A sensorless active magnetic bearing suitable for use in rotating machinery and seals, contemplates a circuit and a process for actively controlling the position of an object using magnetic forces without mechanical contact between the object suspended 10 and the components of the magnetic positioner, and without the necessity for discrete sensors for determining the position of the object suspended. Electromagnets L.sub.1 and L.sub.2 are placed in an ordered coaxial array surrounding an object ...

At least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a capacitive sensing system, comprising a sensing conductor coupleable to a grounded target by a gap capacitance C.sub.d, said grounded target separated from said sensing conductor by a gap having a width. The capacitive sensing system also comprises a circuit connected to said sensing conductor, an input signal having an input frequency f.sub.osc provided to said circuit through an input resistance R.sub.d, an output signal of ...

At least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a capacitive sensing system, comprising a sensing conductor coupleable to a grounded target by a gap capacitance C.sub.d, said grounded target separated from said sensing conductor by a gap having a width. The capacitive sensing system also comprises a circuit connected to said sensing conductor, an input signal having an input frequency f.sub.osc provided to said circuit through an input resistance R.sub.d, an output signal of ...

A passive superconductor bearing system and process for supporting a rotating member uses permanent magnets in the bore of the rotating member, stationary permanent magnets which encircle the shaft, superconducting materials at the shaft ends, and a duct and pinhole outlet which directs a flow of gas towards one shaft end. The stationary permanent magnets interact with the permanent magnets in the shaft to radially position the shaft in the center of the stationary permanent magnets due to radia...

A magnetic bearing and positioning system provides a radial actuator for positioning a shaft without mechanical contact between the actuator and the shaft. As disclosed, the actuators use a homopolar structure without slots between the poles and with the poles of the magnetic bearing being at the same polarity at a given axial position, thereby advantageously reducing hysteretic and eddy current losses in the rotor material.

The present invention contemplates a combination bearing for supporting a rotating rotor within a gas turbine engine. The combination bearing including a magnetic bearing system and dry solid lubricated rolling element auxiliary bearings units for sharing the shaft load. The rotating central shaft being normally supported by the active electromagnetic bearing system. The auxiliary bearing unit being soft mounted to the shaft and engine housing and rotatable with the shaft. Soft mounting of the b...

Certain exemplary embodiments comprise a system, which can comprise a radial magnetic bearing static portion. The radial magnetic bearing static portion can comprise a plurality of electromagnets. The radial magnetic bearing static portion can comprise a plurality of pulse width modulated amplifiers, each of which can be adapted to provide electrical energy to a corresponding electromagnet of the plurality of electromagnets.

Certain exemplary embodiments can provide a switched reluctance machine, comprising a rotor; and a stator encircling said rotor and comprising a plurality of radially distributed stator poles, each of said stator poles comprising a set of coils, each set of coils comprising: a phase coil adapted to be switched to affect a rotation of said rotor; and a field excitation coil adapted to, while said rotor is rotating, generate a magnetic field from a received excitation current.

Certain exemplary embodiments can provide an electrical coil for an electromagnetic machine, said coil comprising: a first electrically conductive winding wound about a central axis in a first spiral, said first winding defining a first winding width and a first winding thickness; a first electrically insulating tape wound about the central axis in a second spiral, said first tape defining a first tape width and a first tape thickness, said first tape located width-wise adjacent said first windi...