EP2880744A1

EP2880744A1 - Actuator comprising two magnetic bearing motors

Info

Publication number: EP2880744A1
Application number: EP13756541.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Romain RAVAUD; Jeremy MECH
Original assignee: Whylot SAS
Current assignee: Whylot SAS
Priority date: 2012-07-17
Filing date: 2013-07-12
Publication date: 2015-06-10
Also published as: CN104508953B; FR2993699A1; JP2015528276A; FR2993699B1; US20150162800A1; WO2014013147A1; CN104508953A

Abstract

The invention relates to an actuator comprising two magnetic bearing motors. The actuator is characterised in that it comprises two magnetic bearing motors (1, 1bis), one extending from the other, said two bearing motors (1, 1bis) being offset angularly in relation to one another. The actuator is also characterised in that an active or passive stop (13) is disposed between the two bearing motors (1, 1bis), said stop (13) acting on the rotor (3, 3bis) and stator (4, 4bis) parts of each bearing motor (1, 1bis), a housing (10) being provided in the actuator between the first and second bearing motors (1, 1bis) for receiving the stop (13). The invention is suitable for use in the field of electric machines.

Description

"Actuator comprising two magnetic bearing motors"

The present invention relates to an actuator comprising two magnetic bearing motors.

Conventional electric motors or generators require bearings in order to support and guide a transmission shaft in rotation. The main mechanical components used in common applications are ball bearings or plain bearings. Their operating limits are nonetheless very quickly reached in applications with very high speeds of rotation, with a specific atmosphere or in a vacuum, at very low or high temperature, or in areas in which friction and wear must be minimized.

In these cases, it is known to use magnetic bearings for electric motors or generators, these magnetic bearings not being subjected to frictional wear. Such a magnetic bearing ensures the absence of contact between the fixed part of a motor, called the stator and the moving part of said motor called rotor, the rotor and the stator being separated by an air gap of a few tenths of millimeters.

Thus, it is known to use a motor with a magnetic bearing system to meet the operating constraints mentioned above. For this, a bearing motor has been developed which forms a dual function actuator that integrates the windings of the centralizer and the motor into a single actuator.

Such an actuator makes it possible to reduce the number of elements in the rotating system and to maintain independent control of the torque and radial forces. Configurations with the windings of the bearing and the motor in common on a single device also exist. Bearing motor embodiments incorporate certain defects such as a magnetic circuit containing iron, which is responsible for additional loss of eddy currents at high frequencies. Bearing motors also require a power electronics rich in communication cells as well as complex control processes, which hinders their industrialization.

There can be two kinds of magnetic bearings qualified passive bearing and active bearing. A passive magnetic bearing uses permanent magnets while an active magnetic bearing uses a current coil around a magnetic circuit, said coil being used to create attractive forces in its environment. As previously mentioned, the active bearings are slaved to obtain an effective support of the shaft, this by a control electronics often sophisticated and expensive.

When rotating an object around its most central axis, it is necessary to control five degrees of freedom decomposing into three degrees of freedom in translation and two degrees of freedom in rotation. This can not be done by passive bearings and it is necessary to use at least one active bearing. The control of an active magnetic suspension, however, introduces losses as well as security and reliability problems.

Another source of loss is due to the presence of iron in the components of the actuator or the part that it drives. The presence of iron in said elements is responsible for additional loss by eddy currents, especially at high frequencies. There is also a natural self-discharge of the actuator and the associated part when they are not used.

EP-A-2 107 668 discloses a rotating electrical machine, in which a magnetic support force can be realized even when the rotor length is important. The rotating electrical machine has a rotor mounted on the main shaft and a stator surrounding the rotor.

The rotor has a first section producing a rotational torque in the circumferential direction of the rotor shaft or torque and the bearing force and a second section creating an outward bearing force in the radial direction of the rotor. the rotor shaft.

The two sections of the rotor are arranged in tandem along the main shaft. This document therefore relates to a single-stage engine and has the same disadvantages as the state of the art mentioned.

In an illustration of the state of the art indicated in this document, there is mentioned a bearing motor having two rotors spaced from one another and cooperating with a stator made of a single unit. This state of the art therefore has the same disadvantages as previously mentioned.

WO-A-02/40884 discloses a rotating machine with a rotary shaft supported by first and second radial magnetic bearings driven by a current control device. The rotary shaft is equipped with an axial thrust device comprising a rotor formed of a solid disc. This document describes no bearing motor but only radial magnetic bearings and has the same disadvantages as previously mentioned.

