2012
International Symposium on Power Electronics,
Electrical Drives, Automation and Motion
Five-Axis Magnetic Suspension with Two
Conical Air Gap Bearingless PM Synchronous
Half-Motors
Gabriel Munteanu*, Andreas Binder** and Stefan Dewenter*
* Institute of Electrical Energy Conversion, Darmstadt University of Technology (Germany)
** Senior Member IEEE (Germany)
Abstract--A novel type of “bearingless” permanent
magnet (PM) synchronous motor is presented. The motor
consists of two conical air gap bearingless PM half-motors,
mounted on a single shaft. Each conical stator houses two
separate three-phase distributed AC windings with different
magnetic pole pair counts. The motor winding has the same
pole count as the PM rotor for the generation of the torque
and the axial force. For time invariant radial levitation
forces, the second winding (the levitation winding) must
have one pole pair more or less than the rotor PM field. It
must be fed with the same electrical frequency as the motor
winding. With this drive arrangement all six degrees of
freedom of the rigid rotor can be actively stabilized and
controlled without using any further active magnetic
bearings. A prototype with a rated mechanical output power
of 1 kW at a rated speed of 18 000 rpm has been designed
and built, in order to validate the theory.
Index Terms—Conical air gap, magnetic suspension, PM
bearingless motor
I. INTRODUCTION
The idea of magnetic levitation goes back more than
150 years, but its real tangible applications have been
developed only in the past two decades. Technical
breakthroughs in the sensor, digital signal processor,
power electronics and control areas have made the
magnetic levitation economically feasible. Many
applications (turbo-molecular vacuum pumps, turbo-
compressors, machine tool spindles, etc.) from different
industry sectors have profited from an increase in
performance due to the numerous advantages offered by
the magnetic suspension [1]: no lubrication and no
mechanical wear, controlled air gap, higher possible rotor
circumferential speeds, vibration control and on-line
process monitoring, increased reliability and increased
maintenance intervals.
Usually, the five-axes active magnetic suspension of
rotors is technically implemented as a combination of one
axial and two radial magnetic bearings [2] as shown in
Fig. 1a). The radial bearings are placed on each side of
the motoring unit and the axial bearing is integrated either
at the drive-end (DE) or at the non-drive end (NDE) of
the shaft. The overall length of the machine can be
reduced, if the radial magnetic bearings are replaced by
two conical air gap magnetic bearings [3]. This modality
of a five-axes active magnetic levitation, depicted in
978-1-4673-1301-8/12/$31.00 ©2012 IEEE
1246
RMB
RMB
MOTOR AMB CMB MOTOR CMB
a) b)
CBM
BM BM AMB CBM CBM
c) d)
Fig. 1. Schematic representation of a five-axes magnetically levitated
drive using: a) two radial magnetic bearings (RMB) and one axial
magnetic bearing (AMB), b) two conical air gap magnetic bearings
(CMB), c) two bearingless half-motors (BM) and one axial magnetic
bearing (AMB) or d) two conical air gap bearingless motors (CBM)
Fig. 1b), can be used in applications, where modest axial
loads occur.
The discovery of the field oriented control, the
advances in power electronics and in digital control have
permitted the development of the “bearingless motors”
as an alternative to the magnetic bearing levitated drives.
With bearingless motors the radial magnetic suspension
is integrated into the motor active part. So, they produce
the torque, suspend and position magnetically the rotor
on two axes. Consequently, instead of two radial
magnetic bearings, two parts of bearingless motors with
half the mechanical output power can be applied.
However, the axial magnetic bearing is still necessary for
a fully five-axes magnetically supported rotor [4]
(Fig. 1c)). The thrust magnetic bearing, as a separate
component, is no longer required, if the two bearingless
motor parts are built with conical air gap instead of
cylindrical air gap, as depicted in Fig. 1d). The latter
drive arrangement is investigated in this paper, based on a
1 kW prototype with a rated speed of 18 000 rpm.
II. RADIAL FORCE, AXIAL FORCE AND TORQUE
GENERATION IN A CONICAL AIR GAP BEARINGLESS PM
MOTOR
The basic principle of the motor and the mathematical
