Active radial magnetic bearing assembly with internal sensors

An active radial magnetic bearing assembly, comprising:

• a housing comprising a center axis extending longitudinally therethrough and a housing inner surface;
• a stator coupled to the housing inner surface and comprising a stator inner surface extending axially between a first stator end wall and a second stator end wall;
• a rotor comprising a rotor outer surface, a portion of the rotor outer surface being a first target, and at least a portion of the rotor configured to rotate about the center axis within the stator, such that an annular gap is defined between the rotor outer surface and the stator inner surface;
• a second target coupled to or formed by the rotor, the second target axially spaced from the first target along the rotor;
• and
• a plurality of sensors coupled to the stator and adjacent the stator inner surface, the plurality of sensors comprising:
• a first sensor and a second sensor positioned to detect a radial position of the rotor via the first target, and
• a third sensor positioned to detect an axial position of the rotor via the second target.

A system for determining an axial position, a radial position, and at least one of a phase angle and a rotational speed of a rotary shaft, comprising:

• the rotary shaft;
• a plurality of active radial magnetic bearing assemblies configured to support the rotary shaft, each active radial magnetic bearing assembly comprising:
• a housing comprising a center axis extending longitudinally therethrough and a housing inner surface,
• a stator coupled to the housing inner surface and comprising a stator inner surface extending axially between a first stator end wall and a second stator end wall,
• a rotor coupled to the rotary shaft and comprising a rotor outer surface, a portion of the rotor outer surface being a first target, and at least a portion of the rotor configured to rotate about the center axis within the stator, such that an annular gap is defined between the rotor outer surface and the stator inner surface,
• a second target coupled to or formed by the rotor, the second target axially spaced from the first target along the rotor, and
• a plurality of sensors coupled to the stator and adjacent the stator inner surface, the plurality of sensors comprising:
• a first sensor and a second sensor, each of the first sensor and the second sensor positioned to detect the radial position of the rotary shaft via the first target and transmit a radial position feedback signal, and
• a third sensor positioned to detect the axial position of the rotary shaft via the second target and transmit an axial position feedback signal, wherein a first active radial magnetic bearing assembly of the plurality of active radial magnetic bearing assemblies further comprises a fourth sensor positioned to detect the at least one of the phase angle and the rotational speed of the rotary shaft via a third target and transmit at least one of a phase angle feedback signal and a rotational speed feedback signal;
• and
• a control system configured to receive the radial position feedback signals, the axial position feedback signal, and the at least one of the phase angle feedback signal and the rotational speed feedback signal and determine the radial position, the axial position, and the at least one of the phase angle and the rotational speed of the rotary shaft.