Test and Simulation of Superconducting Magnetic Bearings

This work presents the study of superconducting magnetic bearings (SMB). Two SMB prototypes were constructed using Nd-Fe-B magnets rotors (each one having approximately 80 mm of external diameter) and a 75 mm diameter YBCO disc. The magnetic rotors of the SMB prototypes were manufactured in two different topologies: flux shaper and axially magnetized rings. Bean's critical state model is applied to simulate those SMBs. The model was implemented using magnetostatic solutions calculated by finite element method (to solve the problem in space) and finite difference method (to solve the problem in time). Simulated and measured results were very similar, showing the applied simulation model is efficient for this purpose.