A method of ferromagnetic material levitation locking for a static permanent magnet array

Abstract

The application discloses a ferromagnetic material suspension locking method of a static permanent magnetic array. It relates to the technical field of mechanics and electromagnetism. The method comprises the following steps: determining the structure and size of a certain number of magnetic units and composing a ring-shaped magnetic array, the centroids of all the magnetic units are in the same plane and are uniformly distributed along the circumference; the polar directions of adjacent magnetic units are alternately directed to the center direction and the circumferential tangent direction, when a plurality of magnetic units are arranged clockwise along the ring-shaped magnetic array, each magnetic unit is counterclockwise rotated by a fixed angle in the plane of the ring-shaped magnetic array compared with the previous magnetic unit, a magnetic array of an axisymmetric composite magnetic field is formed, and a magnetic array ring with the suspension locking characteristic is obtained. The application can be used for the rapid docking between large mass bodies, for example, the application of the application to the docking of a space station can avoid complex attitude adjustment, and even if deviated, the application can be quickly locked.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the fields of mechanics and electromagnetism, and more specifically to a method for levitation and locking of ferromagnetic materials in a static permanent magnet array. Background Technology

[0002] A classic theory proposed in the 19th century, Earnshaw's theorem, states that the static magnetic force between permanent magnets (or any force inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them) alone cannot keep an object stationary in all directions at a stable equilibrium point. Simply put, if you try to levitate an object using two permanent magnets with repulsive poles, the levitated magnet will either slide sideways or flip and be attracted to the other. In such a system, even small perturbations in any direction will be amplified, leading to system failure.

[0003] To overcome the limitations of Enshao's theorem and enable objects to levitate and lock stably within a specific region, additional stabilization mechanisms must be introduced. Current solutions mainly include the following, none of which simply use permanent magnets: 1. Introducing dynamic feedback control (electromagnetic levitation): Sensors monitor the position of the levitated object in real time, and an electronic controller rapidly adjusts the current of the electromagnets to generate dynamically changing magnetic forces to counteract any unstable trends, thus achieving static levitation. 2. Introducing diamagnetic materials (superconducting levitation): Utilizing the perfect diamagnetic properties of superconductors (Meissner effect). When a superconductor enters the superconducting state, it "pushes out" the magnetic field of the permanent magnet track, generating a very stable pinning force. This force is like invisible "magnetic lines" pinning the superconductor to the track, enabling stable levitation in all directions, even when stationary. 3. Introducing mechanical constraints (hybrid permanent magnet levitation): Utilizing the repulsive force between permanent magnets to counteract most of gravity and prevent close contact, but to prevent lateral slippage or overturning, mechanical guide wheels or specific track structures are introduced to provide stable support. There are also magnetic levitation gyroscopes, but these are dynamic equilibrium, not static levitation.

[0004] A single permanent magnet unit cannot achieve magnetic locking. Whether a certain number of magnetic units can be arranged in a certain way so that the resulting mixed magnetic field envelope can stably suspend and lock the iron ring in a certain area is obviously a very difficult problem.

[0005] Therefore, achieving a substantial breakthrough in the optimized utilization of magnetic energy is a problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the present invention provides a method for levitation and locking of ferromagnetic materials using a static permanent magnet array, which can be used for rapid docking between large masses, such as for docking of space stations. It can avoid complex attitude adjustments and can lock quickly even if there is a deviation.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A method for levitation and locking of ferromagnetic materials in a static permanent magnet array includes: determining the structure and size of a certain number of magnetic units and forming a ring magnetic array, wherein the centroids of all magnetic units are in the same plane and are uniformly distributed along the circumference; the polarity of adjacent magnetic units alternates between the direction of the center and the direction of the tangent of the circumference; when multiple magnetic units are arranged clockwise along the ring magnetic array, each magnetic unit rotates counterclockwise by a fixed angle relative to the previous magnetic unit in the plane of the ring magnetic array, forming a magnetic array with an axisymmetric composite magnetic field, thereby obtaining a magnetic array ring with levitation and locking characteristics.

[0008] Preferably, the magnetic unit is a cuboid or cylinder, and the number of magnetic units is a multiple of 4 but not 4.

[0009] Preferably, the magnetic units are placed in a clockwise direction according to the ring magnetic array. Then, the magnetic poles of any one magnetic unit on the ring plane of the magnetic array are rotated counterclockwise by a fixed angle, which is 90° - (360° / n), where n is the number of magnetic units.

