In recent years, with the rapid development of high-end equipment technology, magnetic levitation applications have continued to expand—from artificial heart pumps in the medical field to rotorcraft in aerospace and gas turbines in the energy industry—their application scenarios are becoming increasingly diverse. Among these devices, magnetic levitation bearings, as a key core component, are gradually emerging as a vital force driving the green transformation of manufacturing.

At the "Energy-saving Service into Enterprises-Magnetic Levitation Bearing Collaborative Innovation Conference", Xue Yiping, deputy secretary of the Party Committee of the China Machinery Industry Federation, pointed out that magnetic levitation bearing technology not only reflects the country's independent innovation capabilities in the field of high-end equipment manufacturing, but will also provide strong support for the intelligent and low-carbon upgrades of energy, transportation and industrial systems.

The conference was hosted by the Machinery Industry Technology Development Foundation. It aims to build a collaborative platform integrating scientific research institutions, production enterprises and end users, focusing on the technological progress and industrial integration of magnetic levitation bearings, improving their energy-saving performance and operating stability, and helping to achieve high-quality development goals.

Key breakthroughs in industrial energy conservation

At present, my country is at a critical stage of industrial structure adjustment and green transformation, and the task of energy conservation and emission reduction is arduous. It is estimated that fluid machinery such as compressors, fans, and water pumps accounts for more than 40% of the country's total energy consumption, and is the key target for achieving energy efficiency improvement.

Due to its characteristics of no contact, no friction, and no need for lubrication, magnetic levitation bearings have shown significant advantages in reducing energy consumption, reducing noise and extending equipment life. Professor Yu Suyuan of Tsinghua University said that after decades of development, the world has established a relatively complete theoretical foundation and technical system for magnetic suspension bearings, which has become one of the important means to improve the efficiency of fluid machinery.

In China, the construction of relevant standard systems continues to advance, and some companies have made substantial progress in the fields of magnetic suspension air compressors, flywheel energy storage devices, refrigeration systems, etc. However, in the face of higher speeds and greater power requirements, the development of magnetic suspension bearings with better performance has become a top priority for the development of the industry.

Technical bottlenecks still need to be broken through

Despite the broad prospects, Zhou Jin, director of the Institute of Magnetic Suspension Application Technology of Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, pointed out that the technology still faces many challenges. First, the integration of magnetic suspension bearing systems is complex, involving multiple disciplines such as electromagnetism, sensor technology, and electronic control, which puts high demands on R&D and users; second, most products are customized designs, and it is difficult to form a standardized series; in addition, load-bearing capacity, reliability, and cost control are still important factors affecting their large-scale promotion.

However, with the continuous progress of high-performance magnetic materials, intelligent diagnostic systems, and artificial intelligence control algorithms, these problems are expected to be gradually solved in the future.

Take multiple measures to promote industrial upgrading

To accelerate the industrialization process of magnetic bearing technology, Xue Yiping suggested to work on the following aspects:

First, build a cross-industry and cross-field collaborative innovation mechanism to break through the barriers between basic research, technical breakthroughs and practical applications;

Second, concentrate resources to break through a number of key technologies, such as high-precision sensors, high-performance rare earth permanent magnet materials and precision machining processes;

Third, improve the supporting service system, including building a national testing and certification platform, formulating unified testing standards, and promoting colleges and universities to establish relevant professional directions and cultivate professional talents;

Fourth, expand the scope of demonstration applications, especially in urban rail transit, medical equipment, aviation power and other key scenarios to carry out pilot projects, and form a replicable and popularizable experience model.

Through the multi-party linkage of policy guidance, technological innovation and market cultivation, magnetic bearings are expected to become a new engine to promote the green and intelligent development of my country's high-end equipment manufacturing industry in the future.