Rising Force : The Magic of Magnetic Levitation

by Livingston, James D.

• ISBN13: 9780674055353
• ISBN10: 0674055357
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-05-30
• Publisher: Harvard Univ Pr

Summary

From Peter Pan to Harry Potter, from David Copperfield to levitating toys, there is magic in conquering gravity. In this first-ever popular introduction to "maglev"- the use of magnetic forces to overcome gravity and friction-James D. Livingston takes lay readers on a journey of discovery, from basic concepts to todayrs"s most thrilling applications.The tour begins with examples of our historical fascination with levitation, both real and fake. At the next stop, Livingston introduces readers to the components of maglev: gravitational and magnetic forces in the universe, force fields, diamagnetism and stabilization, superdiamagnetism and supercurrents, maglev nanotechnology, and more. He explores the development of the superconductors that are making large-scale levitation devices possible, and the use of magnetic bearings in products ranging from implanted blood pumps to wind turbines, integrated circuit fabrication, and centrifuges to enrich uranium. In the last chapters, we arrive at the science behind maglev transportation systems, such as Chinese trains that travel 250 miles per hour without touching the tracks. Packed with fascinating anecdotes about the colorful personalities who have "fought friction by fighting gravity," the book maintains accuracy throughout while it entertains and informs technical and nontechnical readers alike. With so many new applications for magnetic levitation on the horizon, Rising Force is sure to retain its own magic for years to come.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
Levity vs. Gravity	p. 1
Fictional and Illusional Levitation	p. 1
Wingardium Leviosa!	p. 9
Mystical Levitation	p. 10
Physical Levitation without Magnets	p. 13
Gravitational and Magnetic Forces	p. 19
Forces of the Universe	p. 19
Magnetic Forces	p. 23
Magnetic Materials	p. 29
Maglev-A Balance of Forces	p. 33
Poles Apart	p. 33
Force at a Distance	p. 36
The Floating Island of Laputa	p. 38
Stability and Degrees of Freedom	p. 42
Spinning the Levitron	p. 48
Only a Toy	p. 48
Toy Story	p. 50
The Super	p. 56
Inducing Uplift	p. 64
Mutual Induction	p. 64
Flinging Rings and Things	p. 72
Eddy-Current Heating and Levitation Melting	p. 78
Fields of Force	p. 80
Flying Frogs	p. 83
The Ig Nobel Prize	p. 83
Diamagnetism and the Moses Effect	p. 85
Diamagnetic Levitation and Stabilization	p. 89
Froglev	p. 95
Super-Levitation	p. 101
Superdiamagnetism and Supercurrents	p. 101
Higher Fields	p. 107
Higher Temperatures	p. 111
Feeding Back	p. 120
Brief Recap	p. 120
Floating Globes	p. 121
Floatin' in the Wind	p. 131
Snowball in Hell	p. 135
Microbots and Pigs	p. 139
In a Spin	p. 143
Bearing Up	p. 143
Enriching and Proliferating	p. 146
A Few Words about Energy	p. 151
Flying Wheels	p. 154
Pumping Blood	p. 158
Floating Rotors	p. 162
The No-Spin Zone	p. 167
Flying Broomsticks	p. 167
Flotors and the Maglev Touch	p. 169
Maglev Nanotechnology	p. 174
Sub-Nano: Angstroms and Atoms	p. 180
Maglev Rocket Sleds	p. 183
Flying Trains	p. 188
Emile Bachelet	p. 188
Kemper and Electromagnetic Levitation (EML)	p. 194
Powell/Danby and Electrodynamic Levitation (EDL)	p. 200
The Competition	p. 204
All Aboard!	p. 210
Urban Maglev	p. 210
Permanent-Magnet Maglev	p. 214
Transrapid Trials-and Tribulations	p. 217
Sin Express to Vegas	p. 224
Maglev Deployment Program and ARRA	p. 227
Keeping It Up	p. 231
Up with Magnets!	p. 231
Magnetic Personalities	p. 237
Ben Franklin's Vision: Levity over Gravity	p. 240
Sources and Suggested Readings	p. 249
Acknowledgments	p. 259
Index	p. 263
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