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66-458: Backlot Stunt Coaster is a launched roller coaster located at three Six Flags amusement parks. The first two installations opened at Kings Island and Canada's Wonderland in 2005 under the name Italian Job: Stunt Track , while the third opened at Kings Dominion in 2006 as Italian Job: Turbo Coaster . All three were themed to the climactic chase scene at the end of the 2003 film The Italian Job . Special effects were incorporated throughout

132-484: A brake run, while Kingda Ka, built in 2005, adds a 129 ft (39 m) airtime hill before the final brake run. Some hydraulic coaster layouts omit the top hat element altogether. Another manufacturer, Vekoma , began producing hydraulic-launched coasters in 2004 with the opening of Booster Bike at Toverland in the Netherlands , reaching speeds up to 47 mph (76 km/h). Using the same type of system as

198-496: A clone of Italian Job: Stunt Coaster but with a slightly different name, Italian Job: Turbo Coaster. It opened on May 27, 2006. The ride at Kings Dominion replaced the Diamond Falls shoot-the-chute ride. At the end of the 2007 season, all three Italian Job coasters were renamed to Backlot Stunt Coaster for the start of the 2008 season. The name change was part of a wider effort by Cedar Fair to remove Paramount themes from

264-814: A hydraulic launch, a pneumatic launch uses compressed air to launch the vehicle. The technology was developed by S&S as the Thrust Air 2000 model. The first coaster of this type was the Hypersonic XLC , opened at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia, USA in 2001. This coaster closed in 2007. Another incarnation, the Ring Racer was open for only 4 days. Compressed air launches are able to provide more acceleration than traditional pneumatic launches, with Do-Dodonpa at Fuji-Q Highland in Japan having held

330-432: A larger core must be used. However, computing the magnetic field and force exerted by ferromagnetic materials in general is difficult for two reasons. First, because the strength of the field varies from point to point in a complicated way, particularly outside the core and in air gaps, where fringing fields and leakage flux must be considered. Second, because the magnetic field B and force are nonlinear functions of

396-429: A limit on the maximum force per unit core area, or magnetic pressure , an iron-core electromagnet can exert; roughly: for saturation limit of the core, B sat . In more intuitive units it is useful to remember that at 1 T the magnetic pressure is approximately 4 atmospheres, or kg/cm . Given a core geometry, the B field needed for a given force can be calculated from (1); if it comes out to much more than 1.6 T,

462-401: A loop or magnetic circuit , possibly broken by a few narrow air gaps. Iron presents much less "resistance" ( reluctance ) to the magnetic field than air, so a stronger field can be obtained if most of the magnetic field's path is within the core. Since the magnetic field lines are closed loops, the core is usually made in the form of a loop. Since most of the magnetic field is confined within

528-412: A magnetic field around the wire, due to Ampere's law (see drawing of wire with magnetic field) . To concentrate the magnetic field in an electromagnet, the wire is wound into a coil with many turns of wire lying side by side. The magnetic field of all the turns of wire passes through the center of the coil, creating a strong magnetic field there. A coil forming the shape of a straight tube (a helix )

594-412: A maximum pull of 8.75 pounds (corresponding to C = 0.0094 psi ). The maximum pull is increased when a magnetic stop is inserted into the solenoid. The stop becomes a magnet that will attract the plunger; it adds little to the solenoid pull when the plunger is far away but dramatically increases the pull when they are close. An approximation for the pull P is Here ℓ a is the distance between

660-403: A piece of iron bridged across its poles, equation ( 2 ) becomes: Substituting into ( 1 ), the force is: It can be seen that to maximize the force, a core with a short flux path L and a wide cross-sectional area A is preferred (this also applies to magnets with an air gap). To achieve this, in applications like lifting magnets (see photo above) and loudspeakers a flat cylindrical design

