Magnetostatic and Thermal Analysis of Classical and Hybrid Axial Active Magnetic Bearings

The paper presents the development of analytical and finite element models, focusing on both magnetostatics and thermal solutions, of axial classical and hybrid active magnetic bearings (AMBs) for aerospace applications. A novel hybrid axial AMB design is proposed, combining permanent magnets and an electromagnet, where the bias magnetic flux is provided by the permanent magnets. This configuration significantly reduces the power consumption and heat generation. Numerical modelling is conducted using 2D magnetostatic and both 2D and 3D thermal finite element analysis. The study focuses on the system\u2019s mass reduction, electrical power consumption, and heat flow output, while maintaining the bearing\u2019s load capacity. Digital control systems and algorithms have been developed for both axial classical and hybrid axial AMBs, using an ESP32 microcontroller. A PID control algorithm is implemented for both bearing designs. The paper also discusses the design of the experimental setups and the conducted experiment results.