[0010] Preferably, there is a region with no magnetic field or a very weak magnetic field near the axis of the ring magnetic array, which varies with the number of magnetic units, the size of the magnetic units, and the size of the magnetic array ring, and is not linearly related, and this region is not circular.

[0011] Preferably, the annular magnetic array can also automatically dock and lock. When the ferromagnetic ring deviates from the center of the magnetic array and falls, it can be automatically aligned and suspended and locked by the magnetic field.

[0012] Preferably, it further includes: verifying through magnetic field calculation whether the annular magnetic array can form the axisymmetric composite magnetic field required for stable levitation and locking, specifically including: Each magnetic unit is considered as a magnetic dipole at its center, with the magnetic moment pointing in the direction of magnetization and its magnitude determined by volume and remanence. A circle is drawn on the canvas to represent the magnet, and an arrow indicates the magnetization direction. The magnetic field of the magnetic dipole can be calculated using the magnetic moment formula and the analytical expression for its spatial distribution, following the formula 1 / r. 3 Attenuation: The magnetic field calculation only considers the XY plane and ignores the Z component. By superimposing dipoles and drawing magnetic field lines, we can observe whether it has an axisymmetric structure.

[0013] Preferably, it also includes a fixed base, which is an annular structure and has a groove that matches the magnetic unit. The magnetic unit is embedded into the groove with a transition fit and fixed in a preset polarity direction.

[0014] Preferably, the fixed base is manufactured by 3D printing after generating an STL file through 3D modeling and Boolean subtraction operations.

[0015] As can be seen from the above technical solution, compared with the prior art, this invention discloses a method for levitation and locking of ferromagnetic materials using a static permanent magnet array. Its characteristic is that the material used to achieve levitation and locking no longer needs to be a magnetic material, but can be broadened to include iron, nickel, cobalt, silicon steel, iron-aluminum alloys, etc. Unlike current methods that achieve levitation through the balance of interactions between magnetic fields, this invention achieves locking by generating a special composite magnetic field, which greatly expands the application scenarios. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a ring magnetic array with eight cuboid magnetic units, provided by the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of a fixed base for placing eight magnetic units, provided by the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the calculation and derivation of the rotation direction and angle of the 12 magnetic units provided by the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the magnetic field lines of the magnetic array of 8 magnetic units provided by the present invention.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the magnetic field lines of a magnetic array of 10 magnetic units provided by the present invention.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the magnetic field lines of the 16 magnetic unit magnetic array provided by the present invention.

[0023] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the external iron ring suspension and locking of the magnetic array of 8 magnetic units provided by the present invention.

[0024] Among them, 1. Magnetic unit; 2. Polarity orientation of magnetic unit; 3. Magnetic field lines; 4. Fixed base; 5. Zero magnetic field or extremely low magnetic field region; 6. Iron ring. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] This invention discloses a method for levitation and locking of ferromagnetic materials in a static permanent magnet array, comprising: determining the structure and size of a certain number of magnetic units and forming a ring magnetic array, wherein the centroids of all magnetic units are in the same plane and are uniformly distributed along the circumference; the polarity of adjacent magnetic units alternates between the direction of the center and the direction of the circumference tangent; when multiple magnetic units are arranged clockwise along the ring magnetic array, each magnetic unit rotates counterclockwise by a fixed angle relative to the previous magnetic unit in the plane of the ring magnetic array, forming a magnetic array with an axisymmetric composite magnetic field, thereby obtaining a magnetic array ring with levitation and locking characteristics.

[0027] Specifically, the magnetic unit is a cuboid or cylinder, and the number of magnetic units is a multiple of 4 but not 4.

[0028] Specifically, when magnetic units are placed clockwise according to the circular magnetic array, the magnetic poles of any one magnetic unit on the magnetic array ring plane are rotated counterclockwise by a fixed angle of 90° - (360° / n), where n is the number of magnetic units.

[0029] Specifically, there is a region with no magnetic field or a very weak magnetic field near the axis of the ring magnetic array. This region varies with the number of magnetic units, the size of the magnetic units, and the size of the magnetic array ring. It is not linearly related and is not circular.

[0030] Specifically, the ring magnetic array can also automatically dock and lock. When the ferromagnetic ring deviates from the center of the magnetic array and falls, it can be automatically aligned and suspended and locked by the magnetic field.

