How Does a Permanent Magnet Coupling Work?

How Does a Permanent Magnet Coupling Work?

Permanent Magnet Couplings transmit mechanical power between shafts without physical mechanical connections. They work on the principle of Arago's disc, where two discs sandwiched between poles of opposing polarities attract each other magnetically, creating forces to pull them together and transmit torque from one motor to another without interruption in wet environments.

Permanent Magnet Couplings differ from their metal-based counterparts in that they do not rely on any contact between outer and inner drives to transmit force and torque between shafts, making them an ideal solution for use in wet or hazardous applications such as hydraulic sectors, dosing systems, compressors, sterilizers, industrial ovens, pharmaceutical production lines, subsea equipment generators etc.

Permanent Magnet Couplings come in various designs, structures, material types and working characteristics. They can be divided into two main categories based on their structural form: Cylindrical Type and Disc Type magnetic couplings can typically be found arranged ring-like while Disc Type Magnet Couplings consist of inner/outer rotors connected by isolation shells - intermittent types being designed for frequent stops/starts of equipment while continuous types for constant load applications.

Magnetic Couplings, also referred to as Gap Based Couplings, don't rely on physical connections between motor and loaded equipment - instead using magnetic fields instead - as they fill any gap between them with their magnetic force. Furthermore, permanent magnet couplings offer an economical solution because there's no maintenance involved and they operate reliably over long periods. Furthermore, with no moving parts and excellent resistance against corrosion/rust/etc external factors they provide long term operation at minimal costs.

This magnetic solution can accommodate for a range of applications as it can withstand pressure, temperature and vibration levels that exceed conventional solutions. Furthermore, its stainless steel enclosure makes it suitable for use in potentially explosive environments; and the Couplings are designed for easy installation on either shaft of equipment.

Permanent Magnet Couplings are highly adaptable, as they can be configured to meet the exact requirements of an application and all kinds of operating environments. Hermetically sealed models can even be made to prevent contamination - making these couplings ideal for applications such as water and chemical pumps, dosing systems, steam turbines, compressed air systems, vacuum applications and subsea equipment.

Studies of Permanent Magnet Couplings have focused on various factors related to their performance, including manufacturing accuracy and dimensional tolerances, gap eddy loss rates, cooling effects, heating effects, cooling efficiencies and heating effects. Although full mathematical models exist for these phenomena, their implementation in engineering practice can be cumbersome and time consuming; as an alternative solution a simplified analytical method has been developed using elementary dipole energy distribution that provides an approximate calculation of forces and stiffnesses of Magnetic Couplings with high slip.

Permanent Magnet Coupling Manufacturers