Effect of AC Magnetic Field on the Levitation Force of YBCO Bulk above NdFeB Guideway

In the present High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) maglev vehicle system, the nonuniformity of the magnetic field along the movement direction above the NdFeB guideway is inevitable due to the assembly error and inhomogeneous of the material property of the NdFeB magnet. In order to investigate the influence of the nonuniformity on the levitation performance of the HTS bulk, an electromagnet supplied by AC current is used to simulate the nonuniformity of the external magnetic field. The levitation force of the HTS bulk is measured when applying AC currents to the electromagnet coils. Experimental results indicate that the levitation force changes abruptly and then oscillates after applying AC external magnetic field, and the levitation force is attenuated by the AC magnetic field after withdrawing the AC field. Moreover, the oscillation amplitude and the attenuation rate of the levitation force increase with the amplitude of the AC external magnetic field.