Sparky the Power Chick Levitates - Happy New Year

Hello Sir;

I am trying to build a 3D levitation system in which you can suspend anything irrespective of outter body position. But the main problem I have been facing is the huge currents consumption.

Do you have idea how to control current consumption (with series resistance) and coils heating problem.

Hello Sir;

I am trying to build a 3D levitation system in which you can suspend anything irrespective of outter body position. But the main problem I have been facing is the huge currents consumption.

Do you have idea how to control current consumption (with series resistance) and coils heating problem.

Heat is definitely an issue with many of these systems. To decrease the coil current you can increase the number of turns in the coil, but the increased inductance makes it harder to achieve high speed field changes which are needed for stability. You can increase the wire diameter (gauge) to decrease its resistance, but the coils get significantly larger and may not fit the design geometry. You could run a fan, but then you need to worry about the magnetic fields from the motor complicating the magnetic field control system. Additionally the airflow may disturb the levitating object.

I am trying to design a system with heatsinks, but it isn't just about understanding thermodynamics, it will likely need some iteration as it may suffer from eddy current heating and eddy current magnetic fields, and even disturbed airflow.

Currently, I just turn the system off and let it cool down when it gets too hot.

I have tried this by increasing the wire diameter --> low resistance --> lots of current --> lots of heat -->

If I decrease the supply --> less current --> weaker magnetic effect -->

I am also following the supply off and wait routine.

I am worried about enameled layer on the wire because over heating can damage it.

If you have the specification from the manufacturer of the wire, that will tell you what temperature the insulation can withstand, thermal classes generally range from 130 Degrees C up to 250 Degrees C.

You can also usually find out what the maximum current rating of the wire is, and as long as you are below that then the insulation should not become damaged.

If that information is not available then if you can measure the diameter of the wire accurately, you could utilise a general table, linked below, to gain a typical current rating.

Wire Gauge: Nikola Tesla Page

Knowing the rating, you may be able to build a current limiting circuit to control it.

Kind regards.