Rotating pole rings supported in contactless bearings

Claim 2

A rotating magnetic machine having a first pole ring which produces a rotating magnetic field and which has poles distributed over the circumference and facing a common air gap, a rotating second magnetic pole ring facing said air gap and having the same number of magnetic poles distributed over the circumference and effecting closure of the magnetic circuits between adjacent magnetic poles, the air gap being disposed on the curved surface of a rotatable body which tapers in the axial direction, and a separating wall in said air gap separating said pole rings, characterized in that the air gap also defines a bearing gap for supporting the rotating pole ring, in that a hollow shaft connects with the first pole ring, the separating wall has apertures therein arranged in the plane of rotation, and a conduit extends through said hollow shaft to said apertures through which a flowable material may be introduced under pressure to produce a hydrodynamic bearing film in the bearing gap during operation of the machine to overcome the magnetic, axially directed force vector which acts on the rotating pole ring.

Claim 3

A rotating magnetic machine having a first pole ring which produces a rotating magnetic filed and which has poles distributed over the circumference and facing a common air gap, a rotating second magnetic pole ring facing said air gap and having the same number of magnetic poles distributed over the circumference and effecting closure of the magnetic circuits between adjacent magnetic poles, the air gap being disposed on the curved surface of a rotatable body which tapers in the axial direction, and a separating wall in said air gap separating said pole rings, characterized in that the air gap also defines a bearing gap for supporting the rotating pole ring, in that the separating wall has apertures therein arranged in the plane of rotation, in having recessed regions communicating with said apertures, and in having means to Introduce a flowable material under pressure through said apertures to produce a hydrodynamic bearing film in the bearing gap during operation of the machine to overcome the magnetic axially directed force vector which acts on the rotating pole ring.

Claim 4

A rotating magnetic machine having a first pole ring which produces a rotating magnetic filed and which has poles distributed over the circumference and facing a common air gap, a rotating second magnetic pole ring facing said air gap and having the same number of magnetic poles distributed over the circumference and effecting closure of the magnetic circuits between adjacent magnetic poles, the air gap being disposed on the curved surface of a rotatable body which tapers in the axial direction, and a separating wall in said air gap separating said pole rings, characterized in that the air gap also defines a bearing gap for supporting the rotating pole ring, in that the separating wall has apertures therein arranged in the plane of rotation, in having recessed regions communicating with said apertures, and in having means to Introduce a flowable material under pressure through said apertures to produce a hydrodynamic bearing film in the bearing gap during operation of the machine to overcome the magnetic axially directed force vector which acts on the rotating pole ring.

Claim 5

A rotating magnetic machine adapted for operation immersed in a liquid having a first pole ring with a spherical surface thereon which produces a rotating magnetic field and which has poles distributed over the circumference and facing a common gap and a rotating second magnetic pole ring having a spherical surface thereon facing said gap and having the same number of magnetic poles distributed over the circumference and effecting closure of the magnetic circuits between adjacent magnetic poles, the gap being bounded in part by said spherical surfaces, characterized in that the gap is a bearing gap for supporting the rotating pole ring, in that means are included for introducing a flowable material under pressure into said gap for producing a fluid bearing film therein, the flowable material being during operation of the machine subjected to a pressure sufficient to overcome the magnetic, axially directed force vector which acts on the rotating pole ring, and characterized further in that the thermal conductivity of a surface layer of the surfaces bounding the gap is so small that at least part of the material penetrating into the gap evaporates.

Claim 6

A rotating magnetic machine adapted for operation immersed in a liquid having a first pole ring with a spherical surface thereon which produces a rotating magnetic field and which has poles distributed over the circumference and facing a common gap and a rotating second magnetic pole ring having a spherical surface thereon facing said gap and having the same number of magnetic poles distributed over the circumference and effecting closure of the magnetic circuits between adjacent magnetic poles, the gap being bounded in part by said spherical surfaces, characterized in that the gap is a bearing gap for supporting the rotating pole ring, in that means are included for introducing a flowable material under pressure into said gap for producing a fluid bearing film therein, the flowable material being during operation of the machine subjected to a pressure sufficient to overcome the magnetic, axially directed force vector which acts on the rotating pole ring, and characterized further in that the thermal conductivity of a surface layer of the surfaces bounding the gap is so small that at least part of the material penetrating into the gap evaporates.

Claim 7

A rotating magnetic machine having a first pole ring with a spherical surface thereon which produces a rotating magnetic field and which has poles distributed over the circumference thereof and facing a common gap, and a rotating second magnetic pole ring having a spherical surface thereon facing said gap and having the same number of magnetic poles distributed over the circumference and effecting closure of the magnetic circuits between adjacent magnetic poles, the gap being bounded in part by said spherical surfaces, characterized in that the gap is a bearing gap for supporting the rotating pole ring, in that a separating wall is included in the gap, in that grooves are included in a plane which bounds the gap, and in that means are included for introducing a flowable material into the grooves to produce a hydrodynamic bearing film in the gap, the flowable material being during operation of the machine subjected to a pressure exerted by the material flowing through the grooves sufficient to overcome the magnetic axially directed force vector which acts on the rotating pole ring, and eddy currents being produced in the separating wall by the rotating second magnetic pole ring which heats the wall and gap.

