Magnetic Levitation cradle
Repulsive maglev, lifts a magnet from below
W. Beaty, Nov 1994

I'm a science hobbyist and occasional exhibit designer for science museums. The multi-coil device shown in the photo was part of a prototype "room-temperature superconductive table" which never made it to a museum. I thought I'd place it here so students and hobbyists could experiment with this strange maglev effect.

The device in the articles is not trivial to build, so I would recommend it mostly for ADVANCED HIGH-SCHOOL LEVEL AND ABOVE. If you've never built any electronic devices before, I wouldn't recommend the Meissner maglev cradle as your first project. I built mine using parts from a mail-order surplus store. Since you'll be using DIFFERENT surplus parts, my plans are only guidelines for experienced hobbyists rather than detailed instructions for a beginner. Experimentation will be required in order to get this device to work. For a much simpler project, check out "Simple maglev train", which uses only permanent magnets, and the Science Projects page. Dowling magnetics sells SDK-100, a maglev train kit which uses only permanent magnets.

My Maglev Articles:

• Feedback-stablized multi-coil Cradle (from ~1992)
  • PAGE 1: (Above)
  • PAGE 2: Photo, cores diagram
  • PAGE 3: Schematic & info
  • PAGE 4: Hall-effect sensors
• Maglev Videos youtube playlist
• Simple maglev train
• Linear motor maglev drive
• Doin' it Mechanically!
• Independent discovery (patented, 4,910,633!)
• Hall-effect sensors
• Some Maglev theory
• "Superconductor" plate w/visible current
• More links (below)

"Hall Servo" projects at other websites

• 4-coil bar magnet lifter
• Science museum exhibit
• Hall maglev kit

"Electromagnetic Levitation and Suspension Techniques", B.V. Jayawant, Publishers: Edward Arnold, London, 1981, ISDN:0713134283

A project article:

POPULAR ELECTRONICS magazine, May 1989, Vol 6 No. 5, pp35-37, The "Antigravity" Generator, by V. Vollono. A coil lifts a plastic ball and magnet from above, controlled by photocell. Instructions, schematic, parts list.

Some Maglev Links

Kits & curric

• Maglev Train kit $25 miniscience
• 'Hover engine' maglev kit (PCB w/processor pre-assembled)
• Tiny Diamagnetic Levitator, $75
• Maglev Globe Kit
• Levitation Train Kit from Dowling Magnetics
• Levitation Train Exhibit Kit
• Argonne maglev curriculum
• Kyrene maglev curriculum
• Kelvin maglev curriculum ($)
• Wondermagnet, inexpensive supermagnets

LINKS

• Levitron®'s Hidden History (a stolen invention), and mirror site
• Skeptic momentarily suspects that Levitron® is pseudoscience?!
• WHO REALLY INVENTED "LEVITRON®?", and PART II
• J. Chieffo levitron
• Levitron® and dishonesty
• Mike & Karen Sherlock

• Levitating train project from Magnet Man website
• Levitating cdrom disk (youtube A. Gupta)
• Electromag levitator project
• Maglev Toy uses Hall-effect feedback (NEW 11/2000)
• Maglev Toy uses photosensor feedback
• Lamb's seismometers, with a graphite levitation version
• Halbach Array inductive maglev
• Diamagnetic Levitator (no spin, no batteries!)
• Scitoys: levitator
• M. Lamb diamagnetics
• Wondermagnet, inexpensive supermagnets
• Look inside a commercial "maglev world globe"
• Levitating World-globe
• Levitation Train Kit from Dowling Magnetics
• IMPOSSIBLE with permanent magnets?
• Colorado Superconductor
• TRAC maglev education project & products
• Student lab MAGLEV
• Allegro Inc., source for hall-effect sensors
• Levitron maglev toy
• Levitron toy
• Maglev display stand
• DOT Research on EMF due to Maglev systems
• maglev for VR feedback
• Maglev train sound
• Energywise options
• RTRI: Japanrail Maglev Project
• RTRI: Overview of Maglev Test Lines
• RTRI: Superconducting Maglev Technology
• USAF to develop Maglev
• Maglev Gets a Boost
• Prof. Schetz Maglev
• Designing and Testing "Maglev" Vehicles and Systems
• LAH HIGH SPEED/AUTOMATED TRANSPORTATION
• LAH ARCHIVES MAGLEV
• French TGV project
• Maglev turbine energy storage
• NASA LARC papers '92
• NASA LARC papers '94
• NASA LARC paper instructions