Lift and guidance forces by using iron-magnetic track with side rims interacting with passive HTC superconducting plate: Experimental analyses

The paper presents the results of levitation tests carried out by an experimental ring device employing a cooled high critical temperature superconducting ring interacting with magnetic field generated by a circular track with side rims. The track is composed of toroidal iron structure on which convex surface three homopolar ring sets of permanent magnets (PM) are arranged to exalt the flux density in the top side of track. The experimental device is conceived and constructed to reproduce, by analogy, the static and dynamic behaviour of a passive superconducting “runner” of levitated vehicle riding above the magnetic guideway. In a wide range of work conditions, lift and guidance performances of system have been tested. Moreover, a two-dimensional finite element parametric model of experimental device has allowed carrying out several numerical analyses.