Magnetic levitation (maglev) or magnetic suspension is a method by which an object is
suspended with no support other than
magnetic field
A magnetic field is a vector field that describes the magnetic influence on moving electric charges, electric currents, and magnetic materials. A moving charge in a magnetic field experiences a force perpendicular to its own velocity and to ...
s.
Magnetic force
In physics (specifically in electromagnetism) the Lorentz force (or electromagnetic force) is the combination of electric and magnetic force on a point charge due to electromagnetic fields. A particle of charge moving with a velocity in an elect ...
is used to counteract the effects of the
gravitational force
In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the strong ...
and any other forces.
The two primary issues involved in magnetic levitation are ''lifting forces'': providing an upward force sufficient to counteract gravity, and ''stability'': ensuring that the system does not spontaneously slide or flip into a configuration where the lift is neutralized.
Magnetic levitation is used for
maglev
Maglev (derived from '' magnetic levitation''), is a system of train transportation that uses two sets of electromagnets: one set to repel and push the train up off the track, and another set to move the elevated train ahead, taking advantage ...
trains,
contactless melting,
magnetic bearing
A magnetic bearing is a type of bearing that supports a load using magnetic levitation. Magnetic bearings support moving parts without physical contact. For instance, they are able to levitate a rotating shaft and permit relative motion with ve ...
s and for product display purposes.
Lift
Magnetic materials and systems are able to attract or repel each other with a force dependent on the magnetic field and the area of the magnets. For example, the simplest example of lift would be a simple
dipole magnet
A dipole magnet is the simplest type of magnet. It has two poles, one north and one south. Its magnetic field lines form simple closed loops which emerge from the north pole, re-enter at the south pole, then pass through the body of the magnet. T ...
positioned in the magnetic fields of another dipole magnet, oriented with like poles facing each other, so that the
force between magnets Magnets exert forces and torques on each other due to the rules of electromagnetism. The forces of attraction field of magnets are due to microscopic currents of electrically charged electrons orbiting nuclei and the intrinsic magnetism of fundame ...
repels the two magnets.
Essentially all types of magnets have been used to generate lift for magnetic levitation;
permanent magnet
A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, steel, nickel, ...
s,
electromagnet
An electromagnet is a type of magnet in which the magnetic field is produced by an electric current. Electromagnets usually consist of wire wound into a coil. A current through the wire creates a magnetic field which is concentrated in the ...
s,
ferromagnetism
Ferromagnetism is a property of certain materials (such as iron) which results in a large observed magnetic permeability, and in many cases a large magnetic coercivity allowing the material to form a permanent magnet. Ferromagnetic materials ...
,
diamagnetism
Diamagnetic materials are repelled by a magnetic field; an applied magnetic field creates an induced magnetic field in them in the opposite direction, causing a repulsive force. In contrast, paramagnetic and ferromagnetic materials are attracted ...
,
superconducting magnet
A superconducting magnet is an electromagnet made from coils of superconducting wire. They must be cooled to cryogenic temperatures during operation. In its superconducting state the wire has no electrical resistance and therefore can conduct mu ...
s and magnetism due to induced currents in conductors.
To calculate the amount of lift, a
magnetic pressure
In physics, magnetic pressure is an energy density associated with a magnetic field. In SI units, the energy density P_B of a magnetic field with strength B can be expressed as
:P_B = \frac
where \mu_0 is the vacuum permeability.
Any magnetic fiel ...
can be defined.
For example, the magnetic pressure of a magnetic field on a
superconductor can be calculated by:
:
where
is the force per unit area in
pascals
The pascal (symbol: Pa) is the unit of pressure in the International System of Units (SI), and is also used to quantify internal pressure, stress, Young's modulus, and ultimate tensile strength. The unit, named after Blaise Pascal, is defined ...
,
is the
magnetic field
A magnetic field is a vector field that describes the magnetic influence on moving electric charges, electric currents, and magnetic materials. A moving charge in a magnetic field experiences a force perpendicular to its own velocity and to ...
just above the superconductor in
teslas, and
= 4π N·A
−2 is the
permeability of the vacuum.
Stability
Earnshaw's theorem proves that using only
paramagnetic materials (such as
ferromagnetic
Ferromagnetism is a property of certain materials (such as iron) which results in a large observed magnetic permeability, and in many cases a large magnetic coercivity allowing the material to form a permanent magnet. Ferromagnetic materials ...
iron) it is impossible for a static system to stably levitate against gravity.
For example, the simplest example of lift with two simple
dipole magnet
A dipole magnet is the simplest type of magnet. It has two poles, one north and one south. Its magnetic field lines form simple closed loops which emerge from the north pole, re-enter at the south pole, then pass through the body of the magnet. T ...
s repelling is highly unstable, since the top magnet can slide sideways, or flip over, and it turns out that no configuration of magnets can produce stability.
