Equilibrium positions due to different cooling processes in superconducting levitation systems

The equilibrium position of a superconducting levitation device is determined not only by the geometry and electromagnetic properties of its components, but also by the cooling process of the superconductor. In this work we study the dependence of the equilibrium positions upon the cooling process by introducing diagrams of a new kind which display the different possibilities for a given levitation system. Using the critical state model and the principle of magnetic energy, we calculate different diagrams of this type for the case of a cylindrically symmetric permanent magnet–superconductor system. The results allow us to find out, for a given levitation system, which cooling process improves the capabilities of the system.