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US 5,633,547 AGranted
Magnetic bearing
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorTimothy A. Coombs
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AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorTimothy A. Coombs
Estimating the term…
A magnetic thrust bearing (110) comprises a magnet (112) mounted on a shaft (114) and a plurality of equi-angularly spaced superconductors (116) mounted on a static structure (118). Each superconductor (116) is mounted onto the static structure (118) by a parallel hinge strip (120) which allows the superconductor (116) to move radially relative to the axis of rotation of the shaft (114). The radial movement of the superconductors (116) changes the cross-sectional area of the magnetic field between the magnet and the superconductors (116) and this changes the stiffness of the magnetic bearing (110). The superconductors (116) move radially due to the pivoting of the parallel hinge strips (120) due to changes in the loads acting on the magnetic bearing (110). It is possible to detect movement of the shaft and to actively move the superconductors to control the stiffness of the magnetic bearing and to control the clearance in the magnetic bearing as in FIG. 5.
A magnetic bearing for supporting and allowing relative movement in a first directional sense between a first member and a second member, the magnetic bearing comprising first magnetic means mounted on the first member and second magnetic means mounted on the second member, the first and second magnetic means producing a magnetic field therebetween having a cross-sectional area to oppose loads which cause the first and second members to move relative to each other with directional components perpendicular to the first directional sense, and means arranged to change the cross-sectional area of the magnetic field between the first and second magnetic means when the magnitude of the load changes so as to control the stiffness of the magnetic bearing said relative movement of the first and second magnetic means having a directional component transverse to the direction of the load which causes the first and second members to move with directional components perpendicular to the first directional sense.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.