Mechanics of superconducting magnetic bearings

Levitation forces and lateral forces in relation to the gaps in superconducting bearings were measured using a beam-and-camera system. Dynamic magnetic stiffness derived from vibration tests were compared to static magnetic stiffness. The relaxation of magnetic forces as a function of time was measured as well. The behavior of levitation forces at temperatures from 4.2 K to 77 K were studied. A rotor equipped with two superconducting bearings was fabricated and was spun up to 120,000 RPM. The drag torques acting on the rotor were measured at both atmospheric pressure and at a partial vacuum of a few mm Hg. Many high-temperature superconductors of different compositions fabricated through different processing techniques were investigated by measuring the magnetic force-gap relationships. The data indicated that YBa2Cu3O7 specimens made of melt-quench process produced the largest magnetic forces obtained in the laboratory so far. Models predicting the magnetic forces between superconductors and externally applied magnetic fields were studied. A numerical scheme based on the magnetization model was developed. The calculated levitation force-gap relationships showed a reasonable agreement with experimental results