However,
servomechanism
In control engineering a servomechanism, usually shortened to servo, is an automatic device that uses error-sensing negative feedback to correct the action of a mechanism. On displacement-controlled applications, it usually includes a built-in ...
s, the use of
diamagnetic
Diamagnetic materials are repelled by a magnetic field; an applied magnetic field creates an induced magnetic field in them in the opposite direction, causing a repulsive force. In contrast, paramagnetic and ferromagnetic materials are attracted ...
materials,
superconduction
Superconductivity is a set of physical properties observed in certain materials where electrical resistance vanishes and magnetic flux fields are expelled from the material. Any material exhibiting these properties is a superconductor. Unlike ...
, or systems involving
eddy current
Eddy currents (also called Foucault's currents) are loops of electrical current induced within conductors by a changing magnetic field in the conductor according to Faraday's law of induction or by the relative motion of a conductor in a mag ...
s allow stability to be achieved.
In some cases the lifting force is provided by magnetic levitation, but stability is provided by a mechanical support bearing little load. This is termed
''pseudo-levitation''.
Static stability
Static stability means that any small displacement away from a stable equilibrium causes a net force to push it back to the equilibrium point.
Earnshaw's theorem proved conclusively that it is not possible to levitate stably using only static, macroscopic, paramagnetic fields. The forces acting on any paramagnetic object in any combinations of
gravitational
In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the strong ...
,
electrostatic
Electrostatics is a branch of physics that studies electric charges at rest (static electricity).
Since classical times, it has been known that some materials, such as amber, attract lightweight particles after rubbing. The Greek word for amber ...
, and
magnetostatic field
Magnetostatics is the study of magnetic fields in systems where the currents are steady (not changing with time). It is the magnetic analogue of electrostatics, where the charges are stationary. The magnetization need not be static; the equa ...
s will make the object's position, at best, unstable along at least one axis, and it can be in
unstable equilibrium In mathematics, in the theory of differential equations and dynamical systems, a particular stationary or quasistationary solution to a nonlinear system is called linearly unstable if the linearization of the equation at this solution has the form ...
along all axes. However, several possibilities exist to make levitation viable, for example, the use of electronic stabilization or
diamagnetic
Diamagnetic materials are repelled by a magnetic field; an applied magnetic field creates an induced magnetic field in them in the opposite direction, causing a repulsive force. In contrast, paramagnetic and ferromagnetic materials are attracted ...
materials (since
relative magnetic permeability
In electromagnetism, permeability is the measure of magnetization that a material obtains in response to an applied magnetic field. Permeability is typically represented by the (italicized) Greek letter ''μ''. The term was coined by Willi ...
is less than one); it can be shown that diamagnetic materials are stable along at least one axis, and can be stable along all axes. Conductors can have a relative permeability to alternating magnetic fields of below one, so some configurations using simple AC driven electromagnets are self stable.
Dynamic stability
Dynamic stability occurs when the levitation system is able to damp out any vibration-like motion that may occur.
Magnetic fields are
conservative force
In physics, a conservative force is a force with the property that the total work done in moving a particle between two points is independent of the path taken. Equivalently, if a particle travels in a closed loop, the total work done (the sum o ...
s and therefore in principle have no built-in damping, and in practice many of the levitation schemes are under-damped and in some cases negatively damped. This can permit vibration modes to exist that can cause the item to leave the stable region.
Damping of motion is done in a number of ways:
* external mechanical damping (in the support), such as
dashpot
A dashpot, also known as a damper, is a mechanical device that resists motion via viscous friction. The resulting force is proportional to the velocity, but acts in the opposite direction, slowing the motion and absorbing energy. It is commonly us ...
s,
air drag
In fluid dynamics, drag (sometimes called air resistance, a type of friction, or fluid resistance, another type of friction or fluid friction) is a force acting opposite to the relative motion of any object moving with respect to a surrounding ...
etc.
* eddy current damping (conductive metal influenced by field)
*
tuned mass damper
A tuned mass damper (TMD), also known as a harmonic absorber or seismic damper, is a device mounted in structures to reduce mechanical vibrations, consisting of a mass mounted on one or more damped springs. Its oscillation frequency is tuned ...
s in the levitated object
* electromagnets controlled by electronics
Methods
For successful levitation and control of all 6 axes (degrees of freedom; 3 translational and 3 rotational) a combination of permanent magnets and electromagnets or diamagnets or superconductors as well as attractive and repulsive fields can be used. From Earnshaw's theorem at least one stable axis must be present for the system to levitate successfully, but the other axes can be stabilized using ferromagnetism.
The primary ones used in
maglev trains are servo-stabilized electromagnetic suspension (EMS), electrodynamic suspension (EDS).
Mechanical constraint (pseudo-levitation)
With a small amount of mechanical constraint for stability, achieving pseudo-levitation is a relatively straightforward process.
If two
magnet
A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, steel, nickel, ...
s are mechanically constrained along a single axis, for example, and arranged to repel each other strongly, this will act to levitate one of the magnets above the other.
Another geometry is where the magnets are attracted, but prevented from touching by a tensile member, such as a string or cable.
Another example is the
Zippe-type centrifuge
The Zippe-type centrifuge is a gas centrifuge designed to enrich the rare fissile isotope uranium-235 (235U) from the mixture of isotopes found in naturally occurring uranium compounds. The isotopic separation is based on the slight difference in ...
where a cylinder is suspended under an attractive magnet, and stabilized by a needle bearing from below.
