Magnetic bearing device and vacuum pump

• US 7,633,201 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2004
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mecos Traxler AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Mecos Traxler AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Larsonneur, Rene, Buhler, Philipp
• Primary Examiner(s): Lam; Thanh
• Application Number:
  US10/572,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20070024138A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,930 Days
• Field of Search: 310/68.B, 310/71, 310/90.5
• US Class Current: 310/90.5
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 19/048 comprising magnetic bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/0693 Details or arrangements of the wiring
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2360/45 Turbo-molecular pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 32/0446 Determination of the actual position of the moving member, e.g. details of sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 32/0468 of moving parts of the magnetic circuit, e.g. of the rotor
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 32/047 Details of housings; Mounting of active magnetic bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 32/0489 with active support of five degrees of freedom, e.g. two radial magnetic bearings combined with an axial bearing
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 35/00 Rigid support of bearing units; Housings, e.g. caps, covers F16C23/00 takes precedence

Abstract

A magnetic bearing device (1) for rotatably supporting a shaft (20) for rotation about a rotation axis (101) is disclosed. The device (1) comprises a first active radial bearing (5), one or more first radial displacement sensors (81), and an axial bearing (6, 7). At least a part of the axial bearing (6, 7) is disposed between the first active radial bearing (5) and the first radial displacement sensors (81) when viewed in an orthogonal projection onto the rotation axis (101). A vacuum pump including the magnetic bearing device (1) and a multiple-sensing unit (8) are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A magnetic bearing device for rotatably supporting a rotor for rotation about a rotation axis, the magnetic bearing device comprising:

a first active radial bearing;

a second active radial bearing;

at least one first radial displacement sensor; and

an axial bearing,

wherein at least a part of the axial bearing is disposed between the first active radial bearing and the at least one first radial displacement sensor when viewed in an orthogonal projection onto the rotation axis, and

wherein the first active radial bearing is disposed between the axial bearing and the second active radial bearing when viewed in an orthogonal projection onto the rotation axis.

2. The magnetic bearing device according to claim 1,

wherein the magnetic bearing device further comprises a drive motor and second radial displacement sensors,

wherein the drive motor is disposed between the first active radial bearing and the second active radial bearing when viewed in an orthogonal projection onto the rotation axis, and

wherein the second radial displacement sensors are arranged between the second active radial bearing and the drive motor when viewed in an orthogonal projection onto the rotation axis.

3. The magnetic bearing device according to claim 1, wherein the axial bearing provides a void space and wherein the at least one first radial displacement sensor extends into the void space of the axial bearing.

4. The magnetic bearing device according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic bearing device further comprises at least one axial displacement sensor, and wherein the at least one first radial displacement sensor and the at least one axial displacement sensor are integrated in a single multiple-sensing unit.

5. The magnetic bearing device according to claim 1, further comprising one or more angular velocity sensors integrated in the multiple-sensing unit.

7. The magnetic bearing device according to claim 1, further comprising a multiple-sensing unit, the multiple-sensing unit comprising:

a holding member; and

a plurality of sensors attached to the holding member,

wherein at least one of the sensors is a radial displacement sensor and at least one of the sensors is an axial displacement sensor.

8. The magnetic bearing device according to claim 7, wherein the holding member is disposed in the magnetic bearing device such that at least a part of the axial bearing is disposed between the first active radial bearing and the multiple-sensing unit when viewed in an orthogonal projection onto the rotation axis.

9. The magnetic bearing device according to claim 7, wherein the holding member at least partially extends into a void space provided in the axial bearing.

10. The magnetic bearing device according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the sensors comprised by the multiple-sensing unit is an angular velocity sensor.

6. A vacuum pump, comprising:

a magnetic bearing device; and

a rotor rotatably supported in the magnetic bearing device, wherein the magnetic bearing device comprises;

a first active radial bearing;

a second active radial bearing;

at least one first radial displacement sensor; and

an axial bearing,

wherein at least a part of the axial bearing is disposed between the first active radial bearing and the at least one first radial displacement sensor when viewed in an orthogonal projection onto the rotation axis, and

wherein the first active radial bearing is disposed between the axial bearing and the second active radial bearing when viewed in an orthogonal projection onto the rotation axis.

11. The vacuum pump according to claim 6, wherein the vacuum pump is a turbo molecular vacuum pump.