A sharpened bicycle spoke serves as an axle, and clever magnetic bearings provide near-zero friction rotation. The stator coil comes from an old solenoid and is driven by a very simple two ...

Magnetic bearings and electrodynamic systems are innovative technologies that utilize magnetic forces to support and stabilize rotating machinery without the need for traditional mechanical bearings.

The difference here is that rather than low-friction sapphire bearings, this motor uses zero-friction magnetic levitation using pyrolyzed graphite discs. The diamagnetic material hovers above a ...