Another configuration consists of an array of permanent magnets installed in a ferromagnetic U-shaped profile and coupled with a ferromagnetic rail. The magnetic flux crosses the rail in a direction transversal to the first axis and creates a closed-loop on the U-shaped profile. This configuration generates a stable equilibrium along the first axis that maintains the rail centered on the flux crossing point (minimum magnetic reluctance) and allows to bear a load magnetically. On the other axis, the system is constrained and centered by mechanical means, such as wheels.
Servomechanisms
The attraction from a fixed strength magnet decreases with increased distance, and increases at closer distances. This is unstable. For a stable system, the opposite is needed, variations from a stable position should push it back to the target position.
Stable magnetic levitation can be achieved by measuring the position and
speed
In everyday use and in kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude of the change of its position over time or the magnitude of the change of its position per unit of time; it is thus a scalar quanti ...
of the object being levitated, and using a
feedback loop
Feedback occurs when outputs of a system are routed back as inputs as part of a chain of cause-and-effect that forms a circuit or loop. The system can then be said to ''feed back'' into itself. The notion of cause-and-effect has to be handled c ...
which continuously adjusts one or more electromagnets to correct the object's motion, thus forming a
servomechanism
In control engineering a servomechanism, usually shortened to servo, is an automatic device that uses error-sensing negative feedback to correct the action of a mechanism. On displacement-controlled applications, it usually includes a built-in ...
.
Many systems use magnetic attraction pulling upwards against gravity for these kinds of systems as this gives some inherent lateral stability, but some use a combination of magnetic attraction and magnetic repulsion to push upwards.
Either system represents examples of ElectroMagnetic Suspension (EMS). For a very simple example, some tabletop levitation demonstrations use this principle, and the object cuts a beam of light or Hall effect sensor method is used to measure the position of the object. The electromagnet is above the object being levitated; the electromagnet is turned off whenever the object gets too close, and turned back on when it falls further away. Such a simple system is not very robust; far more effective control systems exist, but this illustrates the basic idea.
EMS
magnetic levitation trains are based on this kind of levitation: The train wraps around the track, and is pulled upwards from below. The
servo
Servo may refer to:
Mechanisms
* Servomechanism, or servo, a device used to provide control of a desired operation through the use of feedback
** AI servo, an autofocus mode
** Electrohydraulic servo valve, an electrically operated valve that c ...
controls keep it safely at a constant distance from the track.
Induced currents
These schemes work due to repulsion due to
Lenz's law
Lenz's law states that the direction of the electric current induced in a conductor by a changing magnetic field is such that the magnetic field created by the induced current opposes changes in the initial magnetic field. It is named after p ...
. When a conductor is presented with a time-varying magnetic field electrical currents in the conductor are set up which create a magnetic field that causes a repulsive effect.
These kinds of systems typically show an inherent stability, although extra damping is sometimes required.
Relative motion between conductors and magnets
If one moves a base made of a very good electrical conductor such as
copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...
,
aluminium
Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...
or
silver
Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
close to a magnet, an (
eddy
Eddie or Eddy may refer to:
Science and technology
*Eddy (fluid dynamics), the swirling of a fluid and the reverse current created when the fluid flows past an obstacle
* Eddie (text editor), a text editor originally for BeOS and now ported to Lin ...
) current will be induced in the conductor that will oppose the changes in the field and create an opposite field that will repel the magnet (
Lenz's law
Lenz's law states that the direction of the electric current induced in a conductor by a changing magnetic field is such that the magnetic field created by the induced current opposes changes in the initial magnetic field. It is named after p ...
). At a sufficiently high rate of movement, a suspended magnet will levitate on the metal, or vice versa with suspended metal.
Litz wire
Litz wire is a particular type of multistrand wire or cable used in electronics to carry alternating current (AC) at radio frequencies. The wire is designed to reduce the skin effect and proximity effect losses in conductors used at frequencies ...
made of wire thinner than the
skin depth
Skin effect is the tendency of an alternating electric current (AC) to become distributed within a conductor such that the current density is largest near the surface of the conductor and decreases exponentially with greater depths in the con ...
for the frequencies seen by the metal works much more efficiently than solid conductors. Figure 8 coils can be used to keep something aligned.
[
An especially technologically interesting case of this comes when one uses a ]Halbach array
A Halbach array is a special arrangement of permanent magnets that augments the magnetic field on one side of the array while cancelling the field to near zero on the other side. This is achieved by having a spatially rotating pattern of magn ...
instead of a single pole permanent magnet, as this almost doubles the field strength, which in turn almost doubles the strength of the eddy currents. The net effect is to more than triple the lift force. Using two opposed Halbach arrays increases the field even further.
