Patent ID: 6304015
Filing Date: 2001-10-16
Classification: F16C,H02K

Abstract:
A passive radial magnetic bearing for use in maintaining a rotating disk in a non-contact asymptotically stable radial equilibrium when said disk is rotating above a critical speed about its rotation symmetry axis, while exerting almost no force on the disk in the axial direction and almost no torque about the disk rotation axis, comprisinga) a disk;said disk having at least three shortened loops with finite conductivity and non-zero inductance mounted on said disk and evenly situated around said disk rotation symmetry axis;b) a stator;said stator having a prescribed axis and magnetic means generating axial magnetic field uniform circumferentially about said prescribed axis and non-uniform in the radial direction, such that there is a change of magnetic flux through said shortened loops with finite conductivity and non-zero inductance whenever the disk center is displaced from said prescribed axis in said radial direction, thereby producing a radial equilibrium in which said disk center coincides with said prescribed axis;c) a damper, said damper applying a force on said disk center whenever there is a radial disk velocity, said force being directed oppositely to said radial disk velocity vector and increasing in magnitude when said radial disk velocity increases in magnitude.