Cambridge Uni spin out Magnifye wins funding for novel magnet technology
University of Cambridge Department of Engineering spin-out Magnifye has secured proof of concept funding for a powerful novel industrial magnet that may be ready for the market within two years.
Magnifye has used £39,000 East of England Development Agency funding to test the market for its innovative method of magnetising superconducting material which can create magnets over 10 times stronger than conventional magnets.
The higher density of the superconducting bulk magnets overcomes issues of limited power due to the size of magnets currently in operation and could lead to cars with electric motors small enough to fit in a wheel hub, wind turbines producing greater amounts of energy and MRI scanners or particle accelerators with greater efficiency, the company said.
The system has been developed by Tim Coombs, a senior lecturer at the Department of Engineering.
"We are creating new roles for magnets by making them much smaller and more powerful," Dr Coombs said. "Machinery, which already uses magnets, could be also made smaller, lighter and more cheaply by using superconducting magnets.
"Magnets are already part of everyday life but their use is often limited by the size of the magnets needed for the task."
The marine division of engineering firm, BMT Group, is putting together a specification for a pilot project with Magnifye, joining two automotive and medtech companies already tapping in to the new magnets.
Magnifye uses a heat engine that converts thermal energy into currents of millions of amps to create super magnets, generating a series of magnetic waves which progressively magnetise the super-conductor, much in the same way a nail can be magnetised by stroking it over a magnet.
As long as the superconductor stays cold, these flow uninterrupted, providing powerful, stable magnetic fields, creating powerful magnets small enough to fit in the palm of the hand or large enough to power a cruise liner.
"A single-inch diameter puck could potentially lift a seven tonne truck," Dr Coombs said.
*Thanks to an outraged reader who pointed out some inadequacies in the first take of this piece
