High force magnetic levitation using magnetized superconducting bulks as a field source for bearing applications

The ability of high temperature superconducting bulks to trap magnetic fields of several tesla allows them to generate very high levitation force. This paper reports the development of a bulk-bulk superconducting rotary bearing design which uses superconducting bulks on both the rotor and the stator. An evaluation is made of the effectiveness of pulsed fields for magnetizing bulks. Modeling of the bulks using the perfectly trapped flux model is also reported to assess the limits of the bearing design. The results demonstrate the feasibility of a (RE) BCO-MgB2 bulk bearing capable of force densities of the order of 100N/cm(2). The design and construction of a unique system capable of magnetizing a 25 mm (RE) BCO bulk and measuring levitation force between this bulk and a coaxial MgB2 hollow cylinder is outlined. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier B. V. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of the Guest Editors.