Halbach arrays are also well-suited to magnetic levitation and stabilisation of gyroscope
A gyroscope (from Ancient Greek γῦρος ''gŷros'', "round" and σκοπέω ''skopéō'', "to look") is a device used for measuring or maintaining orientation and angular velocity. It is a spinning wheel or disc in which the axis of rota ...
s and electric motor
An electric motor is an Electric machine, electrical machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most electric motors operate through the interaction between the motor's magnetic field and electric current in a Electromagneti ...
and generator
Generator may refer to:
* Signal generator, electronic devices that generate repeating or non-repeating electronic signals
* Electric generator, a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy.
* Generator (circuit theory), an eleme ...
spindles.
Oscillating electromagnetic fields
A conductor can be levitated above an electromagnet (or vice versa) with an alternating current
Alternating current (AC) is an electric current which periodically reverses direction and changes its magnitude continuously with time in contrast to direct current (DC) which flows only in one direction. Alternating current is the form in whic ...
flowing through it. This causes any regular conductor to behave like a diamagnet, due to the eddy current
Eddy currents (also called Foucault's currents) are loops of electrical current induced within conductors by a changing magnetic field in the conductor according to Faraday's law of induction or by the relative motion of a conductor in a mag ...
s generated in the conductor. Since the eddy currents create their own fields which oppose the magnetic field, the conductive object is repelled from the electromagnet, and most of the field lines of the magnetic field will no longer penetrate the conductive object.
This effect requires non-ferromagnetic but highly conductive materials like aluminium or copper, as the ferromagnetic ones are also strongly attracted to the electromagnet (although at high frequencies the field can still be expelled) and tend to have a higher resistivity giving lower eddy currents. Again, litz wire gives the best results.
The effect can be used for stunts such as levitating a telephone book by concealing an aluminium plate within it.
At high frequencies (a few tens of kilohertz or so) and kilowatt powers small quantities of metals can be levitated and melted using levitation melting
Electrodynamic suspension (EDS) is a form of magnetic levitation in which there are conductors which are exposed to time-varying magnetic fields. This induces eddy currents in the conductors that creates a repulsive magnetic field which holds the t ...
without the risk of the metal being contaminated by the crucible.
One source of oscillating magnetic field that is used is the linear induction motor
A linear induction motor (LIM) is an alternating current (AC), asynchronous linear motor that works by the same general principles as other induction motors but is typically designed to directly produce motion in a straight line. Characteristic ...
. This can be used to levitate as well as provide propulsion.
Diamagnetically stabilized levitation
Earnshaw's theorem does not apply to diamagnets. These behave in the opposite manner to normal magnets owing to their relative permeability of (i.e. negative magnetic susceptibility
In electromagnetism, the magnetic susceptibility (Latin: , "receptive"; denoted ) is a measure of how much a material will become magnetized in an applied magnetic field. It is the ratio of magnetization (magnetic moment per unit volume) to the ap ...
). Diamagnetic levitation can be inherently stable.
A permanent magnet can be stably suspended by various configurations of strong permanent magnets and strong diamagnets. When using superconducting magnets, the levitation of a permanent magnet can even be stabilized by the small diamagnetism of water in human fingers.
Diamagnetic levitation
Diamagnetism is the property of an object which causes it to create a magnetic field in opposition to an externally applied magnetic field, thus causing the material to be repelled by magnetic fields. Diamagnetic materials cause lines of magnetic flux
In physics, specifically electromagnetism, the magnetic flux through a surface is the surface integral of the normal component of the magnetic field B over that surface. It is usually denoted or . The SI unit of magnetic flux is the weber ( ...
to curve away from the material. Specifically, an external magnetic field alters the orbital velocity of electrons around their nuclei, thus changing the magnetic dipole moment.
According to Lenz's law, this opposes the external field. Diamagnets are materials with a magnetic permeability less than μ0 (a relative permeability less than 1). Consequently, diamagnetism is a form of magnetism that is only exhibited by a substance in the presence of an externally applied magnetic field. It is generally quite a weak effect in most materials, although superconductors exhibit a strong effect.
Direct diamagnetic levitation
A substance that is diamagnetic
Diamagnetic materials are repelled by a magnetic field; an applied magnetic field creates an induced magnetic field in them in the opposite direction, causing a repulsive force. In contrast, paramagnetic and ferromagnetic materials are attracted ...
repels a magnetic field. All materials have diamagnetic properties, but the effect is very weak, and is usually overcome by the object's paramagnetic
Paramagnetism is a form of magnetism whereby some materials are weakly attracted by an externally applied magnetic field, and form internal, induced magnetic fields in the direction of the applied magnetic field. In contrast with this behavior, d ...
or ferromagnetic
Ferromagnetism is a property of certain materials (such as iron) which results in a large observed magnetic permeability, and in many cases a large magnetic coercivity allowing the material to form a permanent magnet. Ferromagnetic materials ...
properties, which act in the opposite manner. Any material in which the diamagnetic component is stronger will be repelled by a magnet.
Diamagnetic levitation can be used to levitate very light pieces of pyrolytic graphite
Pyrolytic carbon is a material similar to graphite, but with some covalent bonding between its graphene sheets as a result of imperfections in its production.