726-647: A segment. LIMs are mainly used in Premier Rides roller coasters and Intamin impulse and blitz coasters. However, LIMs can also be used for general transport, such as the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover in Magic Kingdom or monorail and maglev trains. Hydraulic -launched roller coasters, pioneered by Swiss manufacturer Intamin , give the riders greater acceleration with improved smoothness over

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792-557: A simulated machine gun sound, pyrotechnics and water effects. Sound recordings of "Action!" and "Cut!" were also heard during launch and final brake run, respectively. The last drop portraying the Mini Coopers jumping out of a sewer featured spraying water jets to simulate a splashdown effect. Launched roller coaster Linear induction motor (LIM) and linear synchronous motor (LSM) coasters use propulsion via electromagnets , which utilize large amounts of electricity to propel

858-418: A tunnel, twisting and dropping before coming out of the "broken billboard", splashing down in an L.A. Aqueduct , and turning left into the ride's station. Backlot Stunt Coaster has three trains, each with three cars. Each car can sit four people in two rows of two. Under its original name and theme, the ride featured unique cars which resembled ¾ scale MINI Coopers . Paramount worked closely with BMW to design

924-422: A tunnel. A helicopter rises to the train's left, shooting simulated gunfire. Under Paramount's operation, the gunfire cracked pipes and barrels, which sprayed "gasoline" (truly, water) all around riders. Though that effect has since been removed, the second round of gunfire still ignites where the gasoline would've splashed, catching two barrels on fire before a gas tank explodes. The train is then launched again into

990-401: Is a lifting magnet. A tractive electromagnet applies a force and moves something. Electromagnets are very widely used in electric and electromechanical devices, including: A common tractive electromagnet is a uniformly-wound solenoid and plunger. The solenoid is a coil of wire, and the plunger is made of a material such as soft iron. Applying a current to the solenoid applies a force to

1056-426: Is called a solenoid . The direction of the magnetic field through a coil of wire can be found from a form of the right-hand rule . If the fingers of the right hand are curled around the coil in the direction of current flow ( conventional current , flow of positive charge ) through the windings, the thumb points in the direction of the field inside the coil. The side of the magnet that the field lines emerge from

1122-522: Is capable of reaching 128 mph (206 km/h) in 3.5 seconds. The fastest roller coaster in the world, Formula Rossa , reaches 149 mph (240 km/h) in 4 seconds using the hydraulic method. Accelerator Coasters manufactured by Intamin commonly place a top hat element after the launch, which is a hill in the shape of a tower with a 90-degree ascent and 90-degree drop. Trains enter and exit this element in opposite directions. Top Thrill Dragster , built in 2003, includes this element followed by

1188-433: Is defined to be the north pole . For definitions of the variables below, see box at end of article. Much stronger magnetic fields can be produced if a " magnetic core " of a soft ferromagnetic (or ferrimagnetic ) material, such as iron , is placed inside the coil. A core can increase the magnetic field to thousands of times the strength of the field of the coil alone, due to the high magnetic permeability μ of

1254-433: Is due to the resistance of the windings, and is dissipated as heat. Some large electromagnets require water cooling systems in the windings to carry off the waste heat . Since the magnetic field is proportional to the product NI , the number of turns in the windings N and the current I can be chosen to minimize heat losses, as long as their product is constant. Since the power dissipation, P = I R , increases with

1320-702: Is flat. Two operating examples of this technique are the Drifter at Sochi Park in the Sochi Olimpic Park and at FunWorks, Abu Dhabi (manufacturer I.E.Park ) In the catapult launch, a dropped weight winds a cable to pull the train until it accelerates to its full speed. Dropped weights were used in early installations of Shuttle Loop . These rides are often not very tall, and usually achieve speeds of 60 mph (96 km/h). Flywheel launches are used on some Anton Schwarzkopf designed shuttle loop coasters and Zamperla Motocoasters . A large flywheel

1386-419: Is often used. The winding is wrapped around a short wide cylindrical core that forms one pole, and a thick metal housing that wraps around the outside of the windings forms the other part of the magnetic circuit, bringing the magnetic field to the front to form the other pole. The above methods are applicable to electromagnets with a magnetic circuit and do not apply when a large part of the magnetic field path

