The turbomachine wheel position control technology and the radial/axial electromagnetic actuator were developed by director of technology for magnetic bearings, Larry Hawkins; the actuator was in conjunction with principal research engineer, Alexei Filatov. The power electronics self-diagnostics device was developed by Liping Zheng, manager of power electronics and Dong Le, the recently retired director of technology for power electronics.
The turbomachine wheel position control patent pertains to the use of magnetic bearings to control the position of the rotating assembly.
A position sensor measures the axial position of an impeller, by detecting either the blade tips or a continuous surface, such as the back of a centrifugal impeller. Output can be fed into the company's magnetic bearing controller and used as either a control or offset signal depending on the application requirements.
Commercial axial actuators generating axial forces in rotating machines on magnetic bearings currently rely on non-laminated iron to conduct magnetic fluxes. The patent is a practical way of laminating most of the axial control flux path in the combination radial/axial electromagnetic actuator, claimed to enhance performance and efficiency.
The newly patented self-diagnostics device further increases the reliability of the company's power electronics systems.
"By developing a diagnostic algorithm through firmware and utilizing existing hardware, it is possible to implement self-diagnostics on all of our motor drives," said Zheng. "This allows for the early detection of any component degradation, thus minimizing system downtime."
