Methods of adjusting the force characteristics between the rotor and stator permanent magnets to develop a small‐sized repulsive type magnetic bearing

A repulsive type magnetic bearing system uses the repulsive forces between the stator and rotor permanent magnets without any radial control. This type of magnetic bearing system is superior to other magnetic bearings because of the low cost of displacement sensors due to the single-axis control and the reduced number of the peripheral devices such as electromagnets and control circuits. This paper discusses methods of adjusting the repulsive force and stiffness in the direction of levitation by using magnetic materials and changing the arrangement of stator permanent magnets in order to develop a smaller size magnetic bearing.