Magnetic Levitation and Gyroscopes

[rectangleboy]

I've had an interest in magnetic levitation lately, mainly with stuff like that maglev and the levitron toy. Gyroscopes have also caught my attention because of their ability to stay on a perpendicular axis, which helps in magnetic levitation.

I was wondering if it's possible for a gyroscope to be used, instead of a top, in a levitron-type device. The way a levitron works is that it has a really strong permanent magnet on the bottom and a small top with another permanent magnet on it. When you spin the top, while it's on the larger magnet, you can lift it up, using a piece of glass or paper underneath it, and it will hover, because the bottom half magnet on the top is the same pole as the top of the base magnet. Some factors, including gyroscopic force(which is not the main factor) are reasons as to why it stays floating. I've only seen video's and pictures of it and I've only seen little tops being used. Is a gyroscope is more efficient? Here's the video

http://www.levitron.com/images/levitron.mpg

One question I had was: why doesn't the magnet automatically repel and float by itself? If the gyroscope is more efficient, will it levitate on its own and go higher? If it does levitate, will a really strong electromagnet, one that can hold 500 pounds, repel it faster or higher? What happens if the gyroscope starts rotating differently on top of the magnet, like when you put it on a desk at an angle?

I've read a lot about those devices that levitate from above the object that use a light to sense the height of the object and adjust the magnet accordingly, but I'm not interested in that. I guess it's just not as cool when you can see what makes it float. I don't expect all of these questions to be answered, but if someone has any advice, it would greatly satisfy my curiosity.

 

Trevor

[sanctus]

Sorry, the link doesn't work (or I can't open the page).

The levitation I saw uses superconductors and doesn't need to spin....the reason for spinning I guess has to do with Cinetique momentum, it makes that the levitation is stable:

 

If you don't make spin the top it will levitate and by the smallest wind (therefore right away) fall down to the side. If it spins it stays spinning around his center of mass and to move it would require enrgy therefore as long as enrgy of the cinetique moment is bigger than the energy of the magnetic field it will levitate.

[C1ay]

I've had an interest in magnetic levitation lately, mainly with stuff like that maglev and the levitron toy. Gyroscopes have also caught my attention because of their ability to stay on a perpendicular axis, which helps in magnetic levitation.

I was wondering if it's possible for a gyroscope to be used, instead of a top, in a levitron-type device. The way a levitron works is that it has a really strong permanent magnet on the bottom and a small top with another permanent magnet on it. When you spin the top, while it's on the larger magnet, you can lift it up, using a piece of glass or paper underneath it, and it will hover, because the bottom half magnet on the top is the same pole as the top of the base magnet. Some factors, including gyroscopic force(which is not the main factor) are reasons as to why it stays floating. I've only seen video's and pictures of it and I've only seen little tops being used. Is a gyroscope is more efficient? Here's the video

http://www.levitron.com/images/levitron.mpg

One question I had was: why doesn't the magnet automatically repel and float by itself? If the gyroscope is more efficient, will it levitate on its own and go higher? If it does levitate, will a really strong electromagnet, one that can hold 500 pounds, repel it faster or higher? What happens if the gyroscope starts rotating differently on top of the magnet, like when you put it on a desk at an angle?

I've read a lot about those devices that levitate from above the object that use a light to sense the height of the object and adjust the magnet accordingly, but I'm not interested in that. I guess it's just not as cool when you can see what makes it float. I don't expect all of these questions to be answered, but if someone has any advice, it would greatly satisfy my curiosity.

 

Trevor

 

 

Neat toy. The top is effectively a gyroscope.

[Qfwfq]

The difference: a gyroscope is suspended in such a manner that its own weight doesn't constitute a torque, referred to its centre of mass. A top rests on a fulcrum having a position on the axis of rotation but removed from the c. m. so, if the axis isn't vertical, there will be a torque. Aside from this difference both things are an effect of angular momentum, often called L.

 

T = dL/dt

 

In the case of the device here described, the magnetic pole is a fulcrum and you are therefore talking about a top.