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1452-417: Is outside the core. A non-circuit example would be a magnet with a straight cylindrical core like the one shown at the top of this article. Only focusing on the force between two electromagnets (or permanent magnets) with well-defined "poles" where the field lines emerge from the core, a special analogy called a magnetic-charge model which assumes the magnetic field is produced by fictitious 'magnetic charges' on

1518-400: Is produced by an electric current . Electromagnets usually consist of wire wound into a coil . A current through the wire creates a magnetic field which is concentrated in the hole in the center of the coil. The magnetic field disappears when the current is turned off. The wire turns are often wound around a magnetic core made from a ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic material such as iron ;

1584-406: Is spun at high speeds and is attached to a cable that propels the train forward. Arrow Dynamics' Launched Loop coasters, which were popular in the 1970s and 1980s, use a powerful electric motor and tensioned springs to propel a launch car forward. The launch car pushes the train outward to a drop, and then returns to its position. After the train reaches the opposite platform, another catch car works

1650-501: Is the number of turns in the solenoid, I is the current through the solenoid wire, and ℓ is the length of the solenoid. For units using inches, pounds force, and amperes with long, slender, solenoids, the value of C is around 0.009 to 0.010 psi (maximum pull pounds per square inch of plunger cross-sectional area). For example, a 12-inch long coil ( ℓ = 12 in ) with a long plunger of 1-square inch cross section ( A = 1 in ) and 11,200 ampere-turns ( N I = 11,200 Aturn ) had

1716-406: Is why the very strongest electromagnets, such as superconducting and very high current electromagnets, cannot use cores. The main nonlinear feature of ferromagnetic materials is that the B field saturates at a certain value, which is around 1.6 to 2 teslas (T) for most high permeability core steels. The B field increases quickly with increasing current up to that value, but above that value

1782-534: The RMC Topper Track Coaster, Lightning Rod, at Dollywood, and B&M's wingrider, Thunderbird, at HolidayWorld. An example of an LSM launched roller coaster is Maverick at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. These launch systems transfer electricity through a motor on the roller coaster's track so that it controls the speed at which it will urge the cars and train either forward or backward on

1848-478: The acceleration record from when it opened as Dodonpa in 2001 to its closure in 2024, launching passengers from 0 to 112 mph (180 km/h) in 1.56 seconds (it is now held by Stealth at Thorpe Park , UK). S&S has brought back pneumatic launches in China with OCT Thrust SSC1000 and Bullet Coaster at Happy Valley Wuhan and Happy Valley Shenzhen respectively. Maxx Force at Six Flags Great America marked

1914-416: The accumulators is used to drive a number of hydraulic motors (commonly 16 or 32), which spin a large winch drum that rewinds a cable attached to the lead car of the train, called the catch-car, in a matter of seconds. The cable runs under the launch track , and the catch-car moves along a groove in the track's center. The motor is positioned at the opposite end of the catch-car on the launch track. While

1980-413: The ascension of a car through a true parking garage. The train then drops from the top of the helixes into a "street" lined with highway signs and three police cars, with sirens and lights flashing. Riders then swerve between the police cars. Riders then go through an overbanked turn at 88 degrees, followed by a dip and then traveling down a set of "subway stairs". The train then comes to a halt in front of

2046-469: The cars. The cars had headlight stickers on the front and working doors on the side. Sound effects were also built into the cars. Each train was arranged the same, with the first car being painted blue, the second car being painted red, and the third car being painted white. Before the 2010 season, the trains were simplified and removed of any resemblance to the MINI Cooper as Cedar Fair no longer holds

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2112-407: The chain of parks the company acquired in 2006 from Paramount Parks . Special effects throughout the ride were modified to remove references to the movie, generalizing the overall theme. After accelerating from 0–40 miles per hour (0–64 km/h) in three seconds, out of the station , the train enters into a three-story " parking garage " shell, passing through two upwards helixes meant to mirror

