Calnetix Technologies, LLC

Upwing Energy, Inc.

Bivacor Inc.

Calnetix, Inc.

Alexei V Filatov

Larry Hawkins

Lawrence A Hawkins

Daniel Timms

Nicholas Greatrex

Matthias Kleinheyer

Rasish Khatri

Josh Bowman

A blower can be positioned in a wellbore. The blower rotatably drives or is driven by a fluid produced through the well bore. An electric machine can be positioned downhole of the blower, the electric machine configured to rotatably drive or be driven by the blower. A bearing shaft couples the blower and the electric machine. The bearing shaft transfers rotation between the blower and the electric machine. A passive magnetic radial bearing assembly magnetically supports the bearing shaft.

Downhole blower system with a passive magnetic radial bearing assembly

A heart pump including a housing defining a cavity including at least one inlet aligned with an axis of the cavity and at least one outlet provided in a circumferential outer wall of the cavity. An impeller is provided within the cavity, the impeller including a rotor and vanes mounted on the rotor for urging fluid from the inlet radially outwardly to the outlet. A drive is provided for rotating the impeller in the cavity, the drive including a plurality of circumferentially spaced permanent drive magnets mounted within and proximate a first face of the rotor, adjacent drive magnets having opposing polarities and a plurality of circumferentially spaced drive coils mounted within the housing proximate a first end of the cavity, each coil being wound on a respective drive stator pole of a drive stator and being substantially radially aligned with the drive magnets, the drive coils being configured to generate a drive magnetic field that cooperates with the drive magnets to thereby rotate the impeller. A magnetic bearing is also provided to thereby at least one of control an axial position of the impeller and at least partially restrain radial movement of the impeller.

Heart pump drive and bearing

This disclosure describes a system for sending control signals and receiving sensor signals over cables at long distances. Electric currents and signals traveling down long cables can undergo phenomenon that are not present in relatively short cables. Therefore, this disclosure contemplates solutions for overcoming or compensating for these phenomenon to enable control of an electric machine using long cables. The solutions can include a signal conditioning circuit, configured to output a DC current corresponding to the sensed voltage associated with the sensor, a first conductor, that transmits the DC current from the signal conditioning circuit to the controller, and a signal generator, configured to receive the command signals and generate pulse width modulated (PWM) actuating signals based on the command signals.

Electric machine control using long cables

Noncontact measurements of positions of electrically-conductive objects is achieved by placing two conductive coils formed by traces on printed circuit boards (PCBs) in the proximity of the object surface, energizing one of the coils (excitation coil) with alternating electrical current and measuring the amplitude of the voltage induced on the terminals of the second coil (sensing coil). The alternating magnetic field generated by the current in the excitation coil induces eddy currents in the object, which affect the amplitude of the voltage induced on the terminals of the sensing coil. The sensing coil voltage depends on the mutual position between the object and the sensing coil, allowing the object position measurement. The excitation coil is integrated into a series LCR circuit driven by an output of an adjustable gain amplifier at the resonance frequency. The adjustable amplifier gain is constantly adjusted to maintain the sensor sensitivity constant.

Measuring the position of an object using eddy-currents

This disclosure describes various implementations of a downhole-blower system that can be used to boost production in a wellbore. The downhole-blower system includes a blower and an electric machine coupled to the blower that can be deployed in a wellbore, and that can, in cooperation, increase production through the wellbore.

Downhole blower system with passive radial bearings

An electromagnetic actuator can exert a radial electromagnetic force on a body that is configured to rotate about a rotational axis. The actuator includes a radial control magnetic pole assembly that includes radial control poles adjacent to and spaced apart by air gaps from the body. The actuator includes a permanent magnet (PM) magnetized along the axis, having one pole in contact with an axial face of the assembly and located proximate to a lateral surface of the body. The PM is magnetically coupled to the body in a non-contact manner resulting in a bias magnetic flux in the air gaps. The actuator includes a control coil around the radial control poles located radially outwards from the PM. Electrical current in the coils generates control magnetic flux in air gaps. The non-uniform net magnetic flux distribution around the body results in a radial electromagnetic force exerted on the body.

Generating radial electromagnetic forces

Radial poles are placed around a radial actuator target mounted on a body. The poles are separated from a cylindrical surface of the target by radial gaps and adapted to communicate a magnetic flux with it. The radial poles are equipped with electrical control windings and magnetically coupled to form magnetic control circuits. A flux return pole is adjacent to the body, separated from it by an air gap and adapted to communicate a magnetic flux with the radial actuator target. A permanent magnet generates a magnetic bias flux in the magnetic bias circuit formed by the radial actuator target, the radial poles and the magnetic flux return pole. A radial force is exerted on the actuator when the control windings are energized with a current. A Hall effect sensor measures bias magnetic field in the air gap between the magnetic flux return pole and the body. A feature on a body is adapted to produce a circumferentially local discontinuity in the magnetic field measured by the Hall effect sensor as the body rotates.

Homopolar permanent-magnet-biased action magnetic bearing with an integrated rotational speed sensor

Systems, methods, and devices for generating electromagnetic forces may involve generating an axial control magnetic flux in an axial control magnetic circuit comprising a first axial pole, a second axial pole, and an axial actuator target, the axial actuator target coupled to a body having a rotational axis. A radial control flux can be generated in a radial control magnetic circuit comprising a first radial pole, a second radial pole, and a radial actuator target. An electrical compensation current can be applied to an electrical bias flux leveling coil to cancel or nearly cancel any changes of the magnetic flux leaking from either the first or the second axial poles into the radial poles, electrical bias flux leveling coil wound around the rotational axis and located axially between the radial poles and the closest of the first or the second axial poles.