Pyrolytic carbon is man-made and is thought not to be found in nature.Ratner, Buddy D. ...
or bismuth
Bismuth is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Bi and atomic number 83. It is a post-transition metal and one of the pnictogens, with chemical properties resembling its lighter group 15 siblings arsenic and antimony. Elemental ...
above a moderately strong permanent magnet. As water
Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a ...
is predominantly diamagnetic, this technique has been used to levitate water droplets and even live animals, such as a grasshopper, frog and a mouse.["The Frog That Learned to Fly"]
Radboud University Nijmegen
Radboud University (abbreviated as RU, nl, Radboud Universiteit , formerly ''Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen'') is a public research university located in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The university bears the name of Saint Radboud, a 9th century D ...
. Retrieved 19 October 2010. For Geim's account of diamagnetic levitation, see Geim, Andrey. . ''Physics Today
''Physics Today'' is the membership magazine of the American Institute of Physics. First published in May 1948, it is issued on a monthly schedule, and is provided to the members of ten physics societies, including the American Physical Society. I ...
''. September 1998. pp. 36–39. Retrieved 19 October 2010. For the experiment with Berry, see Berry, M. V.; Geim, Andre. (1997). . ''European Journal of Physics
The ''European Journal of Physics'' is a peer-reviewed, scientific journal dedicated to maintaining and improving the standard of physics education in higher education. The journal, published since 1980, is now published by IOP Publishing on beha ...
'' 18: 307–313. Retrieved 19 October 2010. However, the magnetic fields required for this are very high, typically in the range of 16 teslas, and therefore create significant problems if ferromagnetic
Ferromagnetism is a property of certain materials (such as iron) which results in a large observed magnetic permeability, and in many cases a large magnetic coercivity allowing the material to form a permanent magnet. Ferromagnetic materials ...
materials are nearby. Operation of this electromagnet used in the frog levitation experiment required 4 MW (4000000 watts) of power.
The minimum criterion for diamagnetic levitation is , where:
* is the magnetic susceptibility
In electromagnetism, the magnetic susceptibility (Latin: , "receptive"; denoted ) is a measure of how much a material will become magnetized in an applied magnetic field. It is the ratio of magnetization (magnetic moment per unit volume) to the ap ...
* is the density
Density (volumetric mass density or specific mass) is the substance's mass per unit of volume. The symbol most often used for density is ''ρ'' (the lower case Greek letter rho), although the Latin letter ''D'' can also be used. Mathematical ...
of the material
* is the local gravitational acceleration
In physics, gravitational acceleration is the acceleration of an object in free fall within a vacuum (and thus without experiencing drag). This is the steady gain in speed caused exclusively by the force of gravitational attraction. All bodies ...
(−9.8 m/ s2 on Earth)
* is the permeability of free space
The vacuum magnetic permeability (variously ''vacuum permeability'', ''permeability of free space'', ''permeability of vacuum''), also known as the magnetic constant, is the magnetic permeability in a classical vacuum. It is a physical constan ...
* is the magnetic field
A magnetic field is a vector field that describes the magnetic influence on moving electric charges, electric currents, and magnetic materials. A moving charge in a magnetic field experiences a force perpendicular to its own velocity and to ...
* is the rate of change of the magnetic field along the vertical axis.
Assuming ideal conditions along the ''z''-direction of solenoid magnet:
* Water
Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a ...
levitates at
* Graphite
Graphite () is a crystalline form of the element carbon. It consists of stacked layers of graphene. Graphite occurs naturally and is the most stable form of carbon under standard conditions. Synthetic and natural graphite are consumed on large ...
levitates at
Superconductors
Superconductors
Superconductivity is a set of physical properties observed in certain materials where electrical resistance vanishes and magnetic flux fields are expelled from the material. Any material exhibiting these properties is a superconductor. Unlike ...
may be considered perfect diamagnets, and completely expel magnetic fields due to the Meissner effect
The Meissner effect (or Meissner–Ochsenfeld effect) is the expulsion of a magnetic field from a superconductor during its transition to the superconducting state when it is cooled below the critical temperature. This expulsion will repel a n ...
when the superconductivity initially forms; thus superconducting levitation can be considered a particular instance of diamagnetic levitation. In a type-II superconductor, the levitation of the magnet is further stabilized due to flux pinning
Flux pinning is a phenomenon that occurs when flux vortices in a type-II superconductor are prevented from moving within the bulk of the superconductor, so that the magnetic field lines are "pinned" to those locations. The superconductor must be a ...
within the superconductor; this tends to stop the superconductor from moving with respect to the magnetic field, even if the levitated system is inverted.
These principles are exploited by EDS (Electrodynamic Suspension), superconducting bearings, flywheel
A flywheel is a mechanical device which uses the conservation of angular momentum to store rotational energy; a form of kinetic energy proportional to the product of its moment of inertia and the square of its rotational speed. In particular, ass ...
s, etc.
A very strong magnetic field is required to levitate a train. The JR–Maglev
The SCMaglev (superconducting maglev, formerly called the MLU) is a magnetic levitation (maglev) railway system developed by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) and the Railway Technical Research Institute.