2178-513: The coaster train along its track into the ride elements (e.g. inversions, twists, turns and short drops). Ten design companies managing these types of rides are Vekoma , Intamin , Gerstlauer , Premier Rides , Maurer , Zierer , Mack Rides , Bolliger & Mabillard , Rocky Mountain Construction and S&S Worldwide . Both Rocky Mountain Construction and Bolliger & Mabillard established their first LSM launched coasters recently with

2244-405: The core material ( C ). Within the core the magnetic field ( B ) will be approximately uniform across any cross-section, so if in addition, the core has roughly constant area throughout its length, the field in the core will be constant. This leaves the air gaps ( G ), if any, between core sections. In the gaps, the magnetic field lines are no longer confined by the core. So they 'bulge' out beyond

2310-423: The core's magnetization is constantly reversed, and the remanence contributes to the motor's losses. The magnetic field of electromagnets in the general case is given by Ampere's Law : which says that the integral of the magnetizing field H {\displaystyle \mathbf {H} } around any closed loop is equal to the sum of the current flowing through the loop. Another equation used, that gives

2376-403: The current, depending on the nonlinear relation between B and H for the particular core material used. For precise calculations, computer programs that can produce a model of the magnetic field using the finite element method are employed. In many practical applications of electromagnets, such as motors, generators, transformers, lifting magnets, and loudspeakers, the iron core is in the form of

2442-439: The electromagnetic and catapult launch mechanisms. The acceleration from a hydraulic launch is greatest at the beginning and dies off rapidly, but the acceleration from a LIM/LSM launch remains fairly constant throughout the duration of the launch. The core of the system involves powerful hydraulic pumps, usually eight, that are each capable of producing approximately 500 horsepower (373 kW). In Kingda Ka 's configuration,

2508-448: The end of the stop and the end of the plunger. The additional constant C 1 for units of inches, pounds, and amperes with slender solenoids is about 2660. The second term within the bracket represents the same force as the stop-less solenoid above; the first term represents the attraction between the stop and the plunger. Some improvements can be made on the basic design. The ends of the stop and plunger are often conical. For example,

2574-405: The entire core circuit, and thus will not contribute to the force exerted by the magnet. This also includes field lines that encircle the wire windings but do not enter the core. This is called leakage flux . The equations in this section are valid for electromagnets for which: The magnetic field created by an electromagnet is proportional to both N and I , hence this product, NI , is given

2640-438: The field disappears. However, some of the alignment persists, because the domains have difficulty turning their direction of magnetization, leaving the core magnetized as a weak permanent magnet. This phenomenon is called hysteresis and the remaining magnetic field is called remanent magnetism . The residual magnetization of the core can be removed by degaussing . In alternating current electromagnets, such as are used in motors,

2706-417: The field levels off and becomes almost constant, regardless of how much current is sent through the windings. The maximum strength of the magnetic field possible from an iron core electromagnet is limited to around 1.6 to 2 T. When the current in the coil is turned off, in the magnetically soft materials that are nearly always used as cores, most of the domains lose alignment and return to a random state and

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2772-407: The field, and the magnetic field passes through the core in lower reluctance than when it would pass through air. The larger the current passed through the wire coil, the more the domains align, and the stronger the magnetic field is. Finally, all the domains are lined up, and further increases in current only cause slight increases in the magnetic field: this phenomenon is called saturation . This

2838-400: The iron has no large-scale magnetic field. When a current is passed through the wire wrapped around the iron, its magnetic field penetrates the iron, and causes the domains to turn, aligning parallel to the magnetic field, so their tiny magnetic fields add to the wire's field, creating a large magnetic field that extends into the space around the magnet. The effect of the core is to concentrate

2904-425: The license to use MINI Coopers on Backlot Stunt Coaster. They have also changed the arrangement of the car colors on the trains: One train is all blue, the second is all red and the third is all white. All three had similar themes revolving around the climatic chase scene at the end of the 2003 film, The Italian Job . Special effects were incorporated throughout the ride such as a helicopter that attacks riders with