The object of the present invention is to provide an actuator for reducing all the friction that it undergoes during its operation as well as to rotate its motor shaft by eliminating any parasitic movements that may be caused during its rotation.

For this purpose, the present invention relates to an actuator with at least one magnetic bearing motor, said at least one motor comprising a rotor and a stator, the rotor being magnetically suspended relative to the stator, characterized in that it comprises two bearing motors magnetic arranged in the extension of one another, the two bearing motors being angularly offset relative to each other and in that between the two bearing motors is interposed an active or passive stop, said stop acting on the rotor and stator portions of each bearing motor, a housing being provided on the actuator between the first and second bearing motors for receiving the stop.

Such an actuator with two bearing motors makes it possible to guarantee a constant torque for the rotation shaft, the torque of one of the bearing motors being zero in certain angular positions and being compensated for by the torque of the other bearing motor.

According to preferred features of the present invention:

the two bearing motors are offset by a mechanical angle of

22.5 °.

- The rotor part of each bearing motor is formed of magnets symmetrically distributed around the stator portion of said bearing motor.

- The magnets are distributed to form a Halbach structure for creating a magnetic flux of an asymmetrical profile, said flux being amplified on one side of the structure being reduced or canceled on the other side.

the magnets are based on lanthanides, organometallic magnets or organic magnets.

the stator and the rotor are made of composite or ceramic material.

- The stator portion of each bearing motor is formed of a substantially cylindrical core having grooves for the passage of at least one coil between two consecutive grooves.

the three groups of coils are mounted in a star, the sum of the three currents for each bearing motor being zero.

the actuator comprises means for controlling and controlling the parameters of its positioning by variation of the currents transmitted to said at least one coil, detection means in the form of at least one inductive sensor being provided on said actuator, the control means being active on the intensity of the currents transmitted to the coils of each bearing motor.

The invention also relates to a method for controlling such an actuator, comprising a step of varying currents transmitted to said at least one stator coil of the actuator, said step being made as a function of the position and the torque of the actuator. actuator.

Advantageously, said at least one coil of each bearing motor is powered by at least one current, the intensity of the current of the second bearing motor may or may not be different from the intensity of the current of the first bearing motor.

Advantageously, each bearing motor is powered by at least three currents, each current supplying a respective group of coils, the three currents of the first bearing motor being different or different from the three currents of the second bearing motor.

The invention will now be described in more detail but in a nonlimiting manner with reference to the appended figures, in which:

FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of a driven element about an axis with mention of the various degrees of freedom,

FIG. 2 represents a perspective view of an actuator composed of two bearing motors according to the present invention,

FIG. 3a shows a side view of the stator for an actuator according to the present invention, this stator being formed of two stator parts each of which corresponds to a bearing motor,

FIG. 3b represents a longitudinal sectional view of the stator of FIG. 3a,

FIG. 3c represents a perspective view of the stator of FIG.

3a, FIG. 3d represents a developed view of a winding on the stator of FIG. 3a,

FIG. 4 represents a sectional view along A-A of the first bearing motor of the actuator according to the present invention,

FIG. 5 represents a sectional view along B-B of the second bearing motor of the actuator according to the present invention,

- Figure 6 shows a sectional view along A-A or B-B of a bearing motor of the actuator according to another embodiment of the present invention, the rotor magnets being in this figure placed in a Halbach arrangement,

FIG. 7 represents a perspective view of a magnetic stop that can be interposed between the two bearing motors of the actuator according to the invention,

FIG. 8 represents an axial sectional view of the abutment of FIG. 7,

FIGS. 9a, 9b and 9c show the force curves respectively along the X, Y and Z axes indicated in FIG.

FIG. 1 shows a rotating element V and its shaft A, the rotating element being able to be a flywheel. In this figure, it is indicated the possible degrees of freedom of the rotating element V.

Assuming that this rotating element V is completely free, its movement in space can be described by the combination of three translations and three rotations with respect to an orthonormal coordinate system which is shown with an axis Z extending along the axis of the rotation shaft A of the element V, an axis Y contained in the plane of the element V, the axis X being perpendicular to the first two axes Z and Y.

The three degrees of freedom in rotation are respectively the rotation around the Y axis, the rotation β about the X axis and the rotation γ about the Z axis. In the case of a flywheel V of inertia intended to rotate around the Z axis, only the rotation γ must be free, the other rotations being considered parasitic rotations.

