Performance evaluation of a three-pole magnetic rotor-bearing system

This study is concerned with the performance evaluation of a 3-pole active magnetic bearing (AMB) system through a series of experiments. The AMB system has been previously proposed and analyzed in several studies. It was found that the 3-pole AMB with an integral sliding mode controller successfully levitates the rotor with high accuracy. Here, the performance limits of the system are considered. Without extensive performance evaluation, the specifications of the AMB system cannot be made. The performances that are evaluated in this study include: load capacity, dynamic stiffness, and maximum rotation speed. The factors causing the performance limits are also discussed. It is found that sensor noise, effects of flexible couplings, and assembly errors play important roles on the performance limits. Suggestions on improving the performance limits are also provided.