Shock Tolerant Magnetic Bearing System

Mohawk Innovative Technology, Inc. (MiTi) has designed a unique shock tolerant magnetic bearing system design that is compact, durable and uses a control strategy that optimizes the total bearing system performance. The shock tolerant bearing being proposed for this effort builds upon the Navy investment in integrated rotordynamic-magnetic bearing design analyses, and magnetic bearings that have resulted in demonstration of systems designed by the Principal Investigator, for steam turbine generators, vent fans and submerged pump rotors. Other DOD investments in damping and dry-lubricated high-speed bearing technology provide the basis for the proposed zero clearance auxiliary bearing. The proposed time transient simulation tool will include multiple and intermittent bearing operation during preshock, shock and post shock conditions and will permit evaluation of integrated control stategies and auxiliary bearing designs that are intended to minimize the detrimental effects of shock events on system operation. The overall potential of this effort is demonstrated by GE Marine and Industrial Systems' expressed interest in teaming with MiTi to support our Phase I development and for the Phase II and III demonstrations. A four-task six-month effort is proposed that will; (1) add auxiliary bearing analysis into the already integrated rotordynamic-magnetic bearing analysis; (2) establish preliminary magnetic and auxiliary bearing sizes for Phase II simulator evaluation using the developed design analysis, (3) develop a transient rotor bearing simulation analysis capability that accounts for the magnetic bearing, its control system and the auxiliary bearing. (4) Using the developed design and simulation tools a three bearing single rotor, scalable shock tolerant magnetic bearing system and control strategy will be designed for use in the Phase II scaled rotor simulator of a GE Marine and Industrial Systems gas turbine generator representative of identified Navy needs.