General study of electromagnetic bearings

To facilitate an efficient comparison of properties of various E.M. bearings, we propose a common analysis framework for either type of bearing which can be characterized by the following properties : the method of partition leads to a unique model ; the basic equations are derived from the electrodynamic theory of continuous media ; a technological classification of bearings is obtained through certain dimensionless matrices and bounds are found for optimal working conditions. After a brief description of the main points of our analysis, we present its application to a cylindrical bearing with liquid metal lubricant ; this bearing seems particularly well suited for the large turbine generators.