Magnetically suspended angular momentum wheel
AssigneeHoneywell Inc.
InventorDaniel J. Sikorra
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A momentum wheel wherein friction has been substantially eliminated by replacing mechanical bearings with a magnetic suspension. The rotor of the momentum wheel, in the form of a circular disk whose diameter greatly exceeds its thickness, is maintained in suspension, free of physical contact with the housing, by means of magnetic fields applied between the circular flat surfaces of the rotor disk and a pair of stator plates. The rotor is passively restrained in the radial direction by means of permanent magnets, while an active axial restraint is provided by a combination of permanent magnets and electromagnetic windings.
Claims6
An angular momentum storage apparatus comprising:
- a rotor member in the shape of a circular disk having two parallel flat sides, the diameter of said rotor member being substantially greater than its thickness;
- a pair of stator members each having a flat surface of area substantially equal to the area of one flat side of said rotor member, the two stator members being positioned such that their two respective flat surfaces are parallel and facing each other and are separated from each other by a distance slightly greater than the thickness of said rotor member;
- and
- means for supporting said rotor member between said stator members free of mechanical contact with said stator members and free for rotation about a spin axis said means for supporting including,
- a plurality of single polarity axially magnetized permanent magnet rings mounted on the flat sides of said rotor member and the flat surfaces of said stator members,
- electromagnetic field generating means mounted on said stator members for generating a differential magnetic field between said stator members and said rotor member,
- position sensing means for detecting the displacement of said rotor from a predetermined position with respect to said stator members and for generating a signal which is a function of said rotor member displacement, and
- means for receiving the signal from said position sensing means and connected to said electromagnetic field generating means to control said magnetic field so as to maintain said rotor member in said predetermined position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.