On 21 April 2015, a manned sev ...
trains have superconducting magnetic coils, but the JR–Maglev levitation is not due to the Meissner effect.
Rotational stabilization
A magnet or properly assembled array of magnets can be stably levitated against gravity when gyroscopically stabilized by spinning it in a toroidal field created by a base ring of magnet(s). However, this only works while the rate of precession
Precession is a change in the orientation of the rotational axis of a rotating body. In an appropriate reference frame it can be defined as a change in the first Euler angle, whereas the third Euler angle defines the rotation itself. In othe ...
is between both upper and lower critical thresholds—the region of stability is quite narrow both spatially and in the required rate of precession.
The first discovery of this phenomenon was by Roy M. Harrigan, a Vermont
Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
inventor who patented a levitation device in 1983 based upon it. Several devices using rotational stabilization (such as the popular '' Levitron'' branded levitating top toy) have been developed citing this patent. Non-commercial devices have been created for university research laboratories, generally using magnets too powerful for safe public interaction.
Strong focusing
Earnshaw's theory strictly only applies to static fields. Alternating magnetic fields, even purely alternating attractive fields, can induce stability and confine a trajectory through a magnetic field to give a levitation effect.
This is used in particle accelerators to confine and lift charged particles, and has been proposed for maglev trains as well.
Uses
Known uses of magnetic levitation include maglev
Maglev (derived from '' magnetic levitation''), is a system of train transportation that uses two sets of electromagnets: one set to repel and push the train up off the track, and another set to move the elevated train ahead, taking advantage ...
trains, contactless melting, magnetic bearing
A magnetic bearing is a type of bearing that supports a load using magnetic levitation. Magnetic bearings support moving parts without physical contact. For instance, they are able to levitate a rotating shaft and permit relative motion with ve ...
s and for product display purposes. Moreover, recently magnetic levitation has been approached in the field of microrobotics
Microbotics (or microrobotics) is the field of miniature robotics, in particular mobile robots with characteristic dimensions less than 1 mm. The term can also be used for robots capable of handling micrometer size components.
History
Microb ...
.
Maglev transportation
Maglev, or magnetic levitation, is a system of transportation that suspends, guides and propels vehicles, predominantly trains, using magnetic levitation from a very large number of magnets for lift and propulsion. This method has the potential to be faster, quieter and smoother than wheeled mass transit
Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...
systems. The technology has the potential to exceed 6,400 km/h (4,000 mi/h) if deployed in an evacuated tunnel. If not deployed in an evacuated tube the power needed for levitation is usually not a particularly large percentage and most of the power needed is used to overcome air drag, as with any other high speed train.
Some maglev Hyperloop
A hyperloop is a proposed high-speed transportion system for both public and goods transport. The idea was picked up by Elon Musk to describe a modern project based on the vactrain concept (first appearance in 1799). Hyperloop systems compris ...
prototype vehicles are being developed as part of the Hyperloop pod competition
The Hyperloop Pod Competition was an annual competition sponsored by SpaceX from 2015 to 2019 in which a number of student and non-student teams participate to design—and for some, build—a scale model, subscale prototype transport vehicle in ...
in 2015–2016, and are expected to make initial test runs in an evacuated tube later in 2016.[
]
The highest recorded speed of a maglev train is 603 kilometers per hour (374.69 mph), achieved in Japan on 21 April 2015; 28.2 km/h faster than the conventional TGV
The TGV (french: Train à Grande Vitesse, "high-speed train"; previously french: TurboTrain à Grande Vitesse, label=none) is France's intercity high-speed rail service, operated by SNCF. SNCF worked on a high-speed rail network from 1966 to 19 ...
speed record. Maglev trains exist and are planned across the world. Notable projects in Asia include Central Japan Railway Company's superconducting maglev train and Shanghai's maglev train, the oldest commercial maglev still in operation. Elsewhere, various projects have been considered across Europe and Northeast Maglev aims to overhaul North America's Northeast Corridor with JR Central's SCMaglev technology.
Magnetic bearings
*Magnetic bearings
*Flywheels
*Centrifuges
*Magnetic ring spinning
Levitation melting
Electromagnetic levitation (EML), patented by Muck in 1923, is one of the oldest levitation techniques used for containerless experiments. The technique enables the levitation of an object using electromagnet
An electromagnet is a type of magnet in which the magnetic field is produced by an electric current. Electromagnets usually consist of wire wound into a coil. A current through the wire creates a magnetic field which is concentrated in the ...
s. A typical EML coil has reversed winding of upper and lower sections energized by a radio frequency power supply.
Microrobotics
In the field of microrobotics
Microbotics (or microrobotics) is the field of miniature robotics, in particular mobile robots with characteristic dimensions less than 1 mm. The term can also be used for robots capable of handling micrometer size components.
History
Microb ...
