Analytical Calculation of Active Magnetic Bearing Based on Distributed Magnetic Circuit Method

To solve the problem that coupled magnetic flux and saturation of active magnetic bearing (AMB) cannot be taken into account in the traditional magnetic circuit calculation method together, this paper proposes a novel analytical calculation method based on distributed magnetic circuit method (DMCM). First, a magnetic circuit model with multiple magnetic circuits is built, we can obtain the initial flux density of each section by magnetic circuit calculation. Next, the magnetomotive force (MMF) of each magnetic circuit is calculated by the B-H curve of the ferromagnetic material. Then, the air-gap flux density under each magnetic pole center is obtained by further iterative calculations according to the magnetic potential error. On the basis, the flux density distribution along the air-gap circumference is obtained by one-dimensional (1D) relative permeance function, and thus the bearing capacity is derived and a loss calculation method is introduced. Finally, the finite element method (FEM) and experimental results show that the proposed method is feasible and effective.