Magnetic torque for aircraft gearboxes
New developments could see magnets taking the place of mechanical gears in automotive applications, machinery, and even aircraft and wind turbines. Exploiting permanent magnets to transmit torque, magnetic gears eliminate virtually all problems associated with their mechanical counterparts. Making sure they are flight worthy in safety-critical applications is a key challenge. EU funding of the 'Aeronautical magnetic gear box' (MAGBOX) project enabled scientists to develop a lubricant-free prototype that was successfully tested in a relevant environment. The system performed admirably, demonstrating high accuracy, efficiency greater than 99 %, and reliability across the entire operating temperature range and even above and below. Integrated with an electromechanical actuator, it successfully met the challenge of 300 jamming or overload events. The MAGBOX has been fully qualified for aerospace applications at a technology-readiness level of 6 on a scale of 10. This novel gearbox should increase safety and reliability as well as decrease weight and power consumption of electromechanical actuators. Other new applications are currently being developed by the spin-off company MAG SOAR SL including integration into mechanical systems for a variety of systems, including automobiles, wind and hydraulic turbines and well drillers.
Keywords
Gearboxes, magnetic gearbox, aerospace, overload protection, aeronautical