[0031] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, the magnetic units (basic units with a single N / S polarity) adopt a cuboid or cylindrical structure, and their number is a multiple of 4 (excluding 4). The N / S polarities are all in the plane of the magnetic array ring or parallel to the plane. The centroids of all magnetic units are evenly distributed around the circumference and on the same plane. In two adjacent magnetic units, if the N / S polarity of one magnetic unit points to the center of the circle, the polarity of the other magnetic unit must be tangent to the circumference. The magnetic units are placed clockwise according to the magnetic array ring. Then, any magnetic unit is on the plane of the magnetic array ring with its magnetic poles rotated counterclockwise by a fixed angle, which is 90° - (360° / n), where n is the number of magnetic units. Figure 3 Only magnetic arrays arranged strictly according to this method have levitation locking performance.

[0032] The composite magnetic field lines formed by this magnetic array are axially symmetric on the magnetic array plane, that is, they form an axially symmetric magnetic field line pattern on the plane formed by the centers of all magnetic units. The distribution density and magnetic field strength of the magnetic field lines change periodically along the circumference, and the period is half the number of magnetic units. That is, when the number of magnetic units is 16, the period of change is 8 ( Figure 6 This type of magnetic array possesses levitation-locking characteristics. The ferromagnetic material around the outer periphery of the magnetic array ring, such as an iron ring (with an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter), is levitation-locked in a central position on the outer edge of the magnetic array ring, resisting gravity. When a force is applied to the iron ring perpendicular to the magnetic array plane, the iron ring shifts; upon removal of the force, the iron ring immediately springs back and locks in place. Within a certain range near the axis of the magnetic array ring, there exists a region with no magnetic field or an extremely weak magnetic field (<0.001T), which varies with the number and size of the magnetic units and the size of the magnetic array ring, without any linear correlation, and this region is not circular. This magnetic array also features automatic docking and locking. For example, if an iron ring is dropped from a height away from the center of the magnetic array ring, as the iron ring approaches the magnetic array ring, it will be automatically aligned by the magnetic field, locking onto the magnetic array ring and levitation-locking in place.

[0033] Specifically, it also includes: verifying through magnetic field calculations whether the ring magnetic array can form the axisymmetric composite magnetic field required for stable levitation and locking, specifically including: Each magnetic unit is considered as a magnetic dipole at its center, with the magnetic moment pointing in the direction of magnetization and its magnitude determined by volume and remanence. A circle is drawn on the canvas to represent the magnet, and an arrow indicates the magnetization direction. The magnetic field of the magnetic dipole can be calculated using the magnetic moment formula and the analytical expression for its spatial distribution, following the formula 1 / r. 3 Attenuation: The magnetic field calculation only considers the XY plane and ignores the Z component. By superimposing dipoles and drawing magnetic field lines, we can observe whether it has an axisymmetric structure.

[0034] Specifically, it also includes a fixed base, which is a ring structure with a groove that matches the magnetic unit. The magnetic unit is embedded into the groove with a transition fit and fixed in a preset polarity direction.

[0035] Specifically, the fixed base is manufactured by generating an STL file through 3D modeling and Boolean subtraction operations, and then 3D printed.

[0036] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, the steps for implementing this method are as follows: 1. Determine the structure and size of the magnetic unit. In this embodiment, a magnetic array composed of 8 magnetic units is used as an example. The magnetic unit is 10mm in size. 5mm It has a 2mm rectangular parallelepiped structure with polarity along the 2mm thickness direction. It is an N52 neodymium iron boron magnet with a remanence of 1.48T. 2. In magnetic field calculations, each magnetic unit is considered a magnetic dipole at its center, and the direction of the magnetic moment is the magnetization direction, the magnitude of which is determined by the volume and remanence. A circle is drawn on the Canvas to represent the magnet, and arrows indicate the magnetization direction. The magnetic field of the magnetic dipole can be calculated using the magnetic moment formula and the analytical expression for its spatial distribution, following the formula 1 / r. 3 For attenuation, to simplify the calculation, the magnetic field can be considered only in the XY plane, ignoring the Z component. By calculating the magnetic field (dipole superposition) and plotting the magnetic field lines, observe whether it possesses an axisymmetric structure, such as... Figure 4 As shown; 3. In Unigraphics NX 8.0, draw a ring with an outer diameter of 25mm, an inner diameter of 10mm, and a height of 11mm, and simultaneously draw eight 10mm rings. 5mm Arrange 2mm rectangular prisms evenly on the ring. Simultaneously adjust four prisms along the X and Y axes so that their 5mm sides are parallel to the X and Y axes, and the other four prisms form a 45° angle with the X axis (e.g., ...). Figure 2 (as shown) 4. Perform Boolean subtraction to generate a toroidal solid structure with 8 cuboid slots, and then generate an STL file from it; 5. Import the slicing software, generate the G-CODE file, and then perform 3D printing; 6. Press the 8 magnetic units into the 3D printed model, strictly following the preset direction, that is, placing the magnetic units in the clockwise direction of the magnetic array ring. Then, any magnetic unit is rotated 45° counterclockwise from the previous magnetic unit on the plane of the magnetic array ring. 7. Perform a levitation and locking test on the fabricated magnetic array assembly, such as... Figure 7 As shown.

