Levitation with switchable inductive element and associated systems, devices, and methods

• US 9,024,487 B1
• Filed: 11/20/2012
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eagle Eye Research
• Original Assignee: Eagle Eye Research
• Inventors: Reif, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lam, Thanh
• Application Number:
  US13/682,712
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 310/12.09, 310/12.11, 310/12.21, 310/12.22, 310/90.5, 318/135, 318/687, 335/209, 335/306, 335/205, 335/206
• US Class Current: 310/12.09
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 13/04 Magnetic suspension or levitation for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 15/00 Holding or levitation devices using magnetic attraction or repulsion, not otherwise provided for electric or magnetic devices for holding work on machine tools B23Q3/15 ; monorail vehicle propulsion or suspension B60L13/00; sliding or levitation devices for railway systems B61B13/08; material handling devices associated with conveyors incorporating devices with electrostatic or magnetic grippers B65G47/92; separating thin or filamentary articles from piles using magnetic force B65H3/16; delivering thin or filamentary articles from magnetic holders by air blast or suction B65H29/24; bearings using magnetic or electric supporting means F16C32/04; relieving bearing loads using magnetic means F16C39/06; magnets H01F7/00; dynamo-electric clutches or brakes H02K49/00 ; electric furnaces with simultaneous levitation and heating H05B6/32
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

Levitation devices and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. A system configured in accordance with a particular embodiment includes an array of magnetic elements that have differently oriented magnetic fields and an inductive component. The inductive component provides a levitation force by magnetic communication with the magnetic fields of the array of magnetic elements. The inductive component includes an array of inductive elements, with individual inductive elements having a looped circuit that provides the levitation force. The inductive component also includes one or more switch element that controls current flow in one or more of the looped circuits responsive to translational motion between the inductive component and the array of magnetic elements.

Claims

1. A magnetic levitation system, comprising:

an array of magnetic elements, with individual magnetic elements having differently oriented magnetic fields; and

an inductive component that provides a levitation force by magnetic communication with the magnetic fields of the array of magnetic elements, wherein the inductive component includes;

an array of inductive elements, wherein individual inductive elements include a looped circuit that provides a component of the levitation force; and

at least one switch element that controls current flow in one or more of the looped circuits responsive to translational motion between the inductive component and the array of magnetic elements.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one switch element controls current flow based on magnetic field communication with the differently oriented fields of the array of magnetic elements.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the at least one switch element further controls current flow based on the magnitude of the velocity of the translational motion.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising a controller operably coupled to the at least one switch element to control the switch element based on at least one of magnetic field communication with the differently oriented fields of the array of magnetic element and the magnitude of the velocity of the translational motion.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the translational motion between the inductive component and the magnetic array includes movement of the array of magnetic elements while the inductive component remains stationary.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the translational motion between the inductive component and the magnetic array includes movement of the inductive component while the array of magnetic elements remains stationary.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the individual magnetic elements include at least one of a permanent magnet, electromagnet, or a superconducting coil.

8. An apparatus that provides levitation, comprising:

an inductive element that receives a first magnetic force from an array of magnetic elements and provides a second magnetic force that repels the first magnetic force, wherein the array of magnetic elements includes a first magnetic element providing a first magnetic field and a second magnetic element providing a second magnetic field that is different than the first magnetic field; and

a switch element operably coupled to the inductive element, wherein the switch element regulates current in the inductive element based on the relative location of the inductive element with respect to the first and second magnetic elements.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein individual magnetic elements of the array of magnetic elements are arranged along a first elongated axis, and wherein the inductive element is one of an array of inductive elements having a second elongated axis that is generally parallel with the first elongated axis.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein further comprising an array of inductive elements including the inductive element and having a first axis and a second axis that is transverse to the first axis, wherein the array of inductive elements provides two-dimensional translational motion between the array of inductive elements and the array of magnetic elements.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the switch element comprises at least one of a magnetic switch and an inductive switch.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the switch element comprises an optical switch.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a controller operably coupled to the switch element, wherein the controller controls operation of the switch element based on a magnitude of translational motion between the inductive element and the array of magnetic elements.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the inductive element comprises an inductive coil.

15. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a charge storage component that stores energy produced by the inductive element.

16. A method for levitation, comprising:

receiving a first force from a first magnetic field and a second force from a second magnetic field different than the first magnetic field;

repelling at least one of the first and second forces with an inductive element in magnetic communication with at least one of the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field; and

controlling a current in the inductive element based on the relative location of the inductive element with respect to the first and second magnetic elements.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein controlling the current includes operating a gate that increases or decreases a magnitude of the current based on the relative location of the inductive element with respect to the first and second magnetic fields.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein controlling current includes closing a switch or opening the switch.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the inductive element is a first inductive element, and wherein the method further comprises providing an alignment force with a second inductive element that is coupled to the first inductive element and is positioned in a different plane than the first inductive element.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein repelling at least one of the first and second forces with the inductive element comprises producing a third magnetic force by controlling the current with a switch.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the third magnetic force comprises a levitation force.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the third magnetic force comprises and alignment force.

23. A levitation device, comprising:

a first inductive component that communicates with a magnetic field;

a second inductive component that communicates with the magnetic field; and

at least one switch operably coupled to the first inductive component and the second inductive component, wherein the switch regulates current flow in the first and second inductive components according to the relative locations of the magnetic field with respect to the first and second inductive components.

24. The device of claim 23 wherein the first inductive component is coupled to the second inductive component, and wherein:

the first inductive component is positioned within a first plane, wherein the first inductive component provides a levitation force; and

the second inductive component is positioned within a second plane that is different than the first plane of the first inductive element, and wherein the second inductive component provides an alignment force that is generally transvers to the levitation force.

25. The device of claim 23 wherein the first and second conductive components are operably coupled to the same switch of the one or more switches.

26. The device of claim 23 wherein the first and second conductive components are operably coupled to different switches of the one or more switches.

27. The device of claim 23 wherein the at least one switch includes at least one first switch and at least one second switch:

the first inductive component includes the first switch;

the second inductive component includes the second switch; and

the first and second switches operate without electrical communication with a controller.

28. The device of claim 23 wherein the switches are coupled to a controller that separately regulates the current flow in each of the first and second inductive components.