Djsquires@aol.com wrote:
>
> Of course you don't feel anything if you just run a piece of wire
> past a magnet. The eddy currents are too small and the motion
> is not very fast. If you were to short out a loop it would be a bit
> better, but not much. This is a moot discussion since the flux
> lines would not be cutting across the copper in the case of
> a levitron in a vacuum. In math terms there is no delta-B.
>
> If you want to see the effect I speak of take a strong neodymium
> magnet and drop it down an aluminum plate or piece of channel
> at a steep angle. You will see that it slides very slowly due to
> eddy currents generated that create a field that opposes the motion.
> This is the flux coupling that would resist the motion and stop a
> freely spinning magnet. This happens because the sheet of metal
> acts like a shorted generator.
>
> A levitron might spin for a very long time in a vacuum perhaps even
> forever if left alone, but it would just be a lab curiosity. You could never
> pull any power from it.
>
> Sorry to burst your bubble. But keep an open mind and do your homework.
>
> Regards,
> Dave Squires