Still assuming that the V element is completely free, there are three degrees of freedom in translation along the X, Y and Z axes. This can occur at both ends of the V -shaft A and it is necessary to limit these degrees of freedom in translation to obtain optimal operation of the V element rotating with its shaft A. It should be monitored whether it does not create an offset at both ends of the shaft A, which can be summed up in two respective components X1, Y1 and X2, Y2 giving a respective resultant R1 and R2, this with respect to an orthonormal frame centered on each of the ends.

According to the present invention, there is used an actuator having two bearing motors angularly offset relative to each other, said bearing motors to be described later more precisely. By angular offset of the two bearing motors relative to each other is understood an offset relative to the poles of the bearing motors relative to each other.

Both bearing motors can be similar as of different design. The use of two bearing motors offset angularly relative to each other makes it possible to transmit a driving torque by action by rotation γ about the Z axis but also to exert radial forces to control the forces R1 and R2. as well as the rotations a and β. The degree of freedom in translation along the Z axis is maintained by an advantageously passive magnetic stop. This concerns friction losses that the present invention wishes to reduce.

With regard to the eddy current losses, the present invention provides for the actuator and the associated element to be made of nonferrous materials. This applies for example particularly to the magnets of the parts rotor and the stator parts of the two-motor actuator bearings.

Referring now to Figures 2-5, the actuator according to the present invention will now be described. The actuator according to the invention combines the characteristics of a permanent magnet synchronous electric machine with magnetic rolling functions.

The actuator is composed of two bearings motor 1 and 1 bis angularly offset. This makes it possible to guarantee a constant torque for the rotation shaft, the torque of one of the bearing motors 1 or 1bis being able to be zero in certain angular positions and being compensated for by the torque of the other bearing motor 1 bis or 1. two bearing motors 1 and 1 bis forming part of the actuator may be synchronous machines with permanent magnets in the rotor part.

In FIGS. 2 to 5, the bearing motors 1 and 1a are composed of six poles and three coils in the example below, but other structures are possible for controlling several axes, such as, for example, the four-stage motor. poles and coils.

Each bearing motor 1 and 1 bis has, first of all, an external rotor with permanent magnets 3 and 3bis polarized and alternating. The arrangement of the polarized and alternating permanent magnets 3 and 3bis can be done either conventionally or by a Halbach structure. It is also possible to have an inner rotor surrounded by a stator.

As shown in FIG. 6 illustrating a Halbach structure, the arrangement of the magnets 3 and 3bis according to such a structure makes it possible to amplify the magnetic field on one side of the magnets 3 and 3bis while the magnetic field is canceled on the other side of the magnets 3 and 3bis. In this figure, the arrows in the magnets 3, 3bis indicate the direction of the magnetic field. The permanent magnets 3 and 3bis are advantageously directly fixed on the rotating portion, which makes it possible to suppress the coupling of the rotor and the magnets 3 and 3bis. The inner stator carries coils 4. The coils 4 may advantageously be made of copper or aluminum.

As it is particularly clearly visible in FIGS. 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d, the stator is formed of a core 5 corresponding to the stator part 4 of the first bearing motor 1 and of a core 5a corresponding to the stator part 4a of the second motor. bearing. The cores 5, 5a are of substantially cylindrical shape and between the cores 5 and 5a is disposed a housing 10 for a magnetic stop, which will be described later. The stator shown in Figures 3a to 3c also comprises a receiving cavity 12 for an inductive sensor, said inductive sensor delivering a signal for controlling the position of the shaft carrying the actuator.

Each core 5, 5bis has grooves 11, preferably longitudinal, advantageously six grooves 1 1 for winding coils on the peripheral portion of the core 5, 5a delimited by two adjacent grooves 1 1.

In FIG. 3c, it can be seen that the stator part of the first bearing motor 1 and the stator part of the second bearing motor 1a are angularly offset with respect to each other, the grooves 11 of the first stator being angularly offset by relative to the grooves 1 1 of the second stator.

In FIG. 3d, a winding is shown in developed and connecting two coils 41 between a groove 11. This winding can advantageously form an X between the two adjacent coils 41 of a stator. This is also valid for the coils 41 to 46 as well as 41 bis to 46 bis which will be shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. As it is particularly clearly visible in FIGS. 4 and 5, the stator part which is inside each bearing motor 1, 1 bis is composed of six coils 41 to 46, 41 bis to 46 bis on the core 5, 5 bis at low permeability, advantageously around periphery portions of the core 5, 5a delimited by two adjacent grooves 1, as shown in FIG. 3d.

