IP Library Granted Patent US 12683460
Granted Patent B2
US 12683460 · App. 18/197,136 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Engine or driven machine

Inventor: Michael Muth (Egmating, DE)
Assignee: AEROLAS GMBH AEROSTATISCHE LAGER—LASERTECHNIK
H02K7/08H02K1/278H02K7/14H02K2201/03
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12683460
App. No.
18/197,136
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electric motor or driven machine including a structure; a stator device fixed at the structure; a rotor device including an outer circumference; and a rotor shaft coupled or couplable to the rotor device for torque transmission and supported rotatable about an axis of rotation and substantially axially fixed in or on the structure, wherein the rotor device is axially supported proximal to its outer circumference in an axis-parallel direction by an aerostatic bearing including a stator-side bearing surface formed on the stator device and a rotor-side bearing surface formed on the rotor device and a bearing gap formed between the stator side bearing surface and the rotor side bearing surface, wherein the rotor device is formed by a rotor disc, wherein circumferentially spaced and radially extending permanent magnets of an electromagnetic operating device are provided at the rotor disk, radially inside from the aerostatic bearing.

Claims (44)

1 . An electric motor or driven machine, comprising:

a structure;

a stator device fixed at the structure;

a rotor device including an outer circumference; and

a rotor shaft coupled or couplable to the rotor device for torque transmission and supported rotatable about an axis of rotation and substantially axially fixed in or on the structure,

wherein the rotor device is axially supported proximal to its outer circumference in an axis-parallel direction by an aerostatic bearing including a stator-side bearing surface formed on the stator device and a rotor-side bearing surface formed on the rotor device and a bearing gap formed between a stator side bearing surface and a rotor side bearing surface,

wherein the rotor device is formed by a rotor disc,

wherein circumferentially spaced and radially extending permanent magnets of an electromagnetic operating device are provided at the rotor disk, radially inside from the aerostatic bearing,

wherein electrical windings of the electromagnetic operating device are provided in the stator device and configured to interact with the permanent magnets provided at the rotor disc,

wherein the rotor device includes a first rotor-side bearing surface on a first axial side of the rotor device and a second rotor-side bearing surface on a second axial side of the rotor device facing away from the first axial side,

wherein the first stator-side bearing surface is arranged opposite the rotor-side bearing surface,

wherein a first bearing gap is formed between the rotor-side bearing surface and the stator-side bearing surface,

wherein the second stator-side bearing surface is arranged opposite the second rotor-side bearing surface,

wherein a second bearing gap is formed between the second rotor-side bearing surface and the second stator-side bearing surface, and

wherein the first stator-side bearing surface or the second stator-side bearing surface is movable in the direction parallel to the axis of rotation or includes bearing elements which are movable in the direction parallel to the axis of rotation.

2 . The electric motor or driven machine according to claim 1 , wherein the stator-side bearing surface or the rotor-side bearing surface includes a plurality of gas outlet nozzles formed as micro-holes which open into the bearing gap.

3 . The electric motor or driven machine according to claim 1 , wherein the stator-side bearing surface includes a plurality of gas outlet nozzles formed as micro-holes which open into the bearing gap.

4 . The electric motor or driven machine according to claim 1 , wherein the stator-side bearing surface and a rotor-side bearing surface are each arranged in a plane orthogonal to the axis of rotation.

5 . The electric motor or driven machine according to claim 1 , wherein the stator-side bearing surface and the rotor-side bearing surface are each arranged in a plane which extends at an acute angle relative to the axis of rotation.

6 . The electric motor or driven machine according to claim 1 , wherein the first stator-side bearing surface, the second stator-side bearing surface, a first rotor side bearing and a second rotor side bearing surface are each aligned parallel to one another.

7 . The electric motor or driven machine according to claim 1 , wherein the rotor device is axially supported only proximal to its outer circumference by the aerostatic bearing and is supported axially movable relative to the rotor shaft.

8 . The electric motor or driven machine according to claim 1 , wherein the rotor device is coupled to the rotor shaft by a coupling so that the rotor device is movable in the axial direction parallel to the axis of rotation or in the radial direction at right angles relative to the axis of rotation.

9 . The electric motor or driven machine according to claim 1 , wherein the electric motor or driven machine forms an electric axial flux motor.

10 . The electric motor or driven machine according to claim 1 , wherein the electric motor or driven machine forms an electric axial flux generator.

11 . An engine or driven machine, comprising:

a structure;

a stator device fixed at the structure;

a rotor device including an outer circumference; and

a rotor shaft coupled or couplable to the rotor device for torque transmission and supported rotatable about an axis of rotation and substantially axially fixed in or on the structure,

wherein the rotor device is axially supported proximal to its outer circumference in an axis-parallel direction by an aerostatic bearing including a stator-side bearing surface formed on the stator device and a rotor-side bearing surface formed on the rotor device and a bearing gap formed between the stator side bearing surface and the rotor side bearing surface,

wherein the rotor device is formed by an impeller of a turbine, which includes a multiplicity of turbine blades which extend in the radial direction and are mounted to or supported on a hub rotatably coupled to the rotor shaft,

wherein radially outer end sections of the turbine blades are connected or coupled to a bearing ring including the rotor-side bearing surface, or

wherein radially outer end sections of the turbine blades are provided with at least one bearing surface portion including the rotor-side bearing surface,

wherein the rotor device includes a first rotor-side bearing surface on a first axial side of the rotor device and a second rotor-side bearing surface on a second axial side of the rotor device facing away from the first axial side,

wherein the first stator-side bearing surface is arranged opposite the rotor-side bearing surface,

wherein a first bearing gap is formed between the rotor-side bearing surface and the stator-side bearing surface,

wherein the second stator-side bearing surface is arranged opposite the second rotor-side bearing surface,

wherein a second bearing gap is formed between the second rotor-side bearing surface and the second stator-side bearing surface, and

wherein the first stator-side bearing surface or the second stator-side bearing surface is movable in the direction parallel to the axis of rotation or includes bearing elements which are movable in the direction parallel to the axis of rotation.

12 . The engine or driven machine according to claim 11 , wherein the rotor device is formed by a compressor rotor of a gas turbine or an aircraft turbine.

13 . The engine or driven machine according to claim 11 , further comprising:

a plurality of pairs of stators and rotors arranged one behind the other in an axial direction,

wherein at least one of the rotors is coupled to the rotor shaft for torque transmission, and

wherein at least one of the rotors is coupled to an additional rotor shaft for torque transmission.