Magnetic Suspension Conical Compressor (MSCC)
Summary: A high-efficiency, oil-free compressor architecture using a magnetically suspended conical rotor with internal groove dynamics for gas compression, cooling, and adiabatic expansion — ideal for aerospace propulsion, closed-loop Brayton cycles, and compact cryogenic systems.
🔌 Motivation
Conventional turbomachinery suffers from mechanical friction, lubricant contamination, and scale inefficiencies in small formats. This project proposes a frictionless, high-speed compressor using magnetic suspension and helical groove aerodynamics to enable efficient microscale or mesoscale thermodynamic systems.
🔹 Architecture Overview
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Rotor: Magnetically suspended, gas-lubricated conical rotor
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Housing: Grooved cone matching rotor helix to guide laminar flow
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Clearances: Micron-scale tolerances, no mechanical contact
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Thermal Extraction: Outer housing grooves act as heat sinks
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Expansion Stage: Tight nozzle outlet enables adiabatic expansion
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Use Case: Can connect to recuperators, turbines, or fuel injectors downstream
🔢 Key Features
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No mechanical contact: reduces wear, friction, and heat loss
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Oil-free: suitable for oxygen or high-purity systems
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Passive magnetic bearing design: simple and low power
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Laminar compression: reduces turbulence and noise
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Adiabatic expansion nozzle: boosts energy efficiency
🌐 Applications
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Aerospace cooling loops (e.g., LPT turbine intercooling)
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Cryogenic refrigeration and liquefaction systems
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Waste heat recovery in closed Brayton cycles
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Fuel cell air compressors
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Portable heat pumps / microturbines
📄 Included Files
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Zenodo Whitepaper (PDF): Thermodynamic model and rotor-housing geometry breakdown
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Innovation Analysis PDF: Comparative study vs. scroll, centrifugal, and screw compressors
Architecture PDF: Modular breakdown of maglev system
This compressor platform invites collaboration with thermal system engineers, aerospace propulsion researchers, and hardware developers in high-efficiency micro-energy systems.
Samrat Jana