, strategies which exploit magnetic levitation have been investigated. In particular, it has been demonstrated that through such a technique, control of multiple microscale-sized agents within a defined workspace can be achieved. Several research studies report the realization of different custom setups to properly obtain the desired control of microrobots. In Philips laboratories in Hamburg a custom clinical scale system, integrating both permanent magnet
A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, steel, nickel, ...
s and electromagnet
An electromagnet is a type of magnet in which the magnetic field is produced by an electric current. Electromagnets usually consist of wire wound into a coil. A current through the wire creates a magnetic field which is concentrated in the ...
s, was used to perform magnetic levitation and 3D navigation of a single magnetic object. Another research group integrated a higher number of electromagnets, thus more magnetic degrees of freedom, to achieve 3D independent control of multiple objects through magnetic levitation.
DM3 System
Microrobot involving magnetic levitation has been studied by SRI International (Stanford Research Institute) for many years. This small-scale multi-agent robotic system is called the Diamagnetic Micro Manipulation or the DM3 system. The DM3 contains a microrobot built with magnets that levitate and move on the surface of a PCB driving platform. The microrobot in this system was built with an array of NdFeB magnets shown in figur
The dimension of magnets varies between different versions, while typically in the range of 1.4-2mm square shape with a lower height. The poles of magnets were positioned as a checkerboard array to fit the magnetic field generated by the PCB platform. The robot can be built in different size depending on the size of the array. Prototypes tested in SRI papers are mainly 2*2, 3*3, and 5*5 squares.
The driving platform PCB was built with multiple layers of wire traces like a voice coil actuation. Shown in figur
there are four layers of wires in the PCB board which represents two sets placed perpendicular to each other that stand for X and Y direction movement. From top to bottom, the order comes in XYXY that cross each other evenly and same axis were interlaced to control actuation. Since the force created by every layer must be the same on the circuit, deeper layers need higher current to transmit the same magnetic force to the robots on top. Set of currents with 0.25A, 0.33A, 0.5A, and 0.7A were used at SRI. One square of the above 4-layer system acts as a zone on the driving platform. This enables the circuit to control multiple robots in the same zone easily, but each robot cannot move separately. However, the platform can be divided into multiple zones which enable the separate control of robots in different zones.
Finally, a thin layer of pyrolytic graphite (500um) acts as diamagnetic layer, placed on the top to provide stable levitation. Thin copper (15um) placed above the graphite was used in earlier versions of the system for eddy current damping.
= 2D Movement
=
The basic system for 1DOF movement consists of two serpentine traces, individually actuated. Figure shows the schematic of the trace paths and a 3x3 magnet microrobot on top. On position number 1, the magnets are in their equilibrium position where the magnetic flux density is the highest, in between two opposite currents from the same trace path.
On moving from 1 to 2, the first trace path is turned off while the second is turned on. This causes the magnets to move to their new equilibrium, towards the higher magnetic flux density.
Repeating this procedure with opposite currents on the same trace paths, a movement in the desired direction is produced.
To find the velocity, the forces on the microrobot must be analyzed (fig
. The microrobot is supposed to levitate and so no friction forced is produced, other than the air drag which is also not considered.
The force produced by the interaction of the magnetic moments of the microrobot and the flux density of the serpentine traces is:
The magnetic moment vector, given the orientation requirement for the diamagnetic levitation, is:
Meanwhile, the contribution to the B field by the 2 closest traces is:
Since for this approximation is not dependent on y or z, their derivatives are zero and only force in the x direction is produced:
This is the only force applied on the magnet, and it can be equated to the robot's mass multiplied by its acceleration. This equation can be integrated to find the velocity of the microrobot:
Introducing the relation between magnet volume, mass, and density in the previous equation cancels out the mass, which means that if more magnets are added (N number of magnets), force will increase linearly:
This is the expression for the robot speed as a function of the current.
For a second DOF, more traces must be added. Two more intertwined serpentine traces must be added below the existing ones, rotated 90 degrees, to generate forces in the Y direction. Intensity on these traces will have to be higher to account for the higher distance.
= Levitation
=
Diamagnetically levitated milli- and micro-robots can be controlled and moved with near-zero noise in their force, and they can be made intrinsically stable. In this way there is highly optimized control that uses zone or area control.
Diamagnetic levitation can produce two effects on a micro robot. The first is reducing the sliding friction and the second is fully levitating the micro robot. The fully levitation system will be the focus. To produce passive levitation a diamagnetic layer (such as graphite) must exist in the presence of a ferromagnet (such as NdFeB). Diamagnetic materials are characterized by having negative susceptibility, induced magnetic moment opposite to the external magnetic field. For that reason, they are repelled by an external magnetic field and tend to move towards the field minimum. This repulsive force is a result of the diamagnets having a magnetization direction antiparallel to the external magnetic fields.
The magnetizations of diamagnetic materials vary with an applied magnetic field which can be given as:
Where is the magnetic field strength and is the dimensionless susceptibility. For an object with volume , the induced magnetic moment m can be given by:
The magnetic force acting on the object is there for described as:
If the object has density and is levitating in a medium with density and magnetic susceptibility the total energy of the object, with a magnetic and gravitational term, is:
Such that the resulting force becomes:
The necessary condition for stability is:
To calculate the whole diamagnetic force acting on the levitated materials, each single dipole of the diamagnetic material must be considered. The diamagnetic force for the entire volume can be expressed as:
The diamagnetic repulsion force is proportional to the magnetic susceptibility of diamagnetic materials. To counteract gravity in the magnetic field, materials with strong diamagnetism and lightweight properties are preferred.
