Design and Fabrication of High-Temperature, Radial Magnetic Bearing for Turbomachinery

Abstract

Motors, magnetic bearings, and other electromagnetic actuators that can operate at 1000 degrees F (540 degrees C) hold great promise for providing increased efficiency in machinery for many applications ranging from pebble-bed nuclear reactors and chemical processing to aircraft and unmanned aerial combat vehicle (UCAV) propulsion systems. This report discusses in detail the design and fabrication of a high-temperature, heteropolar, radial magnetic bearing that was operated at 1000 degrees F (540 degrees C). The development of high-temperature wire and a coil fabrication process are two significant technical barriers overcome by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL), the NASA Glenn Research Center, and the Texas A&M University (TAMU) team. This is ARL/NASA/TAMU's third-generation, high-temperature magnetic bearing. The motivation for this research came from the pursuit of a more electric gas turbine engine and a high-temperature, large-diameter, 4-million-DN (diam in millimeters times rotor speed in revolutions per minute) rotor support system. (5 tables, 16 figures, 9 refs.)