A Novel Flexible PCB Conductive Structure for Electrodynamic Bearings and Measurement in its Induced Voltage

This paper proposes the concept of FlexPCB(flexible Printed Circuit Board) conductive structure for electrodynamic bearings. It has three main advantages: easy “printing” of considerably thin conductive wires, resulting in potential reduction in stray eddy currents; realization of specific conductive configurations with high precision to optimize the eddy current flowing; simplicity in being wound to cylinders or hollow cylinders of different diameters. To verify this new concept, the FlexPCB conductive structure was manufactured, an axial electrodynamic bearing test rig was built and the conductive structure's induced voltage was measured along the axial displacements from 0mm to 56mm at three rotating speeds. The finite element method was used to calcuatlate the flux density of electrodynamic bearing and induced voltage of the FlexPCB conductive structure. The experimental results are compared with the results from the FEM calculation. It is concluded that the measured and calculated induced voltages have consistency in the middle part of the bearing.