A passive bearing system using superconducting magnets

A passive radial bearing concept is presented using superconducting magnets which can generate a bearing pressure as high as 360 N/sq cm, comparable to a conventional active bearing system. The system consists of a number of solenoidal superconducting coils of alternating current direction. These coils are stacked axially over the bearing length and connected in series. The currents in stator and rotor coils are in the opposite directions, generating repulsive forces. This system, in comparison with an active system, has the advantage of much smaller power dissipation in the coils since the coil currents are mostly dc currents. The cooling for the superconducting coils is therefore simpler, and the coils are more stable. An optimization study seeking the maximum bearing pressure was conducted. Details of the design, pressure calculations, and results are presented.