2970-897: The magnetic core concentrates the magnetic flux and makes a more powerful magnet. The main advantage of an electromagnet over a permanent magnet is that the magnetic field can be quickly changed by controlling the amount of electric current in the winding. However, unlike a permanent magnet that needs no power, an electromagnet requires a continuous supply of current to maintain the magnetic field. Electromagnets are widely used as components of other electrical devices, such as motors , generators , electromechanical solenoids , relays , loudspeakers , hard disks , MRI machines , scientific instruments, and magnetic separation equipment. Electromagnets are also employed in industry for picking up and moving heavy iron objects such as scrap iron and steel. Danish scientist Hans Christian Ørsted discovered in 1820 that electric currents create magnetic fields. In

3036-479: The magnetic field due to each small segment of current, is the Biot–Savart law . Likewise on the solenoid, the force exerted by an electromagnet on a conductor located at a section of core material is: The force equation can be derived from the energy stored in a magnetic field . Energy is force times distance. Rearranging terms yields the equation above. The 1.6 T limit on the field mentioned above sets

3102-624: The magnetomotive force is well above saturation, so the core material is in saturation, the magnetic field will be approximately the saturation value B sat for the material, and will not vary much with changes in NI . For a closed magnetic circuit (no air gap) most core materials saturate at a magnetomotive force of roughly 800 ampere-turns per meter of flux path. For most core materials, μ r ≈ 2000 – 6000 {\displaystyle \mu _{r}\approx 2000{\text{–}}6000\,} . So in equation (2) above,

3168-479: The material. Not all electromagnets use cores, so this is called a ferromagnetic-core or iron-core electromagnet. This is because the material of a magnetic core (often made of iron or steel) is composed of small regions called magnetic domains that act like tiny magnets (see ferromagnetism ). Before the current in the electromagnet is turned on, the domains in the soft iron core point in random directions, so their tiny magnetic fields cancel each other out, and

3234-416: The name magnetomotive force . For an electromagnet with a single magnetic circuit , Ampere's Law reduces to: This is a nonlinear equation , because the permeability of the core μ varies with B . For an exact solution, the value of μ at the B value used must be obtained from the core material hysteresis curve . If B is unknown, the equation must be solved by numerical methods . However, if

3300-451: The outlines of the core before curving back to enter the next piece of core material, reducing the field strength in the gap. The bulges ( B F ) are called fringing fields . However, as long as the length of the gap is smaller than the cross-section dimensions of the core, the field in the gap will be approximately the same as in the core. In addition, some of the magnetic field lines ( B L ) will take 'short cuts' and not pass through

3366-401: The outlines of the core loop, this allows a simplification of the mathematical analysis. See the drawing at right. A common simplifying assumption satisfied by many electromagnets, which will be used in this section, is that the magnetic field strength B is constant around the magnetic circuit (within the core and air gaps) and zero outside it. Most of the magnetic field will be concentrated in

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3432-409: The plunger and may make it move. The plunger stops moving when the forces upon it are balanced. For example, the forces are balanced when the plunger is centered in the solenoid. The maximum uniform pull happens when one end of the plunger is at the middle of the solenoid. An approximation for the force F is where C is a proportionality constant, A is the cross-sectional area of the plunger, N

3498-413: The plunger may have a pointed end that fits into a matching recess in the stop. The shape makes the solenoid's pull more uniform as a function of separation. Another improvement is to add a magnetic return path around the outside of the solenoid (an "iron-clad solenoid"). The magnetic return path, just as the stop, has little impact until the air gap is small. An electric current flowing in a wire creates

3564-479: The return of pneumatic launches in the United States. Magnets are placed under the cars and a series of flywheels coupled to aluminum discs is in the launch zone: there is no contact between the two. The system can be used also for speed up intermediate launchers, and for braking, with static aluminum blades, at the end