Study on the Dynamic Stability of 3-D Superconducting Actuator by Various Typed HTS Bulk Movers

High-temperature superconductor (HTS) material can trap high magnetic fields due to its strong flux pinning force. Herein, based on our belief that such a device would be useful as a transporter in clean rooms where silicon wafers are manufactured, we report on the development of a three-dimensional (3-D) superconducting actuator using HTS bulk material in a noncontact transportation device that will move freely in 3-D space. The proposed actuator consists of a trapped HTS, which provides the mover, along with two-dimensionally arranged copper-wound iron-core electromagnets that form the stator. The current and the polarity of each electromagnet can be individually controlled via the power supply. In our previous experiments, a single-component mover was observed to overshoot during operation, which led us to conclude that a more powerful levitation force was needed. In this study, single-component HTS movers (inner diameters of 46 and 60 mm) and multicomponent HTS movers were used to increase the levitation force and dynamic stability.