Pump having opposing magnets between a rotor and stator, and related assemblies, systems, and methods
AssigneeWhite Knight Fluid Handling Inc.
InventorsTom M. Simmons, Geoffrey White, Courtney Parsons
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pump may include a stator, a rotor, and an impeller. The stator may include one or more electromagnets and one or more permanent magnets. The rotor may include an armature, one or more complementary permanent magnets, and a pull magnet configured to position the rotor in an axial direction. The rotor may be disposed within the stator. The complementary permanent magnets and the one or more permanent magnets of the stator may create magnetic bearings. The armature may be aligned with at least one of the electromagnets of the stator and configured to rotate the rotor with respect to the stator. The impeller may be coupled to the rotor.
Claims18
A magnetically levitated electric motor comprising:
- a rotor comprising an armature and one or more permanent magnets on opposing axial sides of the armature;
- a stator substantially coaxial with the rotor, the stator comprising a drive magnet axially aligned with the armature and one or more complementary permanent magnets positioned on opposing axial sides of the drive magnet;
- a permanent push/pull magnet positioned on an axial end of the rotor;
- a locating electromagnet positioned on an axial end of the stator, configured to position of the rotor at a position set-point by interacting with the push/pull magnet, the locating electromagnet axially offset from the push/pull magnet;
- a permanent lift magnet positioned on the axial end of the stator, the permanent lift magnet configured to support the axial end of the rotor;
- and
- wherein at least one of the one or more complementary permanent magnets is located between the locating electromagnet and the drive magnet.
A method of controlling an axial position of a magnetically levitated electric motor, the method comprising:
- inducing an axial force on a rotor comprising an armature, one or more permanent magnets on opposing axial sides of the armature, and a permanent lift magnet positioned on the axial end of a stator, the permanent lift magnet configured to support an axial end of rotor, the rotor positioned radially within the stator through a magnetic force between a push/pull magnet positioned on an axial end the rotor and a locating electromagnet positioned on the stator, the stator substantially coaxial with the rotor, the stator comprising a drive magnet axially aligned with the armature and one or more complementary permanent magnets positioned on opposing axial sides of the drive magnet, and the locating electromagnet positioned on the axial end of the stator, configured to position of the rotor at a position set-point by interacting with the push/pull magnet, substantially coaxial with the rotor, and axially offset from the push/pull magnet, wherein at least one of the one or more complementary permanent magnets is located between the locating electromagnet and the drive magnet;
- measuring an axial position of the rotor relative to the stator;
- adjusting a voltage to the locating electromagnet to change the axial force on the locating permanent magnet;
- and
- inducing a radial force on an axial end of the rotor through a radial magnetic force between the locating magnet and the permanent lift magnet, the radial force configured to support the axial end of the rotor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.