New sexy LSMs all over the place?

[aceospades1250]

^That is pretty amazing. Now I can see how these systems can generate so much acceleration with such small stators.

[coasterlover420]

I found another picture floating around on pointbuzz

You can see on the left are the pins which release restraints, on the right is the plate for drive wheels to move the train, and in the middle is the array of permanent magnets. I still can't really figure out the orientation of the magnets (polarity-wise) but I'm still looking for some more photos!

[Tmcdllr]

Wow, that's awesome!

[aceospades1250]

From what I can tell in your first picture, the magnets are oriented with alternating N/S poles, whos axis are aligned parallel to the tracks. The yellow/black stickers seem to represent the polarities, though I'm not sure which one is N/S. I can't see why else they would be there. It looks like they would be oriented like this:

 

|SN|SN|SN|SN|SN|

----------------------

|NS|NS|NS|NS|NS|

 

I'd be interested to see how the stators switch on and off to synchronize with the rapidly alternating polarities.

 

EDIT: crappy drawing redone for clarity

 

EDIT2: But then, if they were oriented like this, wouldn't the magnetic fields combine into one long, thin loop? That would mean that only the stators directly in front of and behind each car would need to be switched on at any given time (of course different stators would fire as the train moves down the launch track).

[coasterlover420]

^(Edit2) Yes that is why I was perplexed. I think the polarity in that picture actually follows the arrows on the yellow labels. That way it creates several magnetic fields across both sides of the aperture. Here's a crude drawing I made:

[aceospades1250]

Hmm. I don't think those are arrows, they look more like a warning sign to me. From the picture if looks like there is a black and yellow sticker on each magnet, and if they were oriented in that^ way there would be 4 polarities on each magnet, with each axis perpendicular to the stator. That's impossible.

[coasterlover420]

^How would there be 4 polarities on a magnet?

The concept isn't that the magnetic fields have to be flowing in the direction of travel, the idea is that the magnetic field created in the stators has to be moving.

The stators would have electromagnets wound in this way:

This way, the magnetic fields would interact and as the electromagnets are charged in order, the field moves down the track.

[aceospades1250]

^How would there be 4 polarities on a magnet?

 

there would be 4 polarities on each magnet, with each axis perpendicular to the stator. That's impossible.

 

and I understand what you are saying with the polarities now. I bet the program that takes the info from the sensors, processes it, and sychronizes the motors is pretty complex.