Magnetic bearing for suspending a rotating shaft using high Tc superconducting material

DETAILED DESCRIPTION One possible object of the present invention is therefore to refine the magnetic bearing having the features mentioned initially, such that such risk of bearing icing is minimized irrespective of the chosen cooling technique, and such that the sealing complexity can be kept low.
This object may be achieved in that, in the case of the magnetic bearing having the features mentioned initially, the superconducting arrangement and the magnetic arrangement are also jointly surrounded by at least one isolation area, and in that an additional area is provided, which is separated from the at least one isolation area and comprises the bearing gap and subareas which extend on side end faces of the superconducting arrangement and of the magnet arrangement radially as far as the shaft and are sealed there with respect to the shaft.
The advantages which are associated with this embodiment of the magnetic bearing are, in particular, that the complexity for sealing the additional area from the parts which can rotate can be kept low.
This is because the seal uses the smallest possible diameter, so that the circumferential speed of the parts of the seal which also rotate is minimized.
This makes it simpler for the seal to operate, and correspondingly lengthens its life.
The simplified sealing, which may thus also be designed to be effective, of the additional area also results in the risk of ingress of gases which can freeze at least largely being avoided.
The additional area of the magnetic bearing can thus be evacuated in a simple manner.
This advantageously allows friction losses to be reduced.
In the event of any leakage of the sealant on the shaft, a small amount of air could admittedly in theory enter, however, severe icing is counteracted by the fact that, in this case, even a defective seal still provides a major impediment to the exchange of air, especially because the corresponding flow cross sections of the side subareas can be kept small.
The magnetic bearing therefore has good emergency running characteristics