A Novel axial passive magnetic bearing design for a self-bearing motor

Abstract

This paper introduces a novel axial passive magnetic bearing (APMB) design tailored for self-bearing motors. The proposed configuration uniquely enables the generation of both attractive and repulsive magnetic forces within a unified structure, contingent upon the rotor’s axial displacement. This dual-force capability contributes to enhanced rotor stability and effectively mitigates torque disturbances arising from non-coaxial axial force couples acting on the motor shaft. A comprehensive parametric analysis is conducted to evaluate the influence of key design variables on the bearing’s levitation force and stiffness characteristics. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) simulations substantiate the bearing’s ability to produce bidirectional axial forces and reveal the sensitivity of levitation performance to variations in design parameters along both axial and radial directions. Additionally, the paper presents a detailed design methodology to guide the practical implementation of the proposed APMB architecture.