Magnetic Bearing High-Speed Drive Systems
Basic investigations of shaft / rotor bursting
High-speed drives rotate so fast that they have to be levitated with magnetic bearings, as normal bearings are unsuitable for these speeds. The drives reach speeds of over 20.000 revolutions per minute and the mechanical stresses on the components are enormous. If damage occurs here, the parts will fly at a speed of 100 meters per second like a projectile against the enclosure of the drive. In this project with the company KEBA, we used simulations to show that the motor housings can withstand this bombardment and that safe operation is possible.
Source: KEBA
Challenge and Motivation
- Fracture / failure of the rotor in high-speed drives (e.g. shaft rings)
- Analysis of component damage during impact of burst segments on the engine housing
- Analysis and validation of the housing integrity
Methods
- Non-linear dynamic FEM – simulation model
- Abaqus Explicit(“Element Kill Method”)
- Strain-based failure model
- Simplified substitute models of relevant components
- Evaluation of different impact situations
- Impact angles and speed, size and orientation of the burst segment, wall thickness, material properties etc.
Results and Benefits for Customers
- Evaluation of the housing integrity
- Identification of potential safety risks
