TY - JOUR N2 - The work discusses numerical and experimental researches, which are focused on developing a coherent model of magnetic interactions causing the levitation of the starting trolley of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) catapult. The starting trolley is levitating over the catapult’s tracks, which generate the magnetic field. The levitation is made possible by the diamagnetic properties of high-temperature superconductors, placed in supports of the starting trolley. The introduction of the article briefly analyzes the catapult structure. Next, it explains the nature of associated with the Meissner and flux pinning effect magnetic interactions which causes the levitation phenomenon. The paper presents the results of numerical analysis of the magnetic field, generated by the catapult’s tracks arranged in two configurations: a “chessboard” and a “gutter” pattern. The numerical model was solved, using the finite element method. Parameterization of the numerical model was made based on the measurements of the magnetic field, generated by a single magnet. L1 - http://www.czasopisma.pan.pl/Content/117699/PDF/23_D1177-1185_01531_Bpast.No.68-5_30.10.20_.pdf L2 - http://www.czasopisma.pan.pl/Content/117699 PY - 2020 IS - No. 5 (i.a. Special Section on Modern control of drives and power converters) EP - 1185 DO - 10.24425/bpasts.2020.134666 KW - magnetic field KW - passive magnetic suspension KW - high-temperature superconductors KW - levitation force KW - magnetic UAV catapult A1 - Sibilska-Mroziewicz, A. A1 - Ładyżyńska-Kozdraś, E. A1 - Falkowski, K. A1 - Sibilski, K. VL - 68 DA - 31.10.2020 T1 - Estimation of the force causing the levitation of the starting trolley of the unmanned aerial vehicle SP - 1177 UR - http://www.czasopisma.pan.pl/dlibra/publication/edition/117699 T2 - Bulletin of the Polish Academy of Sciences Technical Sciences ER -