Arrangement of axial and radial electromagnetic actuators

The present disclosure describes a mechanical backup bearing system arrangement to work in conjunction with non-contact magnetic bearings and capable of coping with thermal expansions of the bearing components during operations. Expansions or contractions of an inner or outer race of a bearing can be compensated using particular springs providing a low profile and a proper stiffness. An electric machine system includes a rotational portion and a stationary portion. The electric machine further includes a magnetic bearing configured to support the rotational portion to rotate within the stationary portion. A mechanical back-up bearing resides in a cavity between the rotational portion and the stationary portion. A flat spring is carried by the stationary portion and abutting the back-up bearing.

Mechanical backup bearing arrangement for a magnetic bearing system

A first bias magnetic flux may be communicated between a first axial pole and a first axial facing surface of the body. A second bias magnetic flux may be communicated between a second axial pole and a second axial facing surface of the body. A time-varying axial control magnetic flux may be communicated through the first and second axial facing surfaces of the body, and may be generated in a magnetic circuit including the body, the first and second axial poles, and an axial magnetic backiron. The first and second axial poles may include axial pole laminated inserts composed of electrically isolated steel laminations stacked along the body axis. The axial magnetic backiron may include laminated inserts composed of electrically isolated steel laminations stacked in the direction tangential to the body axis. The axial pole laminated inserts may be magnetically coupled to the axial magnetic backiron laminated inserts.

Combination radial/axial electromagnetic actuator with an improved axial frequency response

An electromagnetic actuator includes a body and first and second poles residing apart from the body. The first and second poles communicate magnetic flux across a gap with opposing end facing surfaces of the body. The body, the first pole, and the second pole are magnetically coupled and define an axial magnetic control circuit. A plurality of radial poles reside apart from the body, adjacent a lateral facing surface of the body, and communicate magnetic fluxes with the lateral facing surface. The body and the plurality of radial poles define a plurality of radial magnetic control circuits. The plurality of radial poles communicate magnetic fluxes with the lateral facing surface and at least one of the first pole or the second pole, and the body, the plurality of radial poles, and at least one of the first pole or the second pole define a magnetic bias circuit.

Combination radial/axial electromagnetic actuator

Noncontact measuring of positions of objects is achieved through measurements of parameters characterized by the distribution of an AC magnetic flux in the air gap between stationary and moveable portions defining a sensor magnetic circuit. A sensor head fixed relative to a stationary element includes a soft-magnetic core. A sensor target is fixed relative to a movable element, the soft-magnetic core and the sensor target separated by an air gap and defining a magnetic circuit. A coil around the soft-magnetic core is adapted to produce a magnetic flux in the magnetic circuit. A magnetic flux density sensor fixed relative to the sensor head resides in the gap between the soft-magnetic core and the sensor target and is configured to detect magnetic flux density in a portion of the gap. A controller in communication with the magnetic flux density sensor is configured to receive an output signal of the magnetic flux.

Noncontact measuring of the position of an object with magnetic flux

A body is equipped with magnetically connected radial and axial actuator targets. The radial actuator target features a cylindrical lateral surface. The axial actuator target features the first and the second end-facing surfaces. A radial pole is adapted to communicate a magnetic flux with the cylindrical lateral surface. Magnetically connected first and second axial poles are located axially on one side of the radial pole and adapted to communicate magnetic fluxes with the first and the second end-facing surfaces. The first axial pole, the second axial pole and the axial actuator target form a magnetic axial control circuit. The radial pole, the radial actuator target, the axial actuator target, the first axial pole and the second axial pole form the magnetic bias circuit. Superposition of magnetic fluxes in the axial control circuit and in the bias circuit results in an axial force acting on the axial actuator target.

Electromagnetic actuator

An electromagnetic actuator generates electromagnetic forces across large radial gaps to support a body. The actuator has an actuator target having a rotational axis, and a target magnetic element arranged circumferentially around the rotational axis that has inner and outer magnetic poles. A cylindrical soft-magnetic target pole is magnetically coupled to the outer cylindrical magnetic pole of the target magnetic element. An actuator base includes radial poles arranged circumferentially around and radially spaced apart from the cylindrical soft-magnetic target pole. The radial poles and the cylindrical soft-magnetic target pole are magnetically coupled and define a plurality of magnetic control circuits. Control coils around the radial poles are configured to produce magnetic fluxes in the magnetic control circuits. The target magnetic element, the cylindrical soft-magnetic target pole, and the radial poles are magnetically coupled and define a magnetic bias circuit, the magnetic element producing magnetic flux in the magnetic bias circuit.

Generating electromagnetic forces in large air gaps

An apparatus for measuring linear velocity of a movable element relative to a stationary element includes a magnetic element fixed in relation to the stationary element. A soft-magnetic yoke is fixed in relation to the movable element to move with the movable element and is in non-contact relation with the magnetic element. A yoke pole is positioned proximate to the magnetic element and spaced therefrom by an air gap. The pole is magnetically coupled to the magnetic element so that a magnetic flux is generated in the air gap substantially orthogonal to the axis of motion. A conductive coil is coiled around a coil axis and is fixed in relation to the stationary element with the coil axis substantially parallel to the axis of movement. The coil is in non-contact relation with the yoke and resides between the magnetic element and the pole of the yoke in the magnetic flux.

Growing community of inventors

Fullerton, CA, United States of America

Alexei V Filatov