expressions of the torque, the radial and the axial forces
are derived here for PM bearingless motors. The
analytical calculations are based on the Maxwell’s stress
tensor for a conical air gap. In continuum mechanics the
stress is defined as force per unit area of a surface within
a deformable material. In the same way the components system ( x, y, z ) via the transformation matrix (6) from
of the Maxwell’s stress tensor signify a force density of the cylindrical coordinate system (r , α , z ) .
magnetic origin. The tensor is diagonal symmetric and
has the following matrix expression as an only function
G ª x º ªcos α − sin α 0º ª r º
of the vector field strength H components in an arbitrary « y » = « sin α cos α 0»» ⋅ ««α »»
« » « (6)
orthogonal coordinate system, defined by the unit vectors
G G G «¬ z »¼ «¬ 0 0 1»¼ «¬ z »¼
e1 , e 2 , e3 :
The forces per area (5) for each axis have then the
ª μH 2 − μH 2 / 2 μH1H 2 μH1H 3 º expressions (7) as a function of the normal and tangential
I « 1 »
f = « μH 2 H1 μH 2 − μH / 2
2 2
μH 2 H 3 » . (1) component of the air gap flux density:
« μH 3 H1 μH 3 H 2 μH 32 − μH 2 / 2»¼
¬ ª fx º ª Bn2 cos α cos γ − 2 Bn Bt sin α º
In order to calculate the forces, a differential area « f » = 1 « B 2 sin α cos γ + 2 B B cos α » .
« y » 2 « n n t » (7)
element is chosen as a part of the conical surface in the 0 « »
«¬ f z »¼ Bn2 sin γ
air gap of the motor, e.g. at the stator bore. The normal ¬ ¼
G
unit vector n on this surface, expressed in cylindrical The normal component of the magnetic field, generated
coordinates, consists of a component in the radial by the motor winding or the levitation winding in the air
direction and one in the axial direction, given by the air gap at stator bore, is calculated either with Finite Element
gap cone angle γ . A cylindrical rotor has the angle (FEM) software or analytically according to [5]:
γ = 0.
2 0 mk wi N si I i
Bˆ in = ⋅ k ci ,
ª n r º ªcos γ º  pi δ (8)
G « » «
n = « n t » = « 0 »» (2) i = 1 : motor winding, i = 2 : levitation winding,
«¬n z »¼ «¬ sin γ »¼
where m is the winding phase count, k wi is the
G
The magnetic field strength H in the conical air gap fundamental winding factor, N si is the number of turns
has a normal and a tangential component, regarding to the per phase and k ci is a curvature effect factor (9) due to
chosen area element. The normal component decomposes
the big effective air gap, composed of the mechanical air
itself into a radial and an axial component with respect to
gap, the bandage and the magnet height:
the chosen cylindrical coordinate system:
δ = δ 0 + hB + hM = rsi − rro . In a conical motor rsi is the
ª H r º ª H n cos γ º average stator bore radius and rro the average rotor back-
G
H = «« H t »» = «« H t »» . (3) iron radius.
«¬ H z »¼ «¬ H n sin γ »¼
p i 1 + (rro / rsi )2 pi
k ci = δ (9)
Using (1), (2) and (3), and according to B =  0 H the rsi 1 − (rro / rsi )2 pi
force components per area on the air gap area element,
G The expression of the amplitude of the PM rotor field
determined by the normal component n , become:
can be found in [6] for surface-mounted parallel and
ªf º
G « r» 1 «
( )
ª Bn2 − Bt2 cos γ º
»
radial magnetized rotor topologies.
f = « ft » = « 2 Bn B t ». (4) A. Radial Force Generation
«¬ f z »¼ (
2 0 « 2
¬
)
Bn − Bt2 sin γ »
¼
For rotating field bearingless motors an additional
three-phase winding is necessary, which is placed in the
The flux lines in the air gap of a low saturated PM same stator slots with the motor winding, which has 2p1
electrical machine are nearly perpendicular to the stator poles as the PM rotor. This levitation winding of different
iron at the stator bore surface. This implies that pole count 2p2 generates in the air gap one magnetic pole
B t2 << Bn2 , hence the force densities simplify further to: pair more p2 = p1+1 or less p2 = p1-1 than the motor
winding.
S
ªf º ª Bn2 cos γ º N S
G « r» 1 « » N N
f = « ft » ≅ « 2 Bn B t » . (5)
2 0 « 2
B sin γ » N N FX
«¬ f z »¼ FY
¬ n ¼
S S S N
In the bearingless motors the rotor position in space is
S
measured axially and in two perpendicular directions at a) b)
each radial suspension point. For this reason it is useful to Fig. 2: Principle of lateral force generation in a 2-pole bearingless PM
express the force densities in the Cartesian coordinate motor: a) vertical force, b) horizontal force

