A weight compensating device includes a stator and a translator. The translator is movable relative to the stator along a movement axis. The translator includes a first permanent magnet arrangement with an axial magnetization. The stator includes a second permanent magnet arrangement radially surrounding the first permanent magnet arrangement. The stator includes a third permanent magnet arrangement that is coaxially below the first permanent magnet arrangement and that has an axial magnetization aligned in inverse fashion with respect to the axial magnetization of the first permanent magnet arrangement. The stator includes a magnetic body arrangement that is coaxially above the first permanent magnet arrangement. The first permanent magnet arrangement, the second permanent magnet arrangement, the third permanent magnet arrangement and the magnetic body arrangement form a magnetic unit and, in interaction with one another, form a compensating force that counteracts the weight acting on the translator.

A shimmy damper for centering a landing gear includes a cap and a housing. The shimmy damper further includes a damper shaft extending from the cap to the housing. The shimmy damper further includes a plurality of magnets configured to exert an opposing force on the cap and the housing via the damper shaft, providing a centering mechanism of the damper shaft within the housing. This centering action in turn provides for the centering of the landing gear during flight.

A spinning device includes a blade assembly including a hollow body, and a rod coupled to the hollow body and supported via a magnetic levitation assembly.

Novel configurations of levitating passive magnetic bearing configurations are described. Such configurations can be used for the precise control of the magnitude and sign of the bearing stiffness, thereby facilitating the overall design of the system in ways that are not possible with conventional attractive or repelling bearing elements.

The present invention generally relates to an apparatus and method for axially supporting a shaft. In one aspect, a magnetic suspension system for supporting a shaft in a housing is provided. The magnetic suspension system includes an array of magnet members disposed between the shaft and the housing. The array of magnet members comprising a first magnet member, a second magnet member, and a third magnet member, wherein the first magnet member and the second magnet member generate a first force that is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the shaft and the second magnet member and the third magnet member generate a second force that is substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the shaft The first force and the second force are configured to position the shaft axially within the housing. In another aspect, a method of supporting a shaft along a longitudinal axis of a housing is provided. In a further aspect, a suspension system for supporting a shaft in a housing is provided.

A system for suspending a rotating body consisting of a combination of magnetic and engineered materials. The suspension system allows for some axial motion to account for varying system loads.

A flywheel system includes a rotor and a fixture. The rotor forms an aperture. The fixture includes a bottom support, a top support, and a shaft connecting the bottom support to the top support. The shaft passes through the aperture. The bottom support and the top support are outside opposite ends of the aperture. The rotor is configured to rotate about the shaft. A method for operating a flywheel system includes converting between rotational energy of a rotor and electrical energy in windings of a generator stator that is implemented in a stationary shaft passing through an aperture of the rotor, while the rotor is rotating about the shaft.

The present disclosure relates to a stiffness enhancing mechanism for a magnetic suspension bearing, a magnetic suspension bearing including the stiffness enhancing mechanism, and a blood pump. The magnetic suspension bearing comprises a stator with stator teeth and a rotor disposed within the stator. The stiffness enhancing mechanism comprises: a rotor permanent magnet, a stator permanent magnet, and an axial driving body. The rotor permanent magnet and the rotor of the magnetic suspension bearing form a rotor assembly, which has an asymmetric structure with respect to the main plane (P) of the rotor. The stiffness enhancing mechanism is configured such that the stator permanent magnet generates a radial attractive force to the rotor permanent magnet, and the axial driving body generates an axial repulsive force to the rotor permanent magnet, wherein the magnitude of the axial repulsive force is variable with a change of an axial distance between the axial driving body and the rotor permanent magnet). The stiffness enhancing mechanism can increase the torsional stiffness of the rotor of the magnetic suspension bearing and facilitate the miniaturization of the magnetic suspension bearing.

A magnetic bearing includes a ring-shaped first magnet, a ring-shaped second magnet, a first magnetic body and a second magnetic body. The ring-shaped first magnet is magnetized in an axial direction. The ring-shaped second magnet is concentrically arranged with the first magnet and is magnetized in the axial direction. The first magnetic body is provided on a first surface in the axial direction of the second magnet. The second magnetic body is provided on a second surface parallel to the first surface in the axial direction of the second magnet. A thickness of each of the first magnetic body and the second magnetic body is less than or equal to an acceptable fluctuation amount in the axial direction of the second magnet with respect to the first magnet and greater than or equal to 0.1 mm.

A shimmy damper for centering a landing gear includes a cap and a housing. The shimmy damper further includes a damper shaft extending from the cap to the housing. The shimmy damper further includes a plurality of magnets configured to exert an opposing force on the cap and the housing via the damper shaft, providing a centering mechanism of the damper shaft within the housing. This centering action in turn provides for the centering of the landing gear during flight.