Shaft alignment for rotary machines using wireless power transfer process: Foundations and design approach

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to present the fundamentals of an original method of shaft alignment for rotating machines based on the principle of wireless power transfer (WPT) process. WPT alignment of shafts in rotating machinery is simple and more accurate than existing methods (conventional mechanical methods or Laser-optical method) and can result in reduced power consumption and minimized mean time between failures. Shaft alignment is an important factor in the proper functioning and longevity of machinery. Proper shaft alignment ensures that the rotating shafts of a machine are in a straight line and rotate on the same axis. This contributes to reducing the wear and tear on the bearings and other components of the machine, leading to improved reliability and longer service life. A high precision WPT alignment system has been designed with the primary coil placed in the driver machine, as an electrical motor, and the secondary coil placed in the driven machine, as a pump. The calculation of the magnetic interactions between both coils (primary and secondary coils), in particular the mutual inductance and coupling coefficient, perfectly explains deviations in the shaft (angular misalignment and parallel offset) and aligns entirely with measurement results, with a difference of approximately 4%. This new alignment method with magnetic interactions has proven effective in designing and implementing actual shaft alignment. WPT alignment offers precise shaft alignment tools for proper alignment of shafts and reduces troubleshooting issues.