Is gyroscopic levitation possible?

We can and will levitate our magnetic gyroscope. The same is true for any gyroscope. The result is that a torque applied to a gyroscope by gravity, rather than pulling it to the ground, will cause it to wobble in a circle about the spin axis. This wobbling is called precession.

What happened to laithwaite?

The story of Professor Eric Laithwaite, who has died of a heart attack at the age of 76, is one of thwarted ambition. He had one dream in his life – to see the construction and commercial use of a hovertrain powered by a version of the device on which he was a world authority, a linear motor.

What did Eric laithwaite invent?

Eric Roberts Laithwaite (14 June 1921 – 27 November 1997) was a British electrical engineer, known as the “Father of Maglev” for his development of the linear induction motor and maglev rail system.

What is precession in gyroscope?

precession, phenomenon associated with the action of a gyroscope or a spinning top and consisting of a comparatively slow rotation of the axis of rotation of a spinning body about a line intersecting the spin axis. The smooth, slow circling of a spinning top is precession, the uneven wobbling is nutation.

Who invented levitron?

inventor Roy Harrigan
Company history The first spin-stabilized permanent magnet levitation device was invented (c 1976) and patented (1983) by inventor Roy Harrigan, of Vermont. In the mid-1990s, Seattle entrepreneur Bill Hones, who was himself exploring the possibility of permanent magnet levitation, discovered Harrigan’s patent.

Who invented mag lev?

Maglevs were conceptualized during the early 1900s by American professor and inventor Robert Goddard and French-born American engineer Emile Bachelet and have been in commercial use since 1984, with several operating at present and extensive networks proposed for the future.

Who created the maglev?

Maglev — short for magnetic levitation — trains can trace their roots to technology pioneered at Brookhaven National Laboratory. James Powell and Gordon Danby of Brookhaven received the first patent for a magnetically levitated train design in the late 1960s.

Why do tops precess?

The torque caused by the normal force – Fg and the weight of the top causes a change in the angular momentum L in the direction of that torque. This causes the top to precess.

Why does precession happen?

Precession is caused by the gravitational influence of the Sun and the Moon acting on Earth’s equatorial bulge. To a much lesser extent, the planets exert influence as well. The projection onto the sky of Earth’s axis of rotation results in two notable points at opposite directions: the north and south celestial poles.

Can magnets spin?

This is because electrons behave like tiny magnets, with North and South poles. So a magnetic field will have an effect on electrons in that field. If the field moves, the electrons in it will try to move. So, if you glue a magnet onto an axle, and turn the axle, you create a spinning magnetic field.

Can a gyroscope spin forever?

Provided the suspension electronics remain powered, the extreme rotational symmetry, lack of friction, and low drag will allow the angular momentum of the rotor to keep it spinning for about 15,000 years.

What did Laithwaite discover about gyroscopes?

This thing apparently did.’ Laithwaite started some gyroscope experiments of his own, making large spinning tops with most of the mass in the rim of the wheel, and he found that, ‘these very definitely did something that seemed impossible.’

What did Lord Laithwaite do?

Laithwaite started some gyroscope experiments of his own, making large spinning tops with most of the mass in the rim of the wheel, and he found that, ‘these very definitely did something that seemed impossible.’

Do gyroscopes lose weight when spinning?

A famous experience was carried out in 1974 by Eric Laithwaite 1 at the Royal Institution London, where he delivered a lecture about gyroscopes. On that occasion, Laithwaite could demonstrate that gyroscopes, when spinning, can lose a remarkable part of their weight.

Who is Eric Laithwaite and why should we care?

The cause of this unique case of scientific censorship was the maverick professor of electrical engineering of Imperial College, London, Eric Laithwaite. Laithwaite was no stranger to controversy even before his shadow fell across so distinguished an institutional threshold.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRPC7a_AcQo