Historical beliefs
Legends of magnetic levitation were common in ancient and medieval times, and their spread from the Roman world to the Middle East and later to India has been documented by the classical scholar Dunstan Lowe. The earliest known source is Pliny the Elder (first century AD), who described architectural plans for an iron statue that was to be suspended by lodestone from the vault of a temple in Alexandria. Many subsequent reports described levitating statues, relics or other objects of symbolic importance, and versions of the legend have appeared in diverse religious traditions, including Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism. In some cases they were interpreted as divine miracles, while in others they were described as natural phenomena falsely purported to be miraculous; one example of the latter comes from St Augustine, who refers to a magnetically suspended statue in his book The City of God (c. 410 AD). Another common feature of these legends, according to Lowe, is an explanation of the object's disappearance, often involving its destruction by non-believers in acts of impiety. Although the phenomenon itself is now understood to be physically impossible, as was first recognized by Samuel Earnshaw in 1842, stories of magnetic levitation have persisted to modern times, one prominent example being the legend of the suspended monument in the Konark Sun Temple in Eastern India.
History
*1839 Earnshaw's theorem showed electrostatic levitation cannot be stable; later theorem was extended to magnetostatic levitation by others
*1913 Emile Bachelet awarded a patent in March 1912 for his "levitating transmitting apparatus" (patent no. 1,020,942) for electromagnetic suspension system
*1933 Superdiamagnetism Walther Meissner and Robert Ochsenfeld (the Meissner effect
The Meissner effect (or Meissner–Ochsenfeld effect) is the expulsion of a magnetic field from a superconductor during its transition to the superconducting state when it is cooled below the critical temperature. This expulsion will repel a n ...
)
*1934 Hermann Kemper "monorail vehicle with no wheels attached." Reich Patent number 643316
*1939 Werner Braunbeck, Braunbeck's extension showed that magnetic levitation is possible with diamagnetic materials
*1939 Bedford, Peer, and Tonks aluminum plate placed on two concentric cylindrical coils shows 6-axis stable levitation.
*1961 James R. Powell (physicist), James R. Powell and BNL colleague Gordon Danby electrodynamic levitation using superconducting magnets and "Null flux" figure 8 coils
*1970s Spin stabilized magnetic levitation Roy M. Harrigan
*1974 Magnetic river Eric Laithwaite and others
*1979 transrapid train carried passengers
*1981 First single-tether magnetic levitation system exhibited publicly (Tom Shannon (artist), Tom Shannon, Compass of Love, collection Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris)
*1984 Low speed maglev shuttle in Birmingham Eric Laithwaite and others
*1997 Diamagnetically levitated live frog Andre Geim[
*1999 Inductrack permanent magnet electrodynamic levitation (General Atomics)
*2000 The first man-loading HTS maglev test vehicle "Century" in the world was successfully developed in China.
*2005 homopolar electrodynamic bearing"Design and Analysis of a Novel Low Loss Homopolar Electrodynamic Bearing."]
Lembke, Torbjörn. PhD Thesis. Stockholm: Universitetsservice US AB, 2005. Print.
See also
* Acoustic levitation
* Aerodynamic levitation
* Electrostatic levitation
* Optical tweezers#Optical levitation, Optical levitation
* Cyclotrons levitate and circulate charged particles in a magnetic field
* Inductrack a particular system based on Halbach arrays and inductive track loops
* Launch loop
* Levitron
* Linear motor
* Magnetic bearing
* Magnetic ring spinning
* Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line
* Linear motor#Rapid transits using linear motor propulsion, Rapid transits using linear motor propulsion
* StarTram is an extreme proposal for levitation via superconductors over multiple kilometers of distance
* Zippe-type centrifuge
The Zippe-type centrifuge is a gas centrifuge designed to enrich the rare fissile isotope uranium-235 (235U) from the mixture of isotopes found in naturally occurring uranium compounds. The isotopic separation is based on the slight difference in ...
uses magnetic lift and a mechanical needle for stability
References
External links
Maglev Trains
Audio slideshow from the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory discusses magnetic levitation, the Meissner Effect, magnetic flux trapping and superconductivity
Magnetic Levitation – Science is Fun
Magnetic (superconducting) levitation experiment (YouTube)
Superconducting Levitation Demos
Maglev video gallery
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20041013200536/http://www.hfml.sci.kun.nl/levitation-movies.html Videos of diamagnetically levitated objects, including frogs and grasshoppers]
Larry Spring's Mendocino Brushless Magnetic Levitation Solar Motor
A Classroom Demonstration of Levitation...
25kg MAGLEV suspension setup
25kg MAGLEV suspension control via Classical control strategy
25kg MAGLEV suspension via State feedback control strategy
Frogs levitate in a strong enough magnetic field
Example of Mechanical Constraint Levitation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Magnetic Levitation
Magnetic levitation,
Magnetism
Articles containing video clips