This work was carried out in collaboration with Dr. Gerry Jones. The work resulted in a paper published as

G. F. Jones and C. Nataraj, 1997, "Heat Transfer in an Electromagnetic Bearing," Journal of Heat Transfer, Vol. 119, pp. 611-616; also presented at the Sixth International Symposium on Transport Phenomena and Dynamics of Rotating Machinery, Hawaii.

An exact solution for two dimensional, full transient and steady periodic heat conduction in an electromagnetic bearing is obtained. Classical methods are used to obtain an analytical expression for the temperature distribution. Among our key findings are the need for cooling in the {\em immediate} neighborhood of the bearing support if the temperature rise in the bearing is to be kept to reasonable levels. The existence of relatively large temperature gradients present in the bearing in both the radial and circumferential directions demands the need for a fine mesh when performing the commonly used nodal-network thermal analysis. A peak temperature rise of about 50 K and larger in the bearing poles is possible under certain conditions. Attention to proper thermal design is critical to ensure adequate bearing performance and lifetime.