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 In Fig. 2 the levitation winding excites four poles, as
only one pole pair more is possible with a two-pole rotor:
p2 = p1+1 = 1+1 = 2. The interaction between the four
pole levitation field wave and the two-pole PM rotor field
wave leads to a resulting lateral force Fy or Fx, depending
on the phase angle of the current in the levitation
winding, which is used for the rotor magnetic suspension.
Tangential forces also occur, but their sum in
circumferential direction is zero. The direction and the
amplitude of the lateral bearing force are controlled via
the relative position between rotor d-axis and levitation
field d-axis and via the levitation current value,
respectively. The necessary condition for time
independent rotor forces is the feeding of the motor and
the levitation winding with three-phase AC sinusoidal
currents, having the same electrical frequency. Hence the
levitation field wave rotates asynchronously to the rotor
field, e.g. with half the speed in Fig. 2. Theoretically, any
2p1/2p2 pole count combination, which fulfils the
condition p 2 = p1 ± 1 , is a possible solution.
For the lateral force calculation it is considered that the
normal component of the PM field wave
B0n (α , t ) = Bˆ 0n cos( p1α − ω1t − ϕ 0 ) ,
the normal component
B2n (α , t ) = Bˆ 2n sin ( p 2α − ω 2 t − ϕ 2 )
and the tangential component of the magnetic field wave
B 2t (α , t ) =  0 Aˆ 2 cos( p 2α − ω 2 t − ϕ 2 ) ,
produced by the p2-pole pair current loading
A2 (α , t ) = Aˆ 2 cos( p 2α − ω 2 t − ϕ 2 )
of the levitation winding, are present simultaneously in
the motor air gap ( α : mechanical angle; ϕ i , i = 0, 2 :
phase angles). In order to obtain simple design formulas
for bearingless motors, only the fundamental field waves
are considered. The iron saturation is neglected. Hence, in
(7) Bn can be replaced by B0n+B2n and Bt by B2t.
Afterwards, each force per area component is integrated
over the conical surface at stator bore. If the motor and
the levitation winding are fed with sine currents, having
the same angular frequency ω1 = ω 2 , and the pole pair
count is p2 = p1±1, all three perpendicular force
components are non-zero and independent of time:
§ § ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ ·
¨ l r ¨ B0n B2n cos γ ± B0n A2 ¸ ⋅ sin(ϕ −ϕ ) ¸
¨ Fe,γ si ¨ 2 0 2 ¹ ¸ 0 2
©
§ F2x · ¨
¨ ¸ ¨ § Bˆ0n Bˆ 2n Bˆ Aˆ ·
¨ F2y ¸ = ¨ ± lFe,γ rsi ¨¨ cos γ ± 0n 2 ¸ ⋅ cos(ϕ 0−ϕ 2 ) ¸ ,
¨F ¸ ¨ © 2  0 2 ¸
¹ ¸ (14)
© 2z ¹ ¨
¨
(
lFe,γ rsi Bˆ0n
2
)
+ Bˆ 2n
2
⋅ sin γ
¨ 2 0
© ¹
"+" ⎯⎯→ p2 = p1 + 1; "−" ⎯⎯→ p2 = p1 − 1,
where l Fe,γ = l Fe / cosγ is the equivalent stator iron length.
In (14) the normal component of the levitation field wave
amplitude B̂ 2n is expressed, using (8), as a function of
the current loading amplitude A2 = 2mN s2 I 2 /(2rsi ) . If
only the maximum force in the x- or y-direction is
considered, i.e. ϕ 0 − ϕ 2 = 0 or  / 2 , the necessary current
loading A2 for a desired lateral force F is given as
follows:
2F
A2 = .
§ rsi · (15)
ˆ ¨
rsi l Fe,γ k w2 B0n ¨ ¸
k c2 cos γ ± 1¸
© p 2δ ¹
With (15) the levitation winding of the conical
bearingless motor is designed. Due to the conical air gap
the radial force generation in one half-motor is inherently
accompanied by an undesired axial force. In the particular
case, when the rotor is axially centered and both half-
motors produce equal radial forces, the net rotor axial
force is however zero.
B. Torque and Axial Force Generation
For the torque generation, a three-phase winding with
the same number of magnetic poles (2p1) as in the PM
(10) rotor is applied, like in conventional AC machines. An
example with a two-pole PM motor is schematically
shown in Fig. 3a). If no rotor eccentricity occurs, the sum
(11) of the radial forces acting between stator and rotor is
zero. Only tangential forces, via Lorentz forces, are acting
on the rotor and stator respectively, thus producing the
required torque. Without saliency, the torque is
(12) maximized, if a phase shift of 90 electrical degrees exists
between the stator and the rotor field waves (16) and (10).
These statements are both valid for conical and
(13) cylindrical air gap bearingless motors.
The rotor active axial suspension is usually achieved
with thrust magnetic bearings. Shorter drives are possible,
if two conical magnetic bearings are employed.
Alternatively, two conical bearingless half-motors with
half of the necessary total iron active length can axially
support the rotating motor part. The conical bearingless
motor parts should be identical and oriented axially with
the smallest bore diameters at the outside as depicted in
Fig. 3b). So, the generated axial forces in each half-motor
are acting on the rotor in opposite directions, which
means that for equal flux densities in both half-motors no
resulting axial force will occur.
For torque and axial force calculation the magnetic
field wave normal component
· B1n (α , t ) = Bˆ1n sin ( p1α − ω1t − ϕ1 ) (16)
¸
¸ and the tangential component
¸
B1t (α , t ) =  0 Aˆ1 cos( p1α − ω1t − ϕ1 ) , (17)
¸
¸ produced by the p1-pole motor winding current loading
¸
A1 (α , t ) = Aˆ1 cos( p1α − ω1t − ϕ1 ) , (18)
and the p1-pole rotor PM field wave (10) are active in the
motor air gap at the same time.
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 the direction of the field strengthened half-motor, as it is
N shown graphically in Fig. 3b) according to:
N M S 2l Fe,γ rsi
Fz = F1z,DE − F1z, NDE = Bˆ 0n Bˆ1n ⋅ sin γ . (20)
S
0

