"Plasmagnetic Levitation"

[JTM³]

From wikipedia:

 

Plasmagnetic Levitation is an experimental technology that involves using ultraviolet radiation to turn air into a column of conductive plasma. A current is run through this plasma, and a magnet is used to repel against it. HoverTech is curretly developing upon this idea, with the hopes of creating a hoverboard-like device.

 

 

I was just wondering if this really has any scientific merit....

[tomgwyther]

It seems to... If the magnet was sufficiantly negatively charged, it would repel it's self more from what-ever it was standing on.

 

You'd probably need a huge charge though.

 

Don't forget every thing including the computer screen your looking at is hovering above what it's sitting on.

i.e. Your computer monitor is hovering about 1 micron above your desk as this is as close as the atoms in each object can get. It's a bit like a magnetic cusion.

 

p.s. take a peek at this mad scientists work

http://www.americanantigravity.com/hutchison

[JTM³]

It seems to... If the magnet was sufficiantly negatively charged' date=' it would repel it's self more from what-ever it was standing on.

 

You'd probably need a huge charge though.

 

Don't forget every thing including the computer screen your looking at is hovering above what it's sitting on.

i.e. Your computer monitor is hovering about 1 micron above your desk as this is as close as the atoms in each object can get. It's a bit like a magnetic cusion.

 

p.s. take a peek at this mad scientists work

http://www.americanantigravity.com/hutchison[/quote']

 

The link doesn't work for me...anyway, I've heard of this guy, and I thought you guys would be suspiciuos of people like him?

 

Should I avoid that site entirely (at least as far as scientific "truth" is concerned) or does it have any merit?

 

Your computer monitor is hovering about 1 micron above your desk as this is as close as the atoms in each object can get. It's a bit like a magnetic cusion.

 

Now we just need to extend the range a "bit"

[[Tycho?]]

It seems to... If the magnet was sufficiantly negatively charged' date=' it would repel it's self more from what-ever it was standing on.

 

You'd probably need a huge charge though.

 

Don't forget every thing including the computer screen your looking at is hovering above what it's sitting on.

i.e. Your computer monitor is hovering about 1 micron above your desk as this is as close as the atoms in each object can get. It's a bit like a magnetic cusion.

 

p.s. take a peek at this mad scientists work

http://www.americanantigravity.com/hutchison[/quote']

 

Magnets do not have a charge.

 

And I dont see how this could create any kind of "hoverboard" or anything like that. You have a magnet repelling a plasma. Ok. You have two things repelling eachother; but they are connected, they are in the same device. How does this provide lift? You would need the board to repel against the ground in order for it to actually hover.

[swansont]

']Magnets do not have a charge.

 

And I dont see how this could create any kind of "hoverboard" or anything like that. You have a magnet repelling a plasma. Ok. You have two things repelling eachother; but they are connected' date=' they are in the same device. How does this provide lift? You would need the board to repel against the ground in order for it to actually hover.[/quote']

 

 

Unless the device was actually ejecting or repelling the plasma, like an exhaust. Then you would have thrust like a rocket.

[JTM³]

Perhaps the plasma repels off the ground and the board or whatever you want to make hover repels off the plasma

[mooeypoo]

Woah!!

 

When I was 14 I created a drawing (quite elaborated' date=' I must add) of a new way to fly, using electrecuted boots and an electromagnetic floor. Good thing I wasn't a builder.

thread: http://www.scienceforums.net/forums/showpost.php?p=277349&postcount=25[/quote']

 

I was... close!?

 

And here I thought all this time it was the stupidest idea ever.

Should've built the thing.. would've been a millionair

 

But seriously now: Wouldn't creating a 'plasma' in the air cause huge ammount of heat? isn't that dangerous? we're talking about something that will be under a car.. if there's an accident, or even if you miscalculated a height and ended up driving over a manhole with someone inside, won't that be extreeeemmmeeellly deadly?

 

~moo

[JTM³]

What's wrong with danger?

[mooeypoo]

I'll take that as a yes?

