Proposed Design for Superconducting Magnetic Bearing System With High-Temperature Superconducting Discs

Superconducting magnetic bearings may be utilized for various applications. In recent decades, efforts have been made to design new structures for specific applications. One of the most important issues in superconducting magnetic bearings design is the superconducting part. In this paper, a novel design is presented for rotational bearing systems, in which the superconducting discs are used instead of superconducting cylinders of classic rotational structures. The proposed structure provides the advantages of easy fabrication, lower superconductor volume and therefore lower cost, easy extension for large scale applications and higher mechanical strength. The levitation force of the proposed design is investigated via finite element method and compared to bearing systems with superconductor cylinders in the stator part. Prototypes have been fabricated and experimental tests have shown good consistency with the simulation results.