Dynamic Analysis of Active Magnetic Bearing Systems
Summary
Active magnetic bearing (AMB) systems employ electromagnetic forces to levitate and stabilise rotors at high speed without physical contact. The dynamic analysis of these systems encompasses modelling of rotor–bearing interactions, assessment of stability margins, and prediction of response under fault conditions such as power loss or overload. Key challenges include the design of control schemes to suppress self-excited whirl, the accurate characterisation of touchdown events when auxiliary bearings engage, and the quantification of contact forces and heat generation during impacts. Advances in computational methods, combining finite-element and reduced-order models, have enabled realistic simulation of multi-degree-of-freedom rotor dynamics and collision phenomena. Experimental studies supplement these efforts by validating numerical predictions and revealing complex behaviours, such as dry-friction whirl and nonlinear damping effects. Together, these investigations inform the development of more robust AMB hardware, optimised control strategies and predictive maintenance protocols, extending the applicability of AMBs in turbomachinery, power generation and precision manufacturing.
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Dynamic Analysis of Active Magnetic Bearing Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in dynamic analysis of active magnetic bearing systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Active Magnetic Bearing (AMB): A non-contact bearing that uses controlled electromagnetic forces to levitate and stabilise a rotating shaft.
Touchdown Bearing: A mechanical backup bearing that engages when the AMB fails or overloads, preventing rotor contact with stator elements.
Whirl and Whip: Self-excited lateral oscillations of the rotor; whirl refers to sub-synchronous motion, while whip denotes super-synchronous instability.
FFT Analysis: Fast Fourier Transform, a mathematical technique converting time-domain signals into frequency components for vibration diagnostics.
Hertz Contact Model: A theoretical description of elastic contact forces between curved surfaces, used to predict impact loads in bearings.
References
- Performance evaluation of touchdown bearing using model-based approach. Nonlinear Dynamics (2020).
- Dynamic and Thermal Investigations of the Forward Dry-Friction Whirl/Whip of a Vertical Rotor-AMB System during Touchdowns. Actuators (2022).
- Drop analysis of Active Magnetic Bearing with rolling-sliding integrated auxiliary bearing. Journal of Physics Conference Series (2021).
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