[0037] Furthermore, the specific implementation process based on the above method is as follows: In this embodiment, eight magnetic units were selected to fabricate the magnetic array assembly. The magnetic units are made of neodymium iron boron (N52) material, with dimensions of 10mm × 5mm × 2mm. The magnetization direction is along the thickness direction. The calculated rotation angle between adjacent magnetic poles is 90° - (360° / n) = 45°. Figure 1 Arrangement. Design a cylinder of suitable size that can just accommodate the magnetic units in the array. Perform a Boolean subtraction operation with the magnetic array to obtain a cylinder with 8 rectangular slots. Convert the cylinder to an STL file and then 3D print the base. The base is cylindrical with an outer diameter of 25mm and an inner diameter of 10mm, which perfectly matches the magnetic array design layout. Figure 2 The slot design is to seamlessly integrate with the magnetic unit, embedding the magnetic unit according to a preset magnetic pole direction, such as... Figure 4 The physical structure of the magnetic array is complete. The magnetic array is then inserted into a 30mm inner diameter iron ring, which levitates and locks in the central region of the magnetic array. Figure 7Pushing the metal ring up and down with your finger encounters significant resistance, and upon releasing it, the ring immediately springs back to its initial position. It's conceivable that replacing traditional mechanical buttons with this would result in a qualitative leap in performance. Current mechanical buttons have a limited lifespan due to factors such as spring fatigue; buttons made using this magnetic array levitation locking characteristic theoretically have an unlimited lifespan, which is a unique advantage in applications requiring high reliability.

[0038] Another application is as a permanent magnetic spring. In addition to the absence of fatigue problems, the difference between it and conventional springs is that its rebound process is not simple harmonic motion, but a rapid return to the locked position. This has broad prospects for applications such as car shock absorption and lunar rover landing.

[0039] Experiments revealed that magnetic arrays constructed using magnetic units not in integer multiples of 4 also exhibited magnetic locking characteristics; however, when tested with an iron ring, the ring always adhered to one side of the magnetic array cylinder. For a magnetic array with 10 magnetic units, its composite magnetic field is as follows: Figure 5 The asymmetry is explained by the iron ring being biased to one side. If designed as a button, it would result in repeated friction in a single area, leading to mechanical wear.

[0040] When a thin, round iron rod is passed through the center of the magnetic array, no magnetic force is felt. However, as the rod moves away from the center, the magnetic force gradually increases. This is consistent with... Figure 5 The magnetic field distribution characteristics are that there is a magnetic vacuum (magnetic field strength less than 0.001T) in the central region of the magnetic array.

[0041] The experiment also tested the automatic docking and locking feature. 8-unit, 10-unit, and 12-unit magnetic arrays were tested. The 10-unit array was not a multiple of 4, but it still exhibited the automatic docking and locking feature. The method involved throwing an iron ring with an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the magnetic array towards the array. With minimal deviation, the magnetic field automatically corrected its trajectory, then pulled the iron ring to engage the magnetic array components and suspend it in the center of the array. Figure 7 .

[0042] In this embodiment, the outer ring diameter of the 8-unit magnetic array assembly is 25mm, and the inner diameter of the iron ring is 28mm; the outer ring diameter of the 10-unit assembly is 27mm, and the inner diameter of the iron ring is 28mm; the outer ring diameter of the 12-unit assembly is 29mm, and the inner diameter of the iron ring is 30mm. All iron rings have a wire diameter of 4mm. The key feature of this invention is that the material used to achieve levitation locking no longer requires magnetic materials, but can be broadened to include iron, nickel, cobalt, silicon steel, iron-aluminum alloys, etc. Unlike current methods that achieve levitation through the balance of interactions between magnetic fields, this invention achieves locking by generating a special composite magnetic field, which greatly expands the application scenarios.

