Frozen image analysis of a superconducting magnetic levitation system consisting of multi-surface superconductor and Halbach array permanent magnet configuration

Abstract

Levitation strength provided by high temperature superconductors are limited for device applications. Although superconducting material properties are continuously improving, there is still strong necessity of efficient design mechanisms for the superconducting magnetic levitation systems. Studies in the last decades have shown that combining multi-surface superconductor and permanent magnet components in optimum configurations has improved the levitation forces. In this respect, Halbach arraying permanent magnets interacting with multi-surface superconductors has become one of the most utilized methods. This paper investigates frozen image modeling of the levitation and guidance forces on a particular levitation system, which consists of a permanent magnet guideway and high temperature superconductor car body. The levitation enhancement is investigated for three configurations according to force interactions between the guideway and car body. These configurations are based on the use of single permanent magnet-single superconductor, Halbach array permanent magnets-single superconductor and Halbach array permanent magnets-multi-surface superconductors. The vertical and guidance forces for the present configurations were calculated in terms of field cooling and zero field cooling conditions by using frozen image model with magnetic dipole approximation. The predicted force calculations are analyzed in terms of vertical and lateral traverses of the car body respect to guideway for particular measurement distances. The force analysis provided by frozen image model qualitatively agree with the previously obtained experimental data.