Electronic Levitron...How the heck does this thing work?

[TinselKoala]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPpgz0bpDrY&list=UUW1ksApUmz61fqfVRgdYfaw

Check this guys channel on Youtube.  He has like 10 videos on his devices showing his experiments and progession.

Bill

Yep, he's the one who did the sphere levitator. Good find!

[allcanadian]

@TK

I like this one, from the same maker as the Arduino one above, but not using Arduino I think:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQypYoDSFrAThe sphere magnet doesn't want to flip over!

That is cool and it looks like he is using four coils as far as I can see. Note the oscillations, I noted similar effects when levitating a 1" dia x 1/2" N42 Neo. I believe drag falls by the V^3 rule and a small flick would cause my levitated magnet to oscillate for hours. It kept oscillating so long I got bored and just turned the damn thing off.


That setup is a bit of a catch 22, if he is only using coils then at that distance the power draw would be large and if he uses a PM in the center then he would saturate his coils again increasing the power draw. It's a vicious circle although an Arduino and PID loop would easily solve the oscillation/hysteresis issues. It would also be fairly easy to apply a MPPT algorithm, not max power point tracking but minimum power point tracking if a central PM in repulsion were used.


AC

[Pirate88179]

TK and All:

OK, I have a weekend and some time.  I also have a salvaged roll of zip cord and, an 8" toroid from a huge transformer.

What would happen if I wound this toroid with the zip cord, bifilar so I don't have to separate the cord, and used a light bulb for a load, because if I shorted it my breaker would blow....and then, took a disk magnet and attempted to hover it above this toroid?

What would happen?  I realize that it would not be self-correcting as there are no hall sensors involved, but, would not the polarity of this toroid be reversing at 60 times/sec?  Is there a sweet spot distance/perfect weight that might hover with this cheap and dirty set up?  I have over 100 1/4 inch neos here that I could stick to a disk and vary the repulsion of the hovering disk if needed.

My question is...if there is 0 chance of this ever working, I will work on something else this weekend.  If there is a small chance that this "might" work, then I will give it a go.

I also have about 40 hard drive magnets I can use to keep the hovering disk from sliding off if needed also.

My other projects are on hold at the moment, and I am looking for something interesting to do.

What do you think?

Thanks,

Bill

PS  I realize that the hovering crystals video was due mainly to the visual effects of the crystals with simple leds showing through them, but, I think that the combination of hovering and the crystals, and the leds was simply brilliant.  Maybe I am easy to please but it was cool.

PPS  I was also just thinking that I could vary the amp draw by using different wattage light bulbs as well.  A 100 or a 150 bulb would draw a lot of amps through the toroid.  Of course, maybe this is a fool's errand.

[Pirate88179]

http://rfhv.com/

This student has several levitators on this page.  (scroll down to see them)

He has one design that uses no hall sensors.  This kid really builds some nice stuff.  Here is a photo of one of them.

Bill

[Pirate88179]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gko4Oadn3g#t=86

A very creative use of the levitators.... a back to the future desk top hover board!

Bill