Active Magnetic Bearing Positioning in the Conceptual Design Phase of a High-Speed Electric Machine

The optimization of high-speed active magnetic bearing rotor layout concerning the effect of external disturbance is studied. The centrifugal loads and related strain forces in the HS rotors limit the maximum rotational speed and AMB capacity, bandwidth, and location limit control of dynamics. Additionally, external synchronous disturbances, i.e., unbalance forces, rotor runout, application forces from the impeller, and static forces cause adverse effects on active control and pose limitations. Therefore, to achieve a sub-critical rotor, the dimensions of electric machine components, such as bearings, seals, and impellers affect each other and have to be constrained. The proposed method examines the effect of disturbances and locations and resulting dynamic limitations at the conceptual design phase. This enables the design of the AMBs and component layout to the application demands. The method uses maximum singular values to examine the effects of disturbances on bearing forces and rotor displacements at key locations.