JP2664233B2 - Article transfer device using superconductor - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a structure of an article conveying apparatus using a superconductor for causing a superconductor to levitate and run.

[Conventional technology]

As a method of supporting a substance in space without contact with the ground, there is levitation by magnetic force. Various applications are conceivable for such magnetic levitation.

The conventional magnetic levitation will be described by taking a linear motor car as an example. When a coil is provided on the ground and a levitation body, the levitation and propulsion are performed by utilizing the repulsion or absorption of the magnetic field generated by the coil. It is. In such a conventional magnetic levitation, since a coil is mounted on a floating body, it is considered to use a superconducting coil to reduce the weight of the floating body.

As described above, in the conventional magnetic levitation system equipped with a coil, the device itself becomes large, and as a result,
Applications are very limited. On the other hand, the magnetic levitation using the diamagnetism of the superconductor has a simple structure as compared with the conventional method, and is expected to be used in a wide range of fields.
This diamagnetic type magnetic levitation can be performed relatively easily using a magnet if the superconductor is kept in a superconductor state. This makes it easier to implement.

By the way, in order to expand the applicable range of the diamagnetic type magnetic levitation, it is necessary to move the levitation while maintaining the levitation state. An example of a magnetic levitation device using diamagnetism will be described below. First, as described in the Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun on November 25, 1987, a high-temperature superconductor was laid along a slope and a magnet was used as a floating body to make gravity drive propulsion. Things that move horizontally. Second, as described in the 12th Annual Meeting of the Japan Society of Applied Magnetics, September 30, 1988, the superconductor floated on a magnet is moved by moving the magnet, as described in p.18. To move in the horizontal direction.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

In the above prior art, in the first example, the speed and direction of the movement are determined by the inclination, and no consideration is given to the control method for the horizontal movement of the levitation body, and in the second example, It is necessary to move the magnet mechanically, and the relative positions of the magnet and the floating superconductor have not changed. In any case, the traveling method has not been solved from the standpoint of levitation traveling.

An object of the present invention is to provide a diamagnetic type magnetic levitation device that allows a levitation body to smoothly levitate and run, and also enables stability in a direction perpendicular to the running direction, that is, stable running with suppressed side-to-side movement. An object of the present invention is to provide an article conveying device using a superconductor.

[Means for solving the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, using a superconductor having a magnet for levitation and a magnet for traveling propulsion, as a magnet for levitation in an article transporting apparatus, using a magnet having a magnetic pole that is long in a traveling direction and has a magnetic pole in a levitation direction, A uniform magnetic field was generated in the traveling direction, that is, the external magnetic field distribution shown in FIG. 6 was smoothed as shown in FIG. 7, and the magnetic flux distribution in the floating body was made substantially uniform in the traveling direction.

In addition, as a means for suppressing the lateral displacement, a floating body in which a ferromagnetic material is mixed in a superconductor is used to actively introduce magnetic flux trapped in the floating body.

[Action]

The levitating superconductor captures magnetic flux by the levitating magnet, and the captured magnetic flux is substantially uniform in the running direction inside the superconductor. As a result, even if the position in the horizontal direction is displaced from the traveling, the magnetic flux distribution inside the superconductor hardly changes, and the vehicle can run with little energy loss due to the change in the magnetic flux distribution, ie, almost no braking force.

〔Example〕

 Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described.

First Embodiment A first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Ring-shaped
The Sm-Co permanent magnet 1 was used for levitation. This magnet is magnetized so that the upper and lower sides of the ring flat surface are N and S magnetic poles, respectively. For propulsion, an electromagnet in which a winding 5 was applied to a winding core 4 made of an electromagnetic soft iron such that an air gap was present at the floating position of the floating body was used. The floating body used was a disk-shaped pellet 3 prepared by uniformly dispersing a small amount of iron powder in YBa ₂ Cu ₃ O ₇ _δ powder, performing compression molding, and performing heat treatment. The superconducting pellet 3 cooled with liquid nitrogen is placed on the air gap of the electromagnet 2 for propulsion and levitated by the permanent magnet 1 for levitating. When the propulsion magnet 2 was pulse-excited for about one second to generate a magnetic field of about 4000 gauss, the ring magnet 1 smoothly levitated on the circumference. According to the present embodiment, smooth levitation traveling can be achieved with a simple structure. Furthermore, since the magnetic material is mixed in the floating body, stable running without side-shift can be achieved.

