Active Axial-Magnetomotive Force Parallel-Airgap Serial Flux Magnetic Bearings

The maximum force capability of conventional active magnetic bearings is limited since the magnetic flux density in the iron is limited due to saturation. We introduce in this paper a new concept of active magnetic bearings that exploits high bearing force from a number of parallel ironless stator and permanent-magnet rotor discs. We optimized the design of the bearing by solving tens of thousands of finite-element models in nested loops. We commissioned an experimental rig comprising a set of interleaved bearing discs and a 3 degrees-of-freedom mechanical platform to verify its force production capability.