Levitation--is it possible? Can human beings really leave the ground through the power of the mind alone? How can this extraordinary defiance of gravitational force be induced at will? These are some of the questions answered in this startling book that lays bare the occult meditational techniques by which the mind can lift the body off the ground. This book gives you the facts, the history, the controversies, the theories, and, above all, the centuries-old secrets of levitation that have remained in the hands of a few adepts--until now. It is an essential guide for anyone interested in the power of the mind, the legends of the East, Transcendental Meditation, the occult, and metaphysical practices.

"In this book, Peter Adey explores the idea of levitation within our cultural, scientific and spiritual lives. From science to illustration, poetry, philsophy, law, technology and a wider popular, spiritual and visual imagination, Levitation casts the levitator as a far more vulnerable figure than we previously have thought"--Jacket flap

Presents the fundamental principles governing levitation of material bodies by magnetic fields without too much formal theory. Defines the technology of magnetic bearings, especially those based on superconductivity, and demonstrates the key roles that magnetics, mechanics and dynamics play in the complete understanding of magnetic levitation and its bearings. Features extensive figures and photos of Mag-Lev devices and summarizes recent U.S. research studies in an effort to regain the lead in Mag-Lev technologies.

This book introduces the physical principles behind levitation with superconductors, and includes many examples of practical magnetic levitation demonstrations using superconducting phenomena. It features more than twenty examples of magnetic levitation in liquid nitrogen using high temperature superconductors and permanent magnets, all invented by the author. The book includes the demonstration of suspension phenomenon induced by magnetic flux pinning as well as magnetic levitation by the Meissner effect. It shows how superconducting magnetic levitation and suspension phenomena fire the imagination and provide scientific insight and inspiration. This book will be a useful experimental guide and teaching resource for those working on superconductivity, and a fascinating text for undergraduate and graduate students.

This book introduces the MagLev testing method for density measurement and density-based applications of diamagnetic and low-magnetic objects using permanent magnets. The book surveys the most relevant papers on the theory and model of various MagLev methods that have become the foundation to elucidate the principles of MagLev and the conditions for stable levitation. A thorough summary of the improvements demonstrates the applications and potential of the MagLev method in many fields. This book is separated into 11 chapters to present MagLev testing method fully, including a review of the background of MagLev, theories and basic principles of the stable levitation of object, different dimensions of applications of MagLev in the fields of mechanical engineering, chemistry, and bioengineering, and sophisticated applications of manipulation and separation. This book would benefit the audience in the field of mechanical engineering, chemistry, materials science, and bioengineering, since magnetic levitation method has proved itself suitable for the density-based analysis and applications of materials of different scales. The analysis in this book will help the audience deeply understand the mechanism of magnetic levitation, and it can serve as an instruction for the magnetic levitation procedure, or guidebook for the magnetic levitation setup. With the viewpoints and thoughts about MagLev running through this book, this book may spark the audience’s interest towards magnetic levitation method, and enlighten them to further develop Maglev method.

This book systematically introduces readers to the fundamental physics and a broad range of applications of acoustic levitation, one of the most promising techniques for the container-free handling of small solid particles and liquid droplets. As it does away with the need for solid walls and can easily be incorporated into analysis instruments, acoustic levitation has attracted considerable research interest in many fields, from fluid physics to material science. The book offers a comprehensive overview of acoustic levitation, including the history of acoustic radiation force; the design and development of acoustic levitators; the technology’s applications, ranging from drop dynamics studies to bio/chemical analysis; and the insightful perspectives that the technique provides. It also discusses the latest advances in the field, from experiments to numerical simulations. As such, the book provides readers with a clearer understanding of acoustic levitation, while also stimulating new research areas for scientists and engineers in physics, chemistry, biology, medicine and other related fields.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of magnetic levitation (Maglev) technologies, from fundamental principles through to the state-of-the-art, and describes applications both realised and under development. It includes a history of Maglev science and technology showing the various milestones in its advancement. The core concepts, operating principles and main challenges of Maglev applications attempted across various fields are introduced and discussed. The principle difficulties encountered when applying Maglev technology to different systems, namely air gap control and stabilization, are addressed in detail. The book describes how major advancements in linear motor and magnet technologies have enabled the development of the linear-motor-powered Maglev train, which has a high speed advantage over conventional wheeled trains and has the potential to reach speed levels achieved by aircraft. However, many expect that Maglev technology to be a green technology that is applied not only in rail transportation, but also in diverse other fields; to ensure clean transfer in LCD manufacturing, in ropeless high speed elevators, small capacity rail transportation, space vehicle launchers, missile testers, energy storage, and so on. These potential applications and their unique challenges and proposed technological solutions are introduced and discussed in depth. The book will provide readers from academia, research institutes and industry with insights on where and how to apply Maglev technology, and will serve as a guide to the realization of their Maglev applications.