a) In (20) B̂1n is replaced with its expression given by (8)

Field weakening Field strengthening
for the p1-pole motor winding to obtain the design
formula for the axial force:
§ 2 2 m k w1N s1Bˆ0n,1 lFe,γ rsi ·
NDE DE
Fz = ¨ kc1 sin γ ¸ I1d . (21)
¨ p1δ ¸
© ¹
PM field The value of the axial force depends, besides of the
Motor d-field
F1z,DE motor geometry, on the PM air gap flux density, on the
F1z,NDE
F1r,DE F1n,DE air gap cone angle and on the d-component of the motor
F1n,NDE F
1r,NDE winding current.

III. CONICAL AIR GAP BEARINGLESS MOTOR PROTOTYPE

Fz = F1z,DE - F1z,NDE
NDE DE
The conical air gap bearingless motor prototype with
the axial cross section from Fig. 4a) has a mechanical
output power of 1 000 W at a rated speed of 18 000 rpm.
The geometry and electrical parameters of the built
prototype are provided in Table I. The drive is composed
b) of two 500 W conical air gap half-motors, each
Fig. 3: Principle of a) torque and b) axial force generation with two generating half of the drive torque and power (Fig. 4b)).
conical air gap bearingless PM motors On the solid steel shaft two high-strength aluminium
rings are shrink-fitted as radial position measurement
If the stator iron saturation is neglected, in (5) Bn can
surfaces for eddy current distance sensors. These rotor
be replaced by B0n+B1n and Bt by B1t. The forces in
components limit the axial movement of the rotor
cylindrical coordinates per conical half-motor are
between the two auxiliary ball bearings, protect the
calculated by integrating the three components of the
carbon fibre bandages against axial sliding due to the
Maxwell’s stress tensor over the conical surface at stator
rotor conical shape and contain the holes for the
bore:
balancing masses. The PMs of the two-pole rotor are
¨
§ F1r · ¨ 2 0
(
§ lFe,γ rsi ˆ 2
B0n + 2 Bˆ0n Bˆ1n sin(ϕ 0−ϕ1 ) + Bˆ1n
2
)·
⋅ cos γ ¸
¸
made of sintered NdFeB (VACODYM890TP,
Vacuumschmelze, Germany). They have conical outer
¨ ¸ ¨ ¸. and inner surfaces.
F =
¨ 1t ¸ ¨  l r ˆ
B ˆ
A cos(ϕ −ϕ )
Fe,γ si 0n 1 0 1 ¸ (19)
¨ F ¸ ¨ lFe,γ rsi
© 1z ¹
¨ 2 ( B0n + 2 B0n B1n sin(ϕ 0−ϕ1 ) + B1n ⋅ sin γ ¸
ˆ 2 ˆ ˆ ˆ 2
)¸
© 0 ¹

