Research on the sensitivity of magnetic levitation (MagLev) devices

Abstract

This paper studied the sensitivity of the magnetic levitation (MagLev) device and the improvement of its sensitivity by enlarging the distance between the two magnets. The sensitivity is defined as the ability of the device to distinguish the difference of density Δρs caused by the change of levitation Δzh. The improved device has a larger sensitivity in most areas between two magnets. The device also has an area where the sensitivity is much larger (204 mm cm3 g−1–305 mm cm3 g−1 in 2.0 M of MnCl2 aqueous solution, which is 1.67–2.50 times larger than the previous device). Based on its high sensitivity, the device’s applications of separation and non-destructive testing are assessed. The improved device was able to separate samples with similar densities, while the previous device could not completely distinguish them. Non-destructive testing was advantageous for assessing tiny interior defects. The high sensitivity was beneficial.