The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 19, 1999
Filed:
Dec. 13, 1996
James Patrick Lyons, Niskayuna, NY (US);
Mark Alan Preston, Niskayuna, NY (US);
Eike Richter, Cincinnati, OH (US);
Albert Frank Storace, Cincinnati, OH (US);
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Abstract
A magnetic thrust compensator for a mechanical thrust bearing includes a parallel operating axial magnetic bearing including a stator including two parallel stator extensions, a rotor disk situated between the two stator extensions, and first and second electromagnets each situated on a respective stator extension and facing the rotor disk. A controller selectively energizes one of the electromagnets. Additional stator extensions and rotor disks can be used to provide fault tolerance. The electromagnets can each include dual annular windings. The compensator can include an additional stator extension, an additional rotor disk, and bias magnet situated on the additional stator extension and facing the additional rotor disk with the controller being adapted to selectively supply current to the bias magnet. In a closed loop embodiment, the mechanical thrust bearing can be spring mounted and, to determine the appropriate energization level of one of the electromagnets, the controller can determine a magnetic air gap length between the rotor disk and one of the stator extensions.