In (19) F1r and F1t represent the radial and the

tangential force in cylindrical coordinates, which lead to
zero total forces in Cartesian coordinates. If F1t is
multiplied with the mean radius rsi , the torque of each
half-motor is obtained. Furthermore, if ϕ 0 −ϕ1 = 0 , F1t is
maximum. This means that the motor winding is fed only a)
with q-current. A resulting variable axial force can be
applied on the rotor by changing the air gap magnetic
field density in the two conical half-motors via the d-
component of the motor winding current. The change in
air gap flux density leads to a change of the axial
component F1z of Maxwell’s magnetic pull between rotor
and stator. In order to maximize the axial force value, the
magnetic field in one half-motor is weakened
( ϕ 0 −ϕ1 = − /2 ) and in the second one it is strengthened
( ϕ 0 −ϕ1 = /2 ) by the same amount. So, no torque will be
generated. The difference of the axial forces, produced by b)
Fig. 4 a) Axial cross section of the prototype; b) Conical air gap
each half-motor, gives the net rotor axial force, acting in bearingless motor prototype together with its PM rotor

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 TABLE I. MAIN DESIGN PARAMETERS OF THE CONICAL IV. MEASUREMENTS
BEARINGLESS PM MOTOR PROTOTYPE
A. Radial and Axial Rotor Position
Parameter Symbol Value
The accuracy of the radial and the axial rotor
Rated power PN 2 x 500 W
positioning depends mainly on the rotor residual mass
Rated speed nN 18 000 rpm
imbalance, the sensor accuracy, the roughness and the
Cone angle  10°
concentric run-out of the measurement surface for the
Min. stator bore diameter dsi,min 32 mm
distance sensors and on the control parameters. In Fig. 5
No-load air gap flux density (calculated) B̂ 0n,cal 0.523 T
the digitally measured rotor positions of all five axes at
Rated radial / axial force Fr,N / Fa,N 10 N / 15 N no-load motor operation and rated speed are shown. All
Motor / levitation winding pole pairs p1 / p2 1/2 five signals vary with the mechanical rotational frequency
Stator slot count Qs 12 and have amplitudes lower than 5 μm. Hence, the rotor is
Active iron length per half-motor lFe 40 mm kept safely within the maximum auxiliary bearing radial
Nr. of turns per phase of motor winding Ns1 30 gap of ±150 μm and within the maximum axial gap of
Nr. of turns per phase of lev. winding Ns2 20 ±400 μm.
Rated motor / levitation winding current I1 / I2 8A/6A
B. Radial and Axial Force Measurement
PM remanence flux density at 20°C BR,20 1.177 T
Variable axial loads can be applied to the rotor using
PM height hM 3 mm
its weight force, just by mounting the motor under
Mechanical air gap length 0 1 mm
different inclination angles as shown in Fig. 6a). An
Carbon fibre bandage height hB 2 mm
increased axial load is achieved with additional calibrated
Rotor mass mr 1.12 kg
weights, attached to the shaft, when the rotor is in a
Cooling method with air - Natural
vertical position. The measured and the analytically
The diametrically magnetized magnets are glued with calculated axial forces versus the motor winding d-
DELO-DUOPOX AD895 (Delo, Germany) to the steel current are compared in Fig. 6b). The measured axial
shaft. They are protected against centrifugal forces by force-current factor kia,mes = 2.37 N/A is close to the
2 mm thick carbon fibre bandages, which were axially expected one kia,cal = 2.59 N/A.
pressed and also glued onto the rotor magnets. The stator 15
iron sheets have different inner diameters, the same slot 10
x −position
DE

cross section area and a constant outer diameter. They yDE−position

/ μm

5
were individually laser-cut from the high-frequency sheet
DE

material M270-35A. Each conical stator has twelve slots 0

,y
DE

and houses the motor winding as well as the levitation −5

x

winding as distributed single layer windings. −10

The conical bearingless PM motor has twelve −15
electrical phases in four independent star-connected 0 10 20 30 40 50
three-phase AC-windings. This means that an inverter t / ms
a)
with twelve legs would be necessary for the PWM 15
voltage supply of the windings. The PWM voltage power x
NDE
−position
10
converter must be able to supply and evaluate the eddy yNDE−position
/ μm

