High-temperature superconductor-magnet momentum wheel for micro satellite

We have constructed a superconductor-magnet momentum wheel, which is based on passive magnetic levitation and the flux pinning effect of high-temperature superconductivity. The high-temperature superconductor (HTS) flywheel has high angular momentum storage capacity because its drag torque is essentially velocity-independent and extremely small, enabling high-speed rotation. It has mass of 1.1 kg with an angular momentum capacity of 3.5 J sec. It occupies a volume of 12.7 cm in diameter and 5 cm in height. It operates within the restricted power budget of a micro satellite with a total power supply of 10 W only. It consumes less than 1 W for sustenance. While there exist momentum wheels comparable to ours in one respect, there is none better than ours in all respects of angular momentum storage, volume and low power consumption