Hybrid Gas-Magnetic Bearings: An Overview

This paper presents a state-of-the-art survey on the development of the hybrid gas-magnetic bearing (HGMB) technology. HGMBs are proposed to complement the advantages of gas bearings and magnetic bearings for enhanced bearing performance. Nevertheless, there are a number of inherent challenges in their designs, analyses, and performance characteristics that must be taken into account for proper functionality and reliable operation. For this purpose, substantial results in theory, numerical simulations, and experiments concerning rotor dynamics, mechanical structures, control systems, and operation modes are discussed to help further investigation and implementation of HGMBs. In addition, future developments of HGMBs in industries and remaining challenges are discussed.