<Second Embodiment> In a second embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, a long rectangular Nd-Fe permanent magnet 1 in the running direction is magnetized in the floating direction, and two rows are arranged in parallel to float. It was arranged as a magnet for use. At this time, the direction of the magnetic pole was set so that the same pole was on the upper side. Six electromagnets 2a, 2a ', 2b, 2b', 2c, 2c 'are used as propulsion magnets, and the arrangement is the same as in the first embodiment at the height of the floating body 3 and at the height of the floating body. The magnets were sandwiched so that 2a and 2a ', 2b and 2b', and 2c and 2c 'faced each other. The propulsion magnet is manufactured by winding a winding core and a flange on a winding frame made of a non-magnetic material.
Functionally, it is equivalent to an air-core electromagnet. Each propulsion magnet was excited in the pattern shown in FIG. 3 so that the same magnetic pole as the upper side of the levitation magnet 1 was on the side closer to the levitation body. Tl ₂ Ba ₂ Ca ₂ Cu ₃ Ox superconducting pellet 3 was used as a floating body. FIG. 4 shows the floating body 3 at the time of the excitation pattern shown in FIG.
The running state was shown. According to this embodiment, since the iron core material is not used for the propulsion magnet, the external magnetic field is not disturbed by the propulsion magnet when power is not supplied, and the magnetic field in the traveling direction of the levitating magnet is uniformly maintained. . Further, since a plurality of propulsion magnets are used, the floating body 3 can be smoothly moved as shown in FIG. 4 and the excitation pattern and timing of the individual drive magnets can be changed to change the timing.
Driving, acceleration, deceleration, and stop operations are possible. In addition, by combining some of the levitation and propulsion magnets shown in this embodiment in advance to form a levitation rail, it is possible to levitate and travel on an arbitrary track.

Third Embodiment FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment. The electromagnet 1 having a U-shaped cross section and a winding core 4 made of an electromagnetic soft iron and having a long length in the running direction was used as a levitation magnet. As the propulsion magnet, a columnar electromagnet 2 having a core 4 made of electromagnetic soft iron and a flange made of stainless steel was used. Bi ₂ S for levitation
r ₂ Ca ₂ Cu ₂ Cy superconducting pellet 3 was used. In the present embodiment, the levitation magnet 1 is also formed of an electromagnet, and continuous energization is required. Therefore, in order to cool the electromagnet, the levitation magnet 1 was placed in a container containing liquid nitrogen. The liquid nitrogen is arranged such that the upper end of the electromagnet 1 and the liquid level coincide. In this embodiment, the floating body 3 can land on the floating magnet by interrupting the exciting current regardless of the position of the floating body 3 on the floating rail.

Further, the flying height can be controlled by adjusting the magnitude of the exciting current. Furthermore, since the operation is performed in the liquid nitrogen container, the floating time of the floating body can be drastically improved by the cool air of the evaporated nitrogen gas.

In this embodiment, a high-temperature superconductor having a critical temperature equal to or higher than the temperature of liquid nitrogen has been described as a superconducting pellet. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and alloys and intermetallic compound superconductors conventionally used have been used. The use of a substance or a superconducting single element substance or an organic superconductor does not impair the gist of the present invention. In the present embodiment, only the disc shape is described as the pellet shape. However, the pellet shape is not limited to this, and may be any shape including a triangle and a quadrangle.

〔The invention's effect〕

According to the present invention, there is almost no change in the magnetic flux distribution captured in the floating body even when the floating body runs, so that the floating body can be smoothly run by the magnetic field generated by the propulsion magnet.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an article conveying apparatus using a superconductor according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 3 shows an excitation pattern of a propulsion magnet performed in a second embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a traveling state of the floating body at the time of the excitation pattern shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the distribution of the external magnetic field in the traveling direction, and FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the distribution of the external magnetic field in the traveling direction according to the present invention. 1 ... magnet for floating, 2, 2a, 2a ', 2b, 2b', 2c, 2c '... magnet for propulsion, 3 ... superconducting pellet, 4 ... core, 5 ...
... winding.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued from the front page (72) Inventor Toshio Saito 4026 Kuji-cho, Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture Within Hitachi Research Laboratory, Hitachi, Ltd. (56) References JP-A-64-87428 (JP, A)

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. A levitation body including at least a superconductor, and a levitation which is elongated in the traveling direction of the levitation body and has magnetic poles in the levitation direction to generate a substantially uniform magnetic field in the traveling direction. An article conveying device using a superconductor, comprising: a magnet for driving; and a propulsion magnet for generating a propulsive force in a traveling direction on the floating body by an electromagnetic force. 2. An article conveying apparatus using a superconductor according to claim 1, wherein a ferromagnetic material is mixed in said floating body. 3. An article conveying apparatus using a superconductor according to claim 1, wherein at least one ring-shaped permanent magnet is used as said levitation magnet. 4. An article conveying apparatus using a superconductor according to claim 1, wherein an electromagnet is used as said levitation magnet. 5. A core of the propulsion magnet is made of a ferromagnetic material,
2. An article conveying apparatus using a superconductor according to claim 1, wherein an electromagnet made of a winding frame whose flange is a non-magnetic material is used, and said propulsion magnet is arranged at a joint portion of said levitation magnet. 6. A pair of electromagnets comprising a winding core whose flange and a non-magnetic material are used as a pair of said propulsion magnets, wherein said propulsion magnets have a floating height of a floating body and a floating magnet. 2. An article conveying apparatus using a superconductor according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic poles of the propulsion magnets are arranged to face each other.