Magnetic bearing and drive
The invention relates to a magnetic bearing and drive comprising a stator and a movable element, wherein the stator and the movable element are components of a magnetic circuit, comprising at least one primary wire winding and a secondary wire winding for electric current so that when the primary and secondary wire winding are energized, the movable element undergoes a powering force, and wherein a permanent magnet is provided which forms a first magnetic circuit with the movable element, and the primary wire winding together with the movable element forms a second magnetic circuit which is partially separated from the first magnetic circuit, and wherein the movable element is, at any rate partially, shared by the first magnetic circuit and the second magnetic circuit. A powered magnetic bearing of this kind is known from the thesis "A New Linear Active Magnetic Suspension Configuration" (subtitle: "A permanent magnet biased non- coplanar circuit") by M.J.L. Sanders, dated 14 January, 1997, whi h is a thesis on the studies carried out at the University of Technology Delft, faculty of Mechanical
Engineering and Maritime Engineering. In Chapter 2 of this work several magnetic bearings are described that are known from the prior art. Fig. 2.12 of this publication describes a linear bearing wherein a movable element is provided between the pole shoes of a stator, which stator has a first magnetic circuit and a second magnetic circuit, the first magnetic circuit being fed by permanent magnets and the second magnetic circuit being fed by electromagnets . In this known powered magnetic bearing the permanent magnets which form part of the first magnetic circuit, exert a tensile force on the movable element in such a way that said forces are virtually in counterbalance. By means of the electromagnets, the position and rotation of the movable element between the pole shoes of the stator may be further influenced such that, depending on the position assumed by the movable element, they are ener-
gized in a greater or lesser measure . Due to this variable energization, the magnetic field provided by the permanent magnets continuously adapts to the operational conditions to allow the movable element to assume a floating but defined position between the stator' s pole shoes. Due to the movable element being provided with a secondary wire winding which through energization in association with the magnetic field is subjected to Lorenz forces serving as drive powers, the movable element can then move into a second direction inside the stator. The possible accuracy of this device is less than 1 μm. The problem with the known powered magnetic bearing is, however, that the movability of the movable element is not very good because as soon as the movable element leaves the range of the stator' s pole shoes, the magnetic bearing is unable to fulfil its role . Another problem is that the stator itself obstructs large displacements of the movable element . The objective of the invention is to provide a powered magnetic bearing of the kind described in the pre- amble, with which very large translatory movements are possible.
To this end the magnetic bearing according to the invention is characterized in that the stator has limbs which are located substantially outside the plane of the movable element. This prevents that, as is the case with the powered magnetic bearing according to the prior art, said stator obstructs the movable element's movement.
It is desirable that the movable element always crosses the stator' s limbs. This allows the bearing to be operative in any position the movable element can assume. The magnetic bearing may be embodied such that the stator' s limbs are only located above the plane of the movable element .
However, a preferred embodiment of the powered mag- netic bearing according to the invention is characterized in that the stator has limbs which are distributed over a first plane exactly above the plane of the movable element, and a second plane exactly under the plane of the movable element. This has the advantage that the flux den-
sity in the movable element does not depend on the position the movable element assumes in its plane with respect to the stator, as the total air gap, which determines said flux density, is then constant and independent of the position said movable element assumes in its plane of movement. The movable element's power-path diagram of displacements to the first or second plane respectively is thus linearized around its adjustment point, while in the case of a one-sided stator said power-path diagram is of a quadratic nature .
An additional advantage is that the drive power exerted on the movable element, is also independent of the position it assumes in relation to the stator. The reason for this is the constancy of the air gap between the mag- netic circuit and the different limbs of the stator.
Although the invention is well suited to be applied to a powered magnetic bearing having a movable element which is movable in one direction only, it is preferable that the parts constituting the stator' s limbs are in the first and second plane positioned so as to form at least one angle, and so that the movable element crosses the stator' s limbs at both sides of the enclosed angle. In this way the movable element is in principle able to move in all directions . In a particular aspect of the powered magnetic bearing according to the invention, the stator' s limbs are in the first plane coupled magnetically with the stator' s limbs in the second plane to form the second magnetic circuit . It is desirable that the number of primary wire windings on stator elements magnetically coupling the stator' s limbs in the first plane with the stator' s limbs in the second plane correspond to the number of crossover points between the movable element and the stator' s limbs. This allows proper positioning of the movable element between the first plane, in which the stator' s limbs are located above the movable element, and the second plane, in which the stator' s limbs are located under the movable element .
