Levitation system with permanent magnets and coils
DCFirst Claim
1. A levitating system comprising a levitating device positioned on one side of a separating plane for maintaining a levitated element at a substantially stable position on the side of said separating plane remote from said one side and wherein said levitated element includes magnetic means defining a magnetic region, and said levitating device comprises a static magnetic means producing a preselected static magnetic field configuration such that said levitated element is levitated by said magnetic field configuration interacting with said magnetic region to cause magnetic potential energy of said interaction to increase for substantially all displacements of said levitated element from said stable position in directions parallel to a preselected stability plane and said magnetic potential energy to decrease for any displacement of said levitated element from said stable position in a direction perpendicular to said stability plane, a sensor means generating a signal dependent on displacement of said levitated element in said direction perpendicular to said stability plane, a non contacting controllable force means and a feedback control means, said feedback control means receiving said signal from said sensor means and controlling said controllable force means to stabilize said levitated element against displacement from said stable position in said direction perpendicular to said stability plane.
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Abstract
A levitation system for levitating a levitated magnetic element in a stable suspended position on one side of a separating plane using a magnetic arrangement on the opposite side of the separating plane. The magnetic arrangement provides a preselected static magnetic field configuration that interacts with a magnet in the levitated element so that the magnetic potential energy of this interaction increases for displacements of the element from its stable position in directions parallel to a stability plane and decreases for displacements of the element from the stable position perpendicular to the stability plane. Any movement perpendicular to the stability plane is sensed and used by a feedback control system to control a force applied to the levitated element to stabilize the element against displacement from the stable position in directions perpendicular to the stability plane.
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Citations
29 Claims
- 1. A levitating system comprising a levitating device positioned on one side of a separating plane for maintaining a levitated element at a substantially stable position on the side of said separating plane remote from said one side and wherein said levitated element includes magnetic means defining a magnetic region, and said levitating device comprises a static magnetic means producing a preselected static magnetic field configuration such that said levitated element is levitated by said magnetic field configuration interacting with said magnetic region to cause magnetic potential energy of said interaction to increase for substantially all displacements of said levitated element from said stable position in directions parallel to a preselected stability plane and said magnetic potential energy to decrease for any displacement of said levitated element from said stable position in a direction perpendicular to said stability plane, a sensor means generating a signal dependent on displacement of said levitated element in said direction perpendicular to said stability plane, a non contacting controllable force means and a feedback control means, said feedback control means receiving said signal from said sensor means and controlling said controllable force means to stabilize said levitated element against displacement from said stable position in said direction perpendicular to said stability plane.
Specification