Levitation performance of the magnetized bulk high-Tc superconducting magnet with different trapped fields

To a high-Tc superconducting (HTS) maglev system which needs large levitation force density, the magnetized bulk high-Tc superconductor (HTSC) magnet is a good candidate because it can supply additional repulsive or attractive force above a permanent magnet guideway (PMG). Because the induced supercurrent within a magnetized bulk HTSC is the key parameter for the levitation performance, and it is sensitive to the magnetizing process and field, so the magnetized bulk HTSC magnets with different magnetizing processes had various levitation performances, not only the force magnitude, but also its force relaxation characteristics. Furthermore, the distribution and configuration of the induced supercurrent are also important factor to decide the levitation performance, especially the force relaxation characteristics. This article experimentally investigates the influences of different magnetizing processes and trapped fields on the levitation performance of a magnetized bulk HTSC magnet with smaller size than the magnetic inter-pole distance of PMG, and the obtained results are qualitatively analyzed by the Critical State Model. The test results and analyses of this article are useful for the suitable choice and optimal design of magnetized bulk HTSC magnets.

Research highlights
► The different trapped fields bring entirely different levitation performance.
► The force relaxation characters is directly bound up with the trapped field.
► The higher trapped field not means better levitation performance.
► An profitable internal induced current configuration will benefit to suppress flux motion.