Axial Force Evaluation in Permanent Magnet Thrust Bearings Subject to Demagnetization and Temperature Effects

This article presents a 2D axisymmetric finite element model allowing to evaluate the axial force developed by a permanent magnet thrust bearings, including demagnetization and temperature effects. For this purpose, a linearized B-H curve is included in the model, with coefficients depending on the temperature. The axial force evaluation, as a function of the operating temperature is validated experimentally on a test bench. Finally, based on this model, the performance of thrust bearings using either SmCo or NdFeB are compared.