Avoiding wave disurbance totally with 'Quantum Locking'

I saw this great video showing 'magnetic locking', and had to think of how the heck I could introduce it to a boating forum.



Even more info at

http://www.popsci.com.au/science/video-quantum-locking-currently-good-for-flying-discs


Imagine, a submarine like craft, generating a large magnetic field, carrying a passenger module high above the waves.

Small problem like making the passenger module 'super conducting' without dipping it in liquid nitrogen - any ideas ?

 

There are a lot of very brilliant people working very hard at the moment to develop high-temperature superconductors that do not have to be chilled. (by "high", we are talking on the order of room temperature).

If HTSC can be made to work, the consequences would be enormous. Electric motors far more compact and efficient than today's. Much cheaper MRI machines that don't need liquid helium chillers. Long-distance power lines with zero loss. And, yes, seriously weird vehicles like RW's sub sketch

 

I saw a report on a company selling 10,000M of room temp superconductor to a utility in Japan several years ago.
Couldn't find much about the composition or strength or diameter or carrying capacity. Guess all that is super secret.

I wanted to use it on an aircraft, then a friend pointed out the maximum temperatures in the area for the line was 220F.
Boy was I embarrassed.

 

That video is absolutely awesome, with a very basic but clear explanation of what's happening inside the superconductor. A year ago I had started a similar thread, with intention of drawing attention to this new technology: http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/al...g-levitation-future-transportation-40209.html , but with no direct relationship with naval architecture. Rwatson has fancied an interesting way of using it for marine transportation purposes.

Imo, if scientists find a way to obtain the superconducting and quantum-locking effect in materials at nearly-room temperature, it will have a big influence on the design of machines in general, and transportation systems in particular. No more need for force and torque transmission systems made of solid materials, no need for heavy metal shafts and through-hull bearings etc. Hence a drastic reduction in friction, dissipation of power, and less moving parts which could break. And that's a first thing that come to my mind. Once people get more knowledge about the physics behind this technology, I'm pretty sure the folks with creative minds around the world will invent heaps of other uses for it.

 

Good info Daiq - your comments have opened a whole new spectrum of possibilities to me. Imagine the affect on a large factory, food production etc.

Assuming the power requirements aren't too onerous - but think about how much energy is used in manufacturing trolleys, ball bearings etc.

You could have a self configuring factory - one that just pushes the conveyor apparatus into a new position, onto automatically configuring magnetic tracks, for short production runs or processing configurations .... mind boggling

 

Simple: In NL we have a nice looking lady who is cold enough... Till so far no-one has been able to heat her up. Bridget Maasland.

 

The problem Herman, would be she would need to be on her own. If she was in view of male passengers the nett effect would be an increase in temperature.

Thanks for the video rwatson, fascinating.

 

Yeah, it's yet another proof of the second law of thermodynamics: you can't cheat the entropy.

 

Herman,

How did you know about the lady? Did she turn you down for a date?

 

Truly remarkable the properties of super conductors being newly discovered. Probably the first practical large scale use might be low lose or zero loss electrical power transmission lines. Not the quantum locking thing of course. Based on history, it will not be next year. Some of my cohorts at Bell Labs were working on this over 50 years and at least two generations ago.

 

yes indeed Tom - fascinating stuff. I have been browsing the net on articles about superconducting metal combinations.

One would hope it would be just a matter of discovering the right combination ... if history is anything to go by, it will be a story of 'lucky accidents', or perhaps aliens will give us a clue