Magnetic bearings offer increased reliability at low system costs. Sensorless!

  • increase in process safety by omitting sensors and cabling liable to failure
  • no maintenance needed
  • suitable for high speed revolution
  • reduction of costs by omitting sensors and reduction of electronics (generally from three to two inverters)
  • reduction of the construction space of magnetic bearing
  • omission of production and maintenance errors in the connection between sensor and controller
  • elimination of signal noise and the resulting vibration of the rotor – due to the elimination of analogue paths of the sensor
  • simplified commissioning of the rotors and systems
  • indirect determination of position and eccentricity from electric current information
  • rotating inbalance can be detected and compensated
  • rotational speed limit is determined by material limits only
  • for conventional magnetic bearings: a redundant control to increase safety
  • all advantages of conventional magnetic bearings: no bearing friction losses, no lubricant required, adjustable bearing characteristics
  • test series in the laboratory at TU Wien have proven: same control quality as sensor-based systems even with mechanically complex systems – featuring e.g. critical resonances or imbalances
  • rapid conversion of existing magnetic bearing systems to sensorless operation possible
  • based on tested and tried control method INFORM®, with many thousands of units in use, e.g. in medical and aviation devices

Innovation level

  • patent protection
  • worldwide unique dynamic, adaptive and cost-effective system of magnetic bearings
  • for the first time: new machine components possible at high rotational speed – by replacing ball or roller bearings

Target groups and applications

  • automotive, aerospace, textile industry
  • electrical, mechanical, process engineering
  • utilities and energy suppliers
  • high speed drives, spindles
  • turbo machines, pumps, gas turbines
  • drive systems in vacuum
  • ventilation, air conditioning
  • flywheels, mechanical energy storage devices

 

 

Model of a sensorless magnet bearing