[0043] There are two other scenarios. First, when the magnetic units are large, their strong magnetic force poses a safety risk during assembly. Due to the strong attraction or repulsion between the magnetic units, direct installation and fixation are difficult. One approach is to first place and fix the non-magnetic units before magnetizing them. Alternatively, coils can be wound around each cylindrical iron core arranged at an angle, fixed in place, and energized to generate the required polarity for each magnetic unit, forming the magnetic array of this invention. Large magnetic arrays formed in this way can be used for rapid docking between large masses, such as in space station docking, avoiding complex attitude adjustments and allowing for rapid locking even if deviations occur.

[0044] Secondly, when the magnetic units are small enough, a magnetic levitation array can be used as a basic unit. This holds promise for applications such as targeted drug delivery and microfluidic solutions.

[0045] It should be noted that, due to the inability to achieve absolute consistency in the fabrication of magnetic units and factors such as environmental interference, the outer iron ring of the levitation locking magnetic array of the present invention will always be in contact with the outer wall of the component. In other words, the present invention does not violate Enshao's theorem.

[0046] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on its differences from other embodiments. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. For the apparatus disclosed in the embodiments, since they correspond to the methods disclosed in the embodiments, the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the method section.

[0047] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for levitation and locking of ferromagnetic materials in a static permanent magnet array, characterized in that, include: The structure and size of a certain number of magnetic units are determined and they are arranged into a ring magnetic array. The centroids of all magnetic units are in the same plane and are evenly distributed along the circumference. The polarity of adjacent magnetic units alternates between the center direction and the tangent direction of the circle. When multiple magnetic units are arranged clockwise along the annular magnetic array, each magnetic unit rotates counterclockwise by a fixed angle relative to the previous magnetic unit in the plane of the annular magnetic array, forming an axisymmetric composite magnetic field magnetic array, resulting in a magnetic array ring with levitation and locking characteristics.

2. The method for levitation and locking of ferromagnetic materials in a static permanent magnet array according to claim 1, characterized in that, The magnetic unit is a cuboid or cylinder, and the number of magnetic units is a multiple of 4 but not 4.

3. The method for levitation and locking of ferromagnetic materials in a static permanent magnet array according to claim 1, characterized in that, If the magnetic units are placed clockwise according to the circular magnetic array, then the magnetic poles of any one magnetic unit on the magnetic array ring plane will rotate counterclockwise by a fixed angle, which is 90° - (360° / n), where n is the number of magnetic units.

4. The method for levitation and locking of ferromagnetic materials in a static permanent magnet array according to claim 1, characterized in that, Near the axis of the ring magnetic array, there exists a region with no magnetic field or a very weak magnetic field, which varies with the number of magnetic units, the size of the magnetic units, and the size of the magnetic array ring. It is not linearly related and this region is not circular.

5. The method for levitation and locking of ferromagnetic materials in a static permanent magnet array according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ring magnetic array can also automatically dock and lock. When the ferromagnetic ring deviates from the center of the magnetic array and falls, it can be automatically aligned and suspended and locked by the magnetic field.

6. The method for levitation and locking of ferromagnetic materials in a static permanent magnet array according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Verification of whether the ring magnetic array can form the axisymmetric composite magnetic field required for stable levitation and locking is performed through magnetic field calculations, specifically including: Each magnetic unit is considered as a magnetic dipole located at its center, with the magnetic moment direction being the magnetization direction, and its magnitude determined by its volume and remanence. Draw a circle on the canvas to represent a magnet, and an arrow to indicate the magnetization direction. The magnetic field of a magnetic dipole can be calculated using the magnetic moment formula and the spatial distribution analytical expression, following 1 / r. 3 Attenuation: The magnetic field calculation only considers the XY plane and ignores the Z component. By superimposing dipoles and drawing magnetic field lines, we can observe whether it has an axisymmetric structure.

7. The method for levitation and locking of ferromagnetic materials in a static permanent magnet array according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a fixed base, which is a ring structure and has a groove that matches the magnetic unit. The magnetic unit is embedded into the groove with a transition fit and fixed in a preset polarity direction.

8. The method for levitation and locking of ferromagnetic materials in a static permanent magnet array according to claim 7, characterized in that, The fixed base is manufactured by generating an STL file through 3D modeling and Boolean subtraction operations, and then 3D printing.

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