Magnetic levitation and its application for education devices based on YBCO bulk superconductors

• A small superconducting maglev propeller system has been designed and constructed based on YBCO bulk superconductors.
• Several small maglev vehicle models have been designed and constructed based on YBCO bulk superconductors.
• The models can be used as experimental or demonstration devices for the magnetic levitation applications.

A small superconducting maglev propeller system, a small spacecraft model suspending and moving around a terrestrial globe, several small maglev vehicle models and a magnetic circuit converter have been designed and constructed. The track was paved by NdFeB magnets, the arrangement of the magnets made us easy to get a uniform distribution of magnetic field along the length direction of the track and a high magnetic field gradient in the lateral direction. When the YBCO bulks mounted inside the vehicle models or spacecraft model was field cooled to LN2 temperature at a certain distance away from the track, they could be automatically floating over and moving along the track without any obvious friction. The models can be used as experimental or demonstration devices for the magnetic levitation applications.