Synchrony Technology Blog

Clean, Efficient, and Reliable. These attributes describe how magnetic bearings are used to improve rotating machinery that conventionally use oil-lubricated bearings. However, it is possible to take things one step further by making a rotating machine ULTRA-reliable. This is done by incorporating redundant elements in the magnetic bearings such that the bearing continues to operate even if one or more elements in the bearings were to fail (fault). A bearing with that level of protecti   More...

Today, there is much public attention placed on reducing the amount of fossil fuel we burn for reasons of energy independence, economics, and environmental sustainability. There are several ways to reduce burning of fossil fuels:   More...

I am often asked about the tradeoffs between using air bearings and magnetic bearings for high speed applications. After all, both are non-contact, oil-less solutions that can improve the performance of rotating machinery. Air bearings also seem less complicated because they don't require active electronics to operate.

I believe that certain applications can benefit from using air bearings instead of magnetic bearings, especially for smaller machines in contamination-free envir   More...

An op-ed article that I submitted to IndustryWeek was published on January 13. The article focused on how magnetic bearings offer a new way for companies to save money by reducing energy consumption and maintenance costs while also providing environmental benefits. Unlike so many other “green” technologies, our “clean” magnetic bearings, high speed electrical machines, and high frequency power conversion systems are available today at price levels   More...

This Sunday, The New York Times ran a story on Synchrony and our Fusion® bearing. The reporter, Anne Eisenberg, did a wonderful job explaining magnetic bearings to the general public and how the Fusion bearing is different from other types of magnetic bearings. The article also included insightful comments from Eric Maslen (University of Virginia), Dave Trumper (MIT), Bill Pizzichil (Baldor), and Jigger Jumonville (Atlas-Copco consulta   More...

Daikin McQuay recently introduced its model WME "frictionless" chiller with Synchrony's magnetic bearings in the size range of 400 - 550 tons. This compliments a smaller "frictionless" chiller that McQuay has been supplying for several years and which has enjoyed success in the HVAC market. We have begun to supply McQuay with 150 drive trains as part of an expected order for 500 drive trains. These 500 drive trains follow an initial run of 75 units that have   More...

At Synchrony, we are passionate about massively increasing the use of magnetic bearings for a broad range of applications. We believe our approach to improving the performance, simplicity, size, and economics allows the machine designer to use magnetic bearings for applications that were previously not feasible. One example is pumps, which are found in large facilities such as oil refineries in quantities of thousands. Bearing failures currently limit the reliability and   More...

Clean. Efficient. Reliable. These attributes are often used to describe magnetic bearings. With no need for lubricants, with no mechanical wear or friction, and with the capability to tailor bearing characteristics to optimize performance, it's no wonder that there's growing excitement about using magnetic bearings in high performance machinery. This is especially true today, where there is much focus on improving the utilization of energy using eco-friendly technologies.   More...