With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, advantageously, in order to reduce the losses due to the presence of iron, the core 5, 5bis does not contain iron. The winding of a phase is composed of two adjacent coils, connected by a circuit 6 or 6bis, only one of which is referenced in FIG. 4 or 5. Such an assembly contributes to the generation of a driving torque and a force radial on the rotor. The three coils 41 to 46, 41 bis to 46 bis are star-coupled and fed by three currents it, i2, i3 or il bis, i2bis, i3bis whose sum is zero for each of the bearing motors 1 or 1 bis.

Figure 6 illustrates an embodiment of a bearing motor other than that shown in Figures 4 and 5. In Figure 6, the magnets 3 are arranged in a Halbach structure. Such a structure increases the magnetic field of one side of the bearing motor while it decreases or cancels the other side.

The Halbach structure comprises twelve magnets 3 forming the rotor part of a bearing motor with arrows symbolizing the direction of the magnetic field. The stator portion of the bearing motor remains essentially unchanged with respect to FIGS. 4 and 5. For an actuator, it is possible to use a Halbach structure for each bearing motor provided on the actuator, which presents the advantage of allowing a better flow concentration and directly increases the performance of the actuator, the two bearing motors having an angular offset existing between them.

Referring to all the figures, the bearing motor structure 1 or 1 bis allows independent control and uncoupled three degrees of freedom X, Y and Z using a digital control of the three currents M, i2, i3 or i1bis, i2bis, i3bis as a function of position and torque.

The electronic control of the actuator according to the present invention comprises means for controlling and controlling the positioning parameters of its shaft by varying the currents transmitted to said at least one coil, in the figures three groups of coils by bearing motor. This electronic control also comprises detection means, for example in the form of at least one inductive sensor, provided on the actuator previously described.

Thus, the detection means monitor the position of the rotor of the actuator relative to its stator and the control means are active on the intensity of the currents transmitted to the coils of each bearing motor in order to bring the rotor back to its working position. predetermined. The rotor thus remains levitated with respect to the stator while being maintained at a very short distance from the stator, this in a safe manner.

The actuator requires only three inverter arms to power the coils 41 to 46, 41 bis to 46 bis by non-sinusoidal currents. The numerical control of the three switching cells of the inverter makes it possible to generate constant forces independent of the angle of rotation while the torque is zero at certain angular positions. Guaranteeing a constant torque is therefore only possible by combining two bearings 1 or 1a motors staggered angularly as proposed by the present invention.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the actuator is composed of two bearing motors 1, 1 bis angularly offset by 90 ° electrical or an angle of 22.5 ° mechanical for a six-pole motor. In addition to the advantage of obtaining a constant torque that is independent of the angle of rotation, the two associated bearing motors 1, 1 bis make it possible to control the two additional degrees of freedom in rotation called rotation around the Y axis. and rotation β about the X axis opposite FIG.

The actuator of the present invention by the control of six non-sinusoidal currents allows to create fully decoupled forces and moments as a function of the position and the motor torque.

The magnets employed in the bearing motors 1, 1 bis of the present invention do not contain iron. They are advantageously based on lanthanides otherwise called rare earths, for example samarium cobalt. Alternatively, the magnets may be coordination chemistry magnets, organometallic magnets, for example vanadium di-tetracyanoethylenethide or very low iron content neodymium iron boron and / or purely organic magnets, for example CHNO .

For the realization of the actuator, elements other than iron are preferred. These elements can be based on composite or ceramic.

Figures 7 and 8 show a magnetic stop 13. This stop is likely to be disposed between the first and second bearing motor 1, 1 bis in a housing 0, as has been shown in particular in Figures 2, 3a to 3c. It should be noted that this magnetic stop can be passive or active.

As illustrated in a nonlimiting manner in these two figures, the magnetic stop 13 may comprise a series of three concentric rings 13a serving as a stop to the rotor of the two bearing motors and a series of three concentric rings 13b serving as a stop to the stator of the two bearing motors .

FIGS. 9a, 9b and 9c respectively show the unit force curves along the X axis, the unit force along the Y axis and the unit moment along the Z axis as a function of the rotation angle of the actuator, this for each of the two bearing motors, the dashed curve designating that of one of the bearing motors and the curve with circles designating the other bearing motor.

It is apparent from FIG. 9c that the Z-axis unit moment curves are inverted. The moment curve of a bearing motor can have a zero value for certain angular positions and thus obtaining a constant moment is only possible by combining two angularly offset bearing motors.