Claim 8

A rotating magnetic machine having a first pole ring with a spherical surface thereon which produces a rotating magnetic field and which has poles distributed over the circumference thereof and facing a common gap, and a rotating second magnetic pole ring having a spherical surface thereon facing said gap and having the same number of magnetic poles distributed over the circumference and effecting closure of the magnetic circuits between adjacent magnetic poles, the gap being bounded in part by said spherical surfaces, characterized in that the gap is a bearing gap for supporting the rotating pole ring, in that a separating wall is included in the gap, in that grooves are included in a plane which bounds the gap, and in that means are included for introducing a flowable material into the grooves to produce a hydrodynamic bearing film in the gap, the flowable material being during operation of the machine subjected to a pressure exerted by the material flowing through the grooves sufficient to overcome the magnetic axially directed force vector which acts on the rotating pole ring, and eddy currents being produced in the separating wall by the rotating second magnetic pole ring which heats the wall and gap.

Claim 9

A rotatable magnetic machine comprising a first pole ring for producing a rotatable magnetic field, said first pole ring having a plurality of poles distributed over the circumference thereof and having a first concentric surface including first segments inclined to the axis of rotation of said machine, and a second rotatable pole ring having the same number of poles as said first pole ring and having a second concentric surface spaced from said first concentric surface with said second concentric surface including second segments oppositely disposed to said first segments and inclined to said axis with the space between oppositely disposed first and second segments forming a gap between said pole rings to effect closure of the magnetic circuit between adjacent poles, characterized in that said machine has means for introducing a fluid under pressure into said gap to form a fluid bearing film between said pole rings, said film axially supporting said first pole ring with respect to said second pole ring and said film overcoming the magnetic axially directed force vector acting on the pole rings.

Claim 10

A rotatable magnetic machine comprising a first pole ring for producing a rotatable magnetic field, said first pole ring having a plurality of poles distributed over the circumference thereof and having a first concentric surface including first segments inclined to the axis of rotation of said machine, and a second rotatable pole ring having the same number of poles as said first pole ring and having a second concentric surface spaced from said first concentric surface with said second concentric surface including second segments oppositely disposed to said first segments and inclined to said axis with the space between oppositely disposed first and second segments forming a gap between said pole rings to effect closure of the magnetic circuit between adjacent poles, characterized in that said machine has means for introducing a fluid under pressure into said gap to form a fluid bearing film between said pole rings, said film axially supporting said first pole ring with respect to said second pole ring and said film overcoming the magnetic axially directed force vector acting on the pole rings.

Claim 11

A rotatable magnetic machine according to claim 5 in that the means for introducing said fluid into said gap includes grooves in a surface bounding the gap extending in an inclined and circumferential direction to said axis of rotation.

Claim 12

A rotatable magnetic machinE according to claim 5 further characterized in having a separating wall in the gap, and apertures in the separating wall which are located in the plane of rotation of said machine through which said fluid is introduced into said gap.

Claim 13

A rotatable magnetic machine according to claim 5 further characterized in that the first and second segments each form portions of spheres.

Claim 14

A rotatable magnetic machine according to claim 5 further characterized in that one of said pole rings is mounted for pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said machine.

Claim 15

A rotatable magnetic machine according to claim 5 further characterized in that the centers of the isodynamic lines of the magnetic poles are disposed on radii of portions of spheres which approximately coincide with the surfaces of the pole rings facing said gap.

Claim 16

A rotatable magnetic machine according to claim 5 further characterized in having a thin wall extending in the gap, in having one of said segments stationary to form a closed chamber with the thin wall and in having a deformable material in said chamber.

Claim 17

A rotatable magnetic machine according to claim 5 further characterized in that the first and second segments are disposed on conical surfaces.

Claim 18

A rotatable magnetic machine according to claim 5 further characterized in having a separating wall in said gap and in having a support means effective during start up of the machine to provide an axial support between the rotatable pole ring and the separating wall.

Claim 19

A rotatable magnetic machine according to claim 13 further characterized in that the support means comprises having a groove in the separating wall and balls arranged in said groove.

Claim 20

A rotatable magnetic machine according to claim 14 further characterized in having magnets to hold said balls in said groove.

Claim 21

A rotatable magnetic machine according to claim 5 further characterized in that the distribution of masses comprising the rotatable portions of said machine is such that a larger moment of inertia is present in the plane of rotation of the machine that in other planes.

Claim 22

A rotatable magnetic machine according to claim 5 wherein the surface of the rotatable pole ring facing away from the gap is spherical and wherein said machine has countersurfaces forming with said surface facing away from said gap an additional bearing gap.