Magnetic Gearing Applications for Space

The proposed innovation involves using multiple stages of magnetic gears to achieve an extremely high gear ratio (Z5.05).nbsp; Gearing is often critical for aerospace applications because the size and mass of a motor are more strongly correlated to its torque rating than its power rating.nbsp; Therefore, coupling a high-speed and, thus, relatively small and lightweight motor to the load through a gearbox can significantly reduce system size and mass relative to a direct-drive system with a low-speed and, thus, relatively large and heavy motor and no gearbox.nbsp; However, mechanical gears introduce additional challenges to the system, including additional maintenance requirements and reduced reliability, which are unacceptable for space applications.nbsp; Additionally, it can be difficult to keep mechanical gearboxes adequately lubricated in extremely cold environments.nbsp; On the other hand, magnetic gears transfer power through the interaction of magnetic fields, instead of mechanical contact.nbsp; This noncontact operation allows magnetic gears to potentially mitigate the reliability, maintenance, and lubrication challenges associated with mechanical gears.