Maglev vs mesoinfinigearbearings - Revision history

Apm: /* Current tech */

2026-02-13T10:29:24Z

Current tech

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:29, 13 February 2026
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	With current (2026) technology car wheels and even more so train wheels. <br>		With current (2026) technology car wheels and even more so train wheels. <br>
	Are already are surprisingly efficient for bearing a speed of 32m/s or more. <br>		Are already are surprisingly efficient for bearing a speed of 32m/s or more. <br>
	{{wikitodo\|Add some math to that.}}		{{wikitodo\|Add some simple math on well established numbers to that.}}

	== Changes with advanced AP tech ==		== Changes with advanced AP tech ==

Apm: /* Changes with advanced AP tech */

2026-02-13T10:28:23Z

Changes with advanced AP tech

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:28, 13 February 2026
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	By … <br>		By … <br>
	– getting the efficiently up even more than train wheels (gemstone metamaterials stiffer than steel) <br>		– getting the efficiently up even more than train wheels (gemstone metamaterials will expectably be notably stiffer than steel) <br>
	– adding up speed over several layers to get to overall higher speeds (and perhaps lower speeds per layer) <br>		– adding up speed over several layers to get to overall higher speeds (and perhaps lower speeds per layer) <br>
	– adding advanced active cooling <br>		– adding advanced active cooling <br>

Apm: basic page

2026-02-13T10:27:08Z

basic page

New page

{{stub}}

'''Suspicion to investigate:''' 
Magnetic bearing may scale less favorably than highly advanced mechanical bearing for really high speeds.

== Current tech ==

With current (2026) technology car wheels and even more so train wheels. 
Are already are surprisingly efficient for bearing a speed of 32m/s or more. 
{{wikitodo|Add some math to that.}}

== Changes with advanced AP tech ==

By … 
– getting the efficiently up even more than train wheels (gemstone metamaterials stiffer than steel) 
– adding up speed over several layers to get to overall higher speeds (and perhaps lower speeds per layer) 
– adding advanced active cooling 
… it may be reasonable to expect that spaceflight relevant speeds in the multi km/s range (hypervelocity range) 
may become nondestructively bearable with physical contact bearings rather than magnetic levitation bearings. 

=== Things to be aware of ===

Note that for AP multi layer bearings from macro down to meso scale 
the method of [[increasing bearing area to decrease friction]] may not be applicable 
due to not yet being in the nanoscale friction regieme where 
friction force and power scales with speed and speed squared respectively. 
Bearing layer thickness and spacing and geared roller geometry 
will likely pose a nontrivial optimization problem. 

The bigger the mesoscale layers the more likely conventional wear may become an issue. 
There'd still be a need for some initial damage driving it away from atomic precision and/or atomically perfect sealing 
this could be initiated by radiation or heat damage, but then it could be self worsening from there. 
All still very much unclear.

== Maglev in comparison ==

Despite an interest in mass drivers on the Moon (and other places) and (less so) launch loops, 
as of 2026 there is still surprisingly little experimental studies on eddy current losses at really high speeds. 
There should be theoretical studies at least. {{wikitodo|To investigate.}}

== Related ==

* [[Mesoscale friction]]
* [[Atomically precise roller gearbearing]]
* [[Infinitesimal bearing]]