[chanx]

Not totally sure if the technology would work or not, but as for danger? I'd have to put it like this, as it stands now being under a car is deadly. In most cases if there's a person in a manhole and they don't have that blocked off so traffic goes around it, i'd say that person is in for some hurt whether its a car with wheels or one with this technology under it. I honestly don't see it being any more dangerous then our current vehicles. With old people and 16 year olds behind the wheel, it'll cause damage just the same.

[reor]

Not totally sure if the technology would work or not, but as for danger? I'd have to put it like this, as it stands now being under a car is deadly. In most cases if there's a person in a manhole and they don't have that blocked off so traffic goes around it, i'd say that person is in for some hurt whether its a car with wheels or one with this technology under it. I honestly don't see it being any more dangerous then our current vehicles. With old people and 16 year olds behind the wheel, it'll cause damage just the same.

OMGLOLKTHXBYE!!!

 

As far as i understood it, the plasma is produced under a magnet and then a current is run through that plasma, making the magnet repel the plasma.

[chanx]

OMGLOLKTHXBYE!!!

 

I'll take that as a shot of sarcasm. Either way i'm simply pointing out vehicles are dangerous. Whether its floating on air, tires or some hi-tech piece of equipment, anytime you allow people to drive vehicles the danger factor is about the same. I've heard this hover idea discussed before and the same question came up of how dangerous would it be, i just want people to realize that cars in themselves are dangerous. It's as if people have a tendency to forgot how dangerous vehicles are since they've been around for so long.

 

Anyway enough about that, if this truly worked that would be great, according to their website (hovertech.com), they are working on a demonstration unit. We'll just have to wait and see if it works. I'll let someone else buy the demo unit for $500, and tell us if it works or not .

[reor]

No, that wasn't sarcasm. Seriously. You will notice when i'm being sarcastic. My sarcasm is as sharp and cutting as a katana.

Serious now, i think you're damn right. Maybe it was a bit unclear, but i was trying to second your post.

 

Go hover-car!

[ryanmagee]

Normally, plasma must be very hot or energetic so that its negative and positive particles don't recombine. Cold plasma, however, can be created at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. For a list of links on cold plasma, please see our online resources.

 

I was... close!?

 

And here I thought all this time it was the stupidest idea ever.

Should've built the thing.. would've been a millionair

 

But seriously now: Wouldn't creating a 'plasma' in the air cause huge ammount of heat? isn't that dangerous? we're talking about something that will be under a car.. if there's an accident, or even if you miscalculated a height and ended up driving over a manhole with someone inside, won't that be extreeeemmmeeellly deadly?

 

~moo

[ryanmagee]

Normally, plasma must be very hot or energetic so that its negative and positive particles don't recombine. Cold plasma, however, can be created at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. For a list of links on cold plasma, please see our online resources. http://www.hovertech.com/home/help/resources.html

[Rocket Man]

this device runs on induced current from the coil above the plasma, the whole system works on a high frequency AC current in the top coil inducing a current in the bottom one. if you've ever seen those ring lifter things you'll know what im talking about,

a coil wrapped around a copper stalk, a conductive ring floats above the coil around the copper.

in this case, the ring is a toroidal section of plasma and its contained between the ground, the board and held central to the coil because the coil is wider than the cushion of plasma so the plasma is generally repelled to the centre.

the magnetic feild simply acts to magnetise and contain an ionised gas, much like the skirt of a hovercraft. theres been ideas thrown about to use a UV lamp to ionise the air.

[Edtharan]

There was an article in NewScientist (9 September 2006 page 30) about using microwaves in a sealed cavity to create a force that could provide levitation.

 

Could something like that actually work and how might it work?

[[Tycho?]]

There was an article in NewScientist (9 September 2006 page 30) about using microwaves in a sealed cavity to create a force that could provide levitation.

 

Could something like that actually work and how might it work?

 

I saw that article too, or a bit of it anyway. I can't verify it for myself, but the idea is very interesting, certainly moreso than the one that was the original topic of this thread.

 

I suggest you make a new thread. That article was pretty interesting, and a lot of people would read a thread about a reactionless drive.