STANDARDIZED MEASUREMENTS OF INTERACTION FORCES IN AUTOSTABLE SUPERCONDUCTING MAGNETIC BEARINGS

Passive magnetic bearings involving superconductors combined with perm anent magnets have great potential for future utilization in systems t hat are exceptionally critical concerning friction and wear. In the fi eld of power systems, possible applications of these superconducting m agnetic bearings include flywheels and cold machines such as generator s, motors and cold compressors. Present bearing designs are based on t he high-temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3O7. In order to investigate the capabilities of these materials and to establish an optimized bear ing design, we have built a system that allows precise and reproducibl e measurements of interaction forces between permanent magnets and sup erconductors. Different sizes and geometries and various configuration s can be accommodated. Our intention is to contribute to a standardiza tion of the experimental technique.