A motor is provided including a housing having single and integral motor
and bearing cooling inlets. The motor is arranged within the housing and
includes a stator and a rotor assembly supported on air bearings. The
cooling inlet is in fluid communication with the motor stator and with
the air bearings. The motor cooling inlet provides and the bearing
cooling inlet provides a uniform pressure on the rotor assembly. The
uniform pressures exerted on the rotor assembly produce bearing loads
that generally cancel one another. The source of the cooling flow is
uncompressed air at low pressure. This may be achieved by providing a
vent in the housing that is common to both the motor cooling inlet and
the bearing cooling inlet. As a result, journal bearings and seals of
substantially the same size may be used.