Recent advances in magnetic couplers

EDN: https://elibrary.ru/JCRTNW

Abstract

Magnetic couplers are devices that utilize magnetic fields to achieve contactless torque transmission. They offer advantages such as leak-free operation, overload protection, vibration isolation, and suitability for sealed drive systems, and have garnered widespread attention in the chemical, metallurgical, pump drive, and specialized equipment industries. In recent years, with improvements in the performance of permanent magnet materials, refinements in finite element analysis methods, and increasing demands for power transmission under complex operating conditions, research on magnetic couplers has gradually expanded from traditional structural design and torque calculation to areas such as speed control mechanisms, multiphysics coupling, temperature rise and heat dissipation, vibration transmission, and fault diagnosis. This paper reviews and summarizes domestic research findings regarding the structural configurations and torque characteristics of magnetic couplers, as well as their losses, temperature rise and heat dissipation, speed regulation, and system dynamic performance. Research indicates that the development of magnetic couplers is evolving from single-field magnetic analysis toward multi-field coupling of electrical, magnetic, thermal, and mechanical fields, and is extending from conventional structural design toward adaptation to complex operating conditions and intelligent monitoring. Summarizing these research advancements can provide a reference for the design and optimization of magnetic coupling stirring structures.