Magnetic Bearing Analysis

Category: Analysis | Integrated 2026-04-06
Magnetic bearing electromagnetic force vs air gap and current characteristic curves with nonlinear reluctance model
Magnetic bearing electromagnetic force characteristics: current-force curve (left) and gap-force nonlinear characteristic (right). Green point is the operating point, orange dashed line is the linearized tangent.

Overview

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Professor! Today let us talk about magnetic bearing analysis. What is it about?


Magnetic Bearing Analysis: Theoretical Foundations

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Non-contact support using electromagnets. Essential for high-speed rotation machinery. PID control of current stiffness and displacement stiffness.




Governing Equations




$$ F = \frac{B^2 A}{2\mu_0} $$
$$ F_{net} = k_i i + k_x x $$



🧑‍🎓

Professor, your explanation is easy to understand! The haze around describing magnetic bearing analysis has cleared up.


Discretization Method

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How do you actually solve these equations on a computer?


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We use spatial discretization by the Finite Element Method (FEM). We assemble the element stiffness matrix and construct the global stiffness equation.


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We perform transformation to the weak form (variational form) and use formulation by the Galerkin method using test functions and shape functions. The choice of element type (low-order elements vs. high-order elements, full integration vs. reduced integration) is directly linked to the trade-off between solution accuracy and computational cost.




Matrix Solution Algorithms

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What exactly do you mean by matrix solution algorithms?


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We solve the simultaneous equations using direct methods (LU decomposition, Cholesky decomposition) or iterative methods (CG method, GMRES method). For large-scale problems, preconditioned iterative methods are effective.



Solution MethodClassificationMemory UsageApplicable Scale
LU decompositionDirect MethodO(n²)Small to Medium Scale
Cholesky decompositionDirect Method (Symmetric Positive Definite)O(n²)Small to Medium Scale
PCG MethodIterative MethodO(n)Large Scale
GMRES methodIterative MethodO(n·m)Large Scale / Non-symmetric
AMG PreconditionerPreprocessingO(n)Very Large Scale
🧑‍🎓

So, if you cut corners on the finite element method part, you'll pay for it later. I'll keep that in mind!


Implementation in Commercial Tools

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So, what software can be used to do magnetic bearing analysis?


Tool NameDeveloper/CurrentMain File Format
COMSOL MultiphysicsCOMSOL AB.mph
JMAG-DesignerJSOL Corporation.jmag, .jproj
Ansys Mechanical (formerly ANSYS Structural)Ansys Inc..cdb, .rst, .db, .ans, .mac
Abaqus FEA (SIMULIA)Dassault Systèmes SIMULIA.inp, .odb, .cae, .sta, .msg

Vendor Lineage and Product Integration History

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Is the background of each software quite dramatic?



COMSOL Multiphysics

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Tell me about "COMSOL Multiphysics"!


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Founded in Sweden in 1986. Started as FEMLAB with MATLAB integration, later renamed to COMSOL. Strong in multiphysics.

Current Affiliation: COMSOL AB



JMAG-Designer

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What exactly is JMAG?


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Developed by Japan's JSOL Corporation. An electromagnetic field analysis tool specialized for electrical equipment design.

Current Affiliation: JSOL Corporation




Ansys Mechanical (formerly ANSYS Structural)

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Tell me about "Ansys Mechanical"!


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Developed in 1970 by Swanson Analysis Systems Inc. (SASI). Based on APDL (Ansys Parametric Design Language).

Current Affiliation: Ansys Inc.


🧑‍🎓

Ah, I see! So that's how it was established in Sweden in 1986.


File Formats and Interoperability

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Are there any points to note when transferring data between different software?


FormatExtensionTypeOverview
STEP.stp/.stepNeutral CADISO 10303 compliant 3D CAD data exchange format. Supports geometry + PMI.
IGES.igs/.igesNeutral CADEarly CAD data exchange standard. Has issues with surface data compatibility. Transition to STEP is progressing.
VTK.vtk/.vtuVisualizationVisualization Toolkit format. Used by ParaView, etc.
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When converting models between different solvers, attention must be paid to the correspondence of element types, compatibility of material models, and differences in the representation of loads and boundary conditions. Particularly, high-order elements and special elements (cohesive elements, user-defined elements, etc.) often cannot be directly converted between solvers.


🧑‍🎓

I see... Formats seem simple at first glance, but they're actually quite deep, aren't they?


Practical Considerations

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Are there things like "field wisdom" that aren't covered in textbooks?


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Verifying mesh convergence, validating the appropriateness of boundary conditions, and performing sensitivity analysis of material parameters are extremely important.


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Additionally, understanding the physical meaning of the analysis results and conducting validation against experimental data are essential.


Related Simulators

Experience the theory through interactive simulators in this field

All Simulators

Related Fields

Structural AnalysisElectromagnetic Field AnalysisThermal Analysis
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