US Patent 11005336 Magnetic bearing assembly for rotating machinery

A rotating machine includes a housing, a rotor shaft to rotate about a longitudinal axis, a position sensor to detect a position of the rotor shaft within the housing, and a magnetic bearing assembly coupled to the housing to support the rotor shaft within the housing. The magnetic bearing assembly includes an active magnetic bearing for active support of the rotor shaft, such as a thrust bearing actuator to produce an axial force component that is parallel to the central longitudinal axis and a radial force component that is orthogonal to the central longitudinal axis and axially offset from the thrust bearing actuator. The magnetic bearing assembly also includes a passive magnetic radial bearing to radially support the rotor shaft within the housing. A controller electrically coupled to the active magnetic bearing controls a control current to the active magnetic bearing.