach array, wherein said second spatially periodic permanent magnetic array is fixedly connected to said first spatially periodic permanent magnetic array and spaced apart from said first spatially periodic permanent magnetic array, wherein said first Halbach array and said second Halbach array are geometrically identical such that they have the same number of magnets and the same pole number so that their fields have the same azimuthal spatial periodicity; a conductor array movably located between said first Halbach array and said second Halbach array, wherein said conductor array comprises a plurality of inductive circuits; wherein azimuthal magnetic components of said first Halbach array and azimuthal magnetic components of said second Halbach array add at an equilibrium position between them, wherein said first Halbach array and said second Halbach array together are selected from a group consisting of two concentric cylinders and two planar arrays, wherein said two concentric cylinders are oriented azimuthally with respect to each other such that their radial magnetic components cancel at said equilibrium position, wherein said two planar arrays are oriented azimuthally with respect to each other such they are facing each other and that their axial components cancel at said equilibrium position; and means for sustaining said at least one rotatable element in stable equilibrium until said rotatable element has exceeded a critical angular velocity, wherein at said equilibrium position between said first Halbach array and said second Halbach array, said conductor array intercepts near zero flux, wherein the resistive power losses in said conductor array are reduced to near zero. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An apparatus, comprising:
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aa first spatially periodic permanent magnetic array comprising a first Halbach array; a second spatially periodic permanent magnetic array comprising a second Halbach array, wherein said second spatially periodic permanent magnetic array is fixedly connected to said first spatially periodic permanent magnetic array and spaced apart from said first spatially periodic permanent magnetic array, wherein said first Halbach array and said second Halbach array are geometrically identical such that they have the same number of magnets and the same pole number so that their fields have the same azimuthal spatial periodicity; wherein said first spatially periodic magnetic array and said second spatially periodic magnetic array are both selected from the same group consisting of a planar magnetic array and a cylindrical magnetic array; a planar conductor array movably located between said first spatially periodic magnetic array of said planar magnetic array and said second spatially periodic magnetic array of said planar magnetic array, wherein said planar conductor array comprises a plurality of inductive circuits; a cylindrical conductor array movably located between said first spatially periodic magnetic array of said cylindrical magnetic array and said second spatially periodic magnetic array of said cylindrical magnetic array, wherein said cylindrical conductor array comprises a plurality of inductive circuits; wherein azimuthal magnetic components of said first spatially periodic magnetic array of said planar magnetic array and azimuthal magnetic components of said second spatially periodic magnetic array of said planar magnetic array add at an equilibrium position between them, wherein axial magnetic components of said first spatially periodic magnetic array of said planar magnetic array and axial magnetic components of said second spatially periodic magnetic array of said planar magnetic array cancel an equilibrium position between them; wherein azimuthal magnetic components of said first spatially periodic magnetic array of said cylindrical magnetic array and azimuthal magnetic components of said second spatially periodic magnetic array of said cylindrical magnetic array add between them, wherein radial magnetic components of said first spatially periodic magnetic array of said cylindrical magnetic array and radial magnetic components of said second spatially periodic magnetic array of said cylindrical magnetic array cancel at an equilibrium position between them; at least one rotatable element selected from a first group consisting of said first spatially periodic magnetic array and said second spatially periodic magnetic array, and a second group consisting of said planar conductor array and said cylindrical conductor array; and means for sustaining said at least one rotatable element in stable equilibrium until said rotatable element has exceeded a critical angular velocity. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification