Static and dynamic potential wells with application to high-speed ground transport. Stability analysis of electrodynamically levitated vehicles

Static potential well may be produced by a persistent current due to perfect conductivity of a contour and reveals in suspension of a magnet, because of constant magnetic flux. A dynamic potential well may be produced by independent motion of a magnet close to medium with different magnetic permeability. The dynamic well enables to suspend a magnet close to the edge of a rotating disk. This is not the case for electrodynamical levitation, because of lateral instability. Development of high temperature superconductors makes it possible to evolve new systems of suspension. Because of the attractive character of forces in static and dynamic potential wells, a possibility emerges to combine the properties of HTSC, static and dynamic potential wells. Some properties of dynamic potential wells provide stable suspension of the magnet. It is shown that the characteristics of electrodynamical levitation may be improved through the use of a medium with different magnetic permeability. In the second part of the paper stability of an electrodynamically levitated vehicle is studied. Two types of instability (oscillatory and nonoscillatory) are observed. An approximate analytical method for stability analysis is proposed.