5
current position sensors, the temperature sensors, the
NDE

rotor position angle and the rotational speed transducer. 0

,y
NDE

Such an inverter does not exist as a commercial product. −5

x

However, power electronics for magnetic bearings are −10

commercially available and can also be used to supply −15
small power electrical motors. The bought PWM voltage 0 10 20 30 40 50
t / ms
converter has a power stage, consisting of ten legs, and
b)
therefore it cannot alone feed the four windings of the 15
bearingless motor. Hence, two power converters are 10
needed to supply the conical bearingless motor. The two
5
drive windings, three of the special KTY84-130
z / μm

temperature sensors (in the winding slot and winding 0

overhangs) and the axial position eddy current sensor are −5

connected to the first inverter. The two levitation −10
windings, the other three temperature sensors and the −15
eddy current radial position sensors are connected to the 0 10 20 30 40 50
t / ms
second inverter. The rotor d-axis position angle and the
c)
rotational speed information are needed by both inverters Fig. 5: Measured rotor position of all five axes at rated speed
for the implementation of the field oriented control of the n = 18 000 rpm and no-load motor operation: a) x, y-position at DE,
drive. b) x, y-position at NDE, c) z-position

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 15 120 60
measured up−DE Up−DE
12 calculated
90
u UpLL−DE

up−DE , upLL−DE / V

Up−DE, UpLL−DE / V
60 pLL−DE
9

Fa /N
30 40
6
0
3
−30
0 20
−60
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
I /A −90
1
−120 0
a) b) 0 2 4 6 8 10 0 6 000 12 000 18 000
Fig. 6: a) Axial loading; b) Measured and calculated axial force t / ms n / rpm
a) b)
15
measured Fig. 10: a) Measured line-to-line and phase back-EMF waveforms at
12 calculated n = 18 000 rpm of the DE motor winding; b) Measured line-to-line and
phase back-EMF r.m.s. values
FrDE /N

6 The arrangement from Fig. 9 will be also used for load

3
0 r.m.s. value of 30.1 V (Fig. 10b)). With this value the
0 1 2 3
I /A
2DE
b)
a)
Fig. 7: a) Radial loading using calibrated weights attached to the shaft;
b) Measured and calculated DE radial force
FrDE = 5.2 N FrNDE = 5.8 N
G = 11.0 N
Fig. 8: Weight force distribution between the two bearingless half-
motors
In order to measure the lateral forces, calibrated
weights were attached to the shaft as depicted in Fig. 7a).
The resulting forces in each bearingless half-motor are
calculated from the force and momentum equilibrium
equations according to Fig. 8. The additional weights are
attached to the shaft drive end (DE), which means that the
non-drive end (NDE) half-motor experiences a vertical
force decrease and the DE half-motor a vertical force
increase. For this reason in Fig. 7b) the measured DE
lateral force is compared with the calculated one. The
ratio of the measured to the calculated radial force-
current factor is kir,mes/kir,cal = 2/2.19.
C. Back-EMF
The back-EMF measurement delivers useful
information regarding the winding and the rotor magnetic
circuit design, e.g. a check of the air gap magnetic flux
density. For this test the conical bearingless motor was
coupled with a PM machine with a rated speed of
24 000 rpm (Fig. 9).
Fig. 9: Conical bearingless prototype (right) on the test bed, coupled via
two elastic couplings and a torque measurement device with a
24 000 rpm PM load machine (left)
measurements. At rated speed the measured induced
phase voltage is nearly sinusoidal (Fig. 10a)) and has a
4 5 6
calculated flux density amplitude at the stator bore is
Bˆ = 0.49 T , which fits well to the analytically
0n, mes
calculated value from Table I ( Bˆ 0n,cal = 0.523 T ).
V. CONCLUSIONS
With two conical air gap bearingless motors all six
degrees of freedom of a rigid rotor can be actively
controlled. This drive arrangement is an alternative
concept for electrical machines, levitated with radial and
axial magnetic bearings. Only three-phase inverter units
are needed for driving as well as for suspension for all
degrees of freedom. The electrical power of the motor
winding can be used to generate either a higher torque,
when low axial loads occur, or a higher axial force, when
low torque is applied to the shaft. The measured
performance parameters (rotor radial and axial position,
back-EMF, axial and lateral forces) of the built 1 kW
prototype fit to the calculations. The prototype is still
under testing, thermal and loss measurements will be
presented in the near future.
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1346-1350.
[3] C.-W. Lee and H.-S. Jeong, "Dynamic Modeling and Optimal
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1403, 1996.
[4] N. Miyamoto, T. Enomoto, M. Amada, et al., "Suspension
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