Apparatus and method for magnetically unloading a rotor bearing

A flywheel apparatus that magnetically unloads a top rotor bearing is described. The apparatus includes a flywheel housing, a rotor with a vertical axis of rotation that includes a magnetic material,a magnet configured to apply a desired upward off-loading force along the vertical axis of rotation, an upper bearing connected to an upper shaft of the rotor, and a bearing housing disposed between the upper bearing and the flywheel housing that substantially prevents downward axial motion of the upper bearing. The magnet includes an electromagnet. A force sensor is used to measure a force on theupper bearing which is provided as input to a controller that updates the current to the electromagnet. The rotor is maintained in a fixed axial position and a spring disposed below a lower bearing absorbs axial dimension growth of the rotor. 描述了一种使顶部转子轴承磁性地卸载的飞轮设备。该设备包括飞轮壳体；转子，该转子具有竖直的旋转轴线并且包括磁性材料；磁体，该磁体构造成沿着竖直的旋转轴线施加期望的向上卸载力；上部轴承，该上部轴承连接至该转子的上部轴；以及轴承壳体，该轴承壳体设置在上部轴承和飞轮壳体之间，且基本上防止上部轴承的向下轴向运动。磁体包括电磁体。力传感器用于测量作用在上部轴承上的力，该力作