By controlling six non-sinusoidal currents, the actuator according to the present invention makes it possible to create fully decoupled forces and moments as a function of the position and the motor torque.

The actuator with two bearing motors according to the present invention is of robust and economical design. Due to the presence of at least one inductive sensor, a better monitoring and a better control of the movement of the actuator are possible, resulting in a gain in performance and reliability of the actuator.

Such an actuator with two bearing motors is not subject to friction, the magnetic bearings operating without contact, which reduces the energy consumption of the actuator and increases the life of the actuator. The absence of contact also reduces the noise emitted by the actuator during its movement. This allows an increase in the speed with a possible reduction of the size of the actuator bearing motors compared to a actuator of the state of the art.

With such an actuator with two motor magnetic bearings, because of the permanent control of the coils, this control being controlled by at least one inductive sensor, it is obtained a very reliable control of the actuator.

An actuator with bearing motors having an internal stator and an internal rotor has been shown, but this can be reversed. The invention is not limited to the embodiment described and illustrated has been given as an example.

Claims

An actuator with at least one magnetic bearing motor, said at least one motor comprising a rotor (3, 3a) and a stator (4, 4a), the rotor (3, 3a) being suspended magnetically with respect to the stator (4, 4a), characterized in that it comprises two magnetic bearing motors (1, 1a) arranged in the extension of one another, the two bearing motors (1, 1a) being angularly offset relative to each other. the other and in that between the two bearing motors (1, 1a) is interposed a stop (13) active or passive, said stop (13) acting on the rotor parts (3, 3a) and stator (4, 4a) ) of each bearing motor (1, 1a), a housing (10) being provided on the actuator between the first and second bearing motors (1, 1a) for receiving the stop (13).

2. Actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that the two bearing motors (1, 1 bis) are offset by a mechanical angle of 22.5 °.

3. Actuator according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rotor part (3, 3bis) of each bearing motor (1, 1 bis) is formed of magnets (3, 3bis) symmetrically distributed around the part stator (4, 4a) of said bearing motor (1, 1a).

4. Actuator according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the magnets (3, 3a) are distributed to form a Halbach structure for creating a magnetic flux of an asymmetrical profile, said flux being amplified on one side of the structure being reduced or canceled on the other side.

5. Actuator according to any one of the two preceding claims, characterized in that the magnets (3, 3a) are based on lanthanides, organometallic magnets or organic magnets.

6. Actuator according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the stator (4, 4bis) and the rotor (3, 3bis) actuators are composite material or ceramic.

7. Actuator according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the stator part (4, 4a) of each bearing motor (1, 1a) is formed of a substantially cylindrical core (5) having grooves (11). ) for the passage of at least one coil (41 to 46, 41 bis to 46 bis) between two consecutive grooves.

8. Actuator according to the preceding claim, characterized in that each bearing motor (1, 1 bis) comprises three groups of coils (41 to 46, 41 bis to 46 bis) mounted in a star, the sum of the three currents (il to i3, il bis to i3bis) for each bearing motor (1, 1 bis) being zero.

9. Actuator according to any one of the two preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means for controlling and controlling the parameters of its positioning by varying the currents (il to i3, il bis to i3bis) transmitted to said at least one a coil (41 to 46, 41 bis to 46 bis) of each bearing motor (1, 1 bis), detection means in the form of at least one inductive sensor (12) being provided on said actuator, the control means regulating the intensity of the currents (il to 13, il bis to 13bis) transmitted to the coils (41 to 46, 41 bis to 46 bis) of each bearing motor (1, 1 bis).

10. A method of controlling an actuator according to the preceding claim, comprising a step of varying the currents (il to i3, il bis to i3bis) transmitted to said at least one coil (41 to 46, 41 bis to 46 bis) of the stator each bearing motor (1, 1 bis) of the actuator, said step being made according to the position and torque of the actuator.

11. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said at least one coil (41 to 46, 41 bis to 46 bis) of each bearing motor (1, 1 bis) is fed by at least one current, the intensity (M bis to 13bis) of the current of the second bearing motor (1a) which may or may not be different from the intensity of the current (11 to 13) of the first bearing motor (1).

12. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that each bearing motor (1, 1 bis) is fed by at least three currents (il to i3, il bis to i3bis), each current (il to i3, il bis to i3bis ) feeding a respective group of coils (41 to 46, 41 bis to 46 bis), the three currents (il to i3) of the first bearing motor (1) may or may not be different from the three currents (il bis to i3bis) of the second motor bearing (1a).