Analysis and System Comparison of a New Hybrid Magnetic Bearing Integrated in Flux-Switching PM Machine

As the key components of a traditional permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM)-based high-speed magnetic suspension system, the rotor-PMSM and the magnetic bearing are normally designed and manufactured independently, resulting in a complex structure, long axial length, and control difficulties. To address this issue, this article proposes a novel concept to integrate a flux-switching permanent magnet machine (FSPM) and a hybrid magnetic bearing (HMB) to compose a new integrated FSPM machine–HMB suspension system by extending the permanent magnets (PMs) in the axial direction of the FSPM machine, which combines with the iron core to form the PM-biased magnetic circuit (MC) of the HMB. First, the working principle of the proposed suspension structure is analyzed. Then, considering significant leakage flux and edge effects in the new integrated suspension system, an accurate 3-D MC model is proposed, and the sensitivity of key parameters is analyzed based on this model. Furthermore, a quantitative comparison between the proposed integrated suspension system and the conventional one under the same constraints is made. Both the predicted and measured results indicate that the proposed structure can fully utilize the structural advantage of stator-located PMs, maximize the use of space at the end of the winding, and effectively reduce the axial length of the FSPM–HMB suspension system.