An overview of active magnetic bearing technology and applications

In this paper, the author presents a short history and general discussion of the operation of an active magnetic bearing, as well as specific applications of active magnetic bearings in both commercial and research scenarios. Although magnetic suspension devices have been used in nonrotating scenarios such as magnetically levitated trains, only applications associated with rotating equipment will be addressed. Commercial applications such as large turbomachinery and small-scale turbomolecular pumps will be discussed. Research applications, such as bearingless motors, flywheels for energy storage, micromachines, and biomedical applications, will be presented. Research topics associated with superconducting magnetic bearings are beyond the scope of this paper.