The above-mentioned primary wire winding may, for example, be provided on the stator, while the movable element may be provided with the secondary wire winding. However, in a particular aspect of the invention the powered magnetic bearing is characterized in that both the primary and the secondary wire winding are provided on the stator. Surprisingly, it has been shown that the magnetic bearing of the movable element, as well as the drive power to be exerted on the movable element, can be realized in this embodiment also. The advantage in this embodiment is thus that the energization of the respective wire windings is very simple compared with the energization of a wire winding on the movable element .
It is also possible to incorporate the permanent magnet into the movable element, preferably however, it is part of the stator.
The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing, in which
Fig. 1 shows the powered magnetic bearing according to the prior art;
Fig. 2 shows a first embodiment of the magnetic bearing according to the invention;
Fig. 3 shows a second embodiment of the magnetic bearing according to the invention; and Fig. 4 shows a third embodiment of the magnetic bearing according to the invention.
Elements in the Figures having the same function are indicated by identical reference number.
Generally, in Figs. 1 to 4, reference number 1 indicates the powered magnetic bearing. Said magnetic bearing 1 comprises a stator 2 and a movable element 3 , wherein the stator and the movable element 3 are components of a magnetic circuit.
Fig. 1 shows the powered magnetic bearing of the prior art corresponding with Fig. 2.12(b) on p. 16 of
Chapter 2 of the thesis "A New Linear Active Magnetic Suspension Configuration" already mentioned above. In the case shown, the stator 2 is provided with two primary wire windings 4 for the supply of an electric current . Though
not shown, the movable element 3 is also provided with, in this case, a secondary wire winding for the supply of electric current. In addition, in the stator 2 two permanent magnets 5 are incorporated which, together with the movable element 3, form a first magnetic circuit, which is schematically indicated by arrows 6. The two primary wire windings 4 are provided on a portion of the stator 2 which, together with the movable element 3 forms a second magnetic circuit 7 which is partially separated from the first magnetic circuit 6. The first magnetic circuit 6 and the second magnetic circuit 7 share, at least partially, the movable element 3. Up to this point the prior art as shown in Fig. 1 corresponds with the powered magnetic bearing according to the invention as shown in the Figs . 2, 3 and 4.
As shown in the Figs . 2, 3 and 4 , the powered magnetic bearing according to the invention comprises a stator 2 provided with limbs which are located substantially outside the plane of the movable element 3. As shown in the illustrated embodiments, the stator may have limbs that are distributed over a first plane located exactly above the plane of the movable element 3 , and a second plane located exactly under the plane of the movable element 3. These embodiments and the feature that the movable element 3 always crosses the legs of the stator 2 (see arrows A and B in Fig. 2 and arrows A B and C in Figs. 3 and 4) provides a permanent and well distributed magnetic suspension of the movable element 3 , thereby providing the possibility to use it as basic element for an XY table or an XYφ table supported by said movable element 3. Other embodiments are also possible, for instance, wherein the stator is substantially shaped like a triangle, while the movable element 3 is shaped like a Y, but within the scope of the invention there are also other possible variations. The limbs of the stator 2 are in the first plane, i.e. above the plane of the movable element 3 , magnetically coupled with the limbs of the stator in the second plane, i.e. the plane under the plane of the movable element 3. The primary wire windings 4 are
then provided on the stator parts which connect the limbs of the stator 2 in the first and second plane with each other. Depending on the vertical position assumed by the movable element 3 , said primary wire windings 4 are ener- gized in such a manner that the magnetic field generated by means of the permanent magnets 5 is adjusted and optimal maintenance of the position of the movable element 3 between the first and the second plane is obtained. In the Figs. 2, 3 and 4 the permanent magnets 5 are shown as part of the stator 2. However, within the scope of the invention they may also be incorporated in the movable element 3. Further attention is drawn to the fact that in Fig. 3 the embodiment is shown in which the movable element 3 is provided with at least one secondary wire winding 8 which, in connection with the magnetic field lines running through the movable element 3 , provides an energizing force so that element 3 can be powered and positioned in the desired direction. Although the secondary wire winding 8 in Fig. 3 is applied to element 3 at right angles, the scope of the invention permits also a further secondary wire winding 8 to be applied at an angle or in the longitudinal direction of the movable element 3. This permits the provision of an equal number of powering and positioning forces, the direction of which coincides with said further wire windings 8. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 4, said secondary wire winding 8 may be applied to the limbs of the stator 2; these then supply, in connection with the magnetic field lines running through the movable element 3 , a powering force on said movable element 3 in the respective desired direction.