Final Post

Hey everyone, this will be my last post for my research into magneticism. However, this will not be the end of my research. I plan on continuing this topic, and maybe even make it part of my thesis for my masters. With that being said, I want to share with you my concept for a levitating lounge chair.

This piece consists of the same basic parts that I showed you in the floating lamp. It has a base module, which would have the permanent magnets, and the carrier, which has the ferromagnetic materials. There are six permanent magnets in the base module, and 6 ferromagnetic rings split up between the three carriers. The ferromagnetic ring would be a mixture of iron and the neodymium. According to my research this would create a very powerful repulsion force. My idea is to have the magnets at different strengths to create the swoop that the lounge chair needs to be comfortable. Connected to the carriers is a rubber substrate/structure. This allows the piece to move with the different levels of magnetism, yet allow it to stay in one piece. Finally on top of the rubber substrate are the upholstered cushions. I have them upholstered in white leather, but that might change as I continue with this project. 

Of course this is completely conceptual, but I think with enough research and trials this could become a real piece of furniture in the future. 

Post 5

As promised I did some research on elements that can create a high magnetic force. What I stumbled upon is an element called Neodymium. I found this element when I was reading some information for this online class I am watching videos for. The class is about nanotechnology and how that can be used in the future. The topic was using nano sized magnets to create joints for many different things. (Might me a viable solution to my magnetic furniture joinery idea.) They have been using nano particles of neodymium mixed with iron to create powerful magnetic bonds. This mixture is one reason why electronics are getting smaller and lighter. Neodymium has a large magnetic force is because the outer ring has seven unpaired electrons. This is important because magnets are caused by the aligning of unpaired electrons in the two substances you are connecting. I think this element could be a key factor in my development of levitating furniture. Unfortunately the element is very rare, and is not found in raw form. It is found in mixtures of other elements. (parentheses again: Luckily my father is a geologist and knows about the element, so maybe it isn't too far from my grasps.)
For my next post I will be showing the conceptual renderings I have for what my levitation lounge chair will look like. Check back later this week to see those pictures!

Post 4

Since I have come up with the idea of levitation, and I know that the technology exists, I thought I would look more into the levels of magnetism. I think this will be very important in making my idea come to live. I would like to take this moment to point out that I am not a scientist. Everything I am writing about I have found through research, so I apologize for any inaccuracies. With that being said, through my research I discovered something called magnetic saturation. Basically a magnetic saturation is where you increase the magnetism of a metal to its full potential. Once it reaches it's peak it will level off, and eventually decline. This applies to my research because using the right kind of metal to create the repulsion force is critical. The larger the saturation, the more force will be created, and the more force created, the greater amount of weight will be able to be levitated. This table shows some of the basic metals and their magnetic saturation.

As the B field increases, which is the magnetic permeability, the H field, or magnetic field, is reached. In this table #1 is sheet steel, and #9 is magnetite. Thus sheet metal has one of the much highest magnetic saturations in the known elements. My next step is to find out what metal has the highest magnetic potential, and if it can safely be used in my ideas. 

Post 3

For this post I wanted to discuss some of the ideas I have for using magnets in furniture. I will then use these ideas as jumping off points for the next series of research.

First off I am taking a furniture evolution class, and we are doing a project which requires us to imagine what the future of design will be like. Our topic is joinery, so my prediction is that furniture in the future will be held together by magnetism. My idea is to design a chair or table where you run a current through the piece so that the joints connect. Then once the current stops the piece will be permanently joined together. To remove the joints you could reverse the current so the magnets release.  I want to research if this is in any way possible, and to see if that magnetism will be harmful to the user. I will be contacting the creators of the two pieces I showed on here last week , and asking them if the magnetism in their works affect things such as technology and the user overall.

My other idea is to have all the joints magnetized so they will always hold together without the current having to connect them. As I learned in my research, two permanent magnets connecting creates a stronger bond than having one permanent magnet, and one ferromagnetic material. How to get them apart once they are connected is the problem I will have to address.

Another idea I have is the idea of a levitating seat. This has been a conceptual idea for years, but I want to look into the idea and see if it can actually be realized. Imagine being able to sit down and not having any pressure to sit against. Physically floating in space. We have seen how magnetism can be used to levitate things of a certain weight. I am curious if that same technology, just on a larger scale, will make levitation a person possible. Maybe even a thing layer of magnetized fabric (carrier), which could act as the seat, which is then levitated by the base.

Post 2

For this post I thought I would discuss what exactly magnets are, and how they work. There are four types of forces in the universe: Electromagnetism, gravity, and strong and weak nuclear forces. Electromagnetism is the result of an interaction between two charged particles. In our case a permanent magnet and a ferromagnetic material. A permanent magnet is an object that creates a constant magnetic field, and a ferromagnetic material is a material, such as iron, that has the capability of attracting to a permanent magnet. Typically we combine these two objects so their north and south poles align, which causes pull force. However, with regards to the lamp and table I posted about the other day. The magnets are aligned so that the same poles are facing each other. Creating a repel force. As I start thinking about how I would apply magnets to furniture, these are the two types of magnetism that I will be dealing with.

I also wanted to share a couple more photos to show how the floating lamp functions. The first picture is of the base module and the carrier, or the magnet disc. The base module is activated by electrical power, and the magnet disc is capable of levitating up to 10kg. The second picture is of the actual lamp and an exploded view of the assembly. 

Post 1

Before beginning my research on actual electromagnetism.  I wanted to see how, or if, magnets are being used in furniture. I came upon a few pieces that I wanted to share with you. First is a piece by the company RockPaperRobot. The table is called Float, and it is created by using magnetized wood. The wood pieces are then connected in place by very thin metal wires. The outcome is a very fascinating, yet functional, table. http://rockpaperrobot.com/

The other piece I found is by designer Angela Jansen. Her pair of Floating lamps combine LED and levitation technology from the company Crealev. http://www.floating-lamps.com/about-light-light/.
For more information on their levitation technology. http://www.crealev.com/

I am hoping to use these pieces as a start off point for my electromagnetism research. They are very inspirational and extremely innovative. 

Introduction

Hello world,

First off, my name is Tanner Svoboda, and I am currently a MFA Furniture Design student at the Savannah College of Art and Design. I am starting this blog to combine two of my favorite subjects, furniture design and science. Ever since I was little I have been curious about astrophysics, specifically the topic of electromagnetism. My curiosity on the topic is anywhere from how everyday magnets function, to how the gravitation pull of the moon affects the water levels on earth. I hope to do research and develop  a solution to how magnets might be use in furniture design. Whether it is as joinery or even the ability to have a chair levitate using magnets. Join me as I expand on this topic over the next few weeks.