Mechanical contact, friction and wear causes detrimental effects in most machines with moving elements, which ultimately limits their lifetime and reliability. High-temperature bulk Superconducting Magnetic Bearings (SMB) offer a passive and frictionless alternative for the construction of advanced machines and mechanisms with improved performance. In this lecture, state-of-the-art applications in engineering and space applications of SMB are introduced: from renewable energy storage flywheels to advance optical instruments in space telescopes. Furthermore, the requirements and fundamentals of the design of SMB will be discussed, alongside ways for improvement of their levitation and mechanical properties. Finally, future opportunities for further development of the technology will be introduced.
Short Introduction of the lecturer
Ignacio Valiente is an associate professor at the mechanical engineering area of Universidad de Alcalá
(UAH) in Spain. Before joining the UAH team, he was the Technical Director of the company MAGSOAR
devoted to the development of advanced magnetic mechanisms and machines for high-tech
applications. Ignacio has been responsible for several developments of superconducting levitation
systems including the FP7 Space MAGDRIVE project where a superconducting magnetic gear was
developed or the ESA Levisolator project where a superconducting suspension prototype was
developed for vibration isolation and thermal disconnect of the focal plane array in the ESA ATHENA
telescope. Ignacio is co-author of more than 40 scientific contributions, 3 books in superconductivity
and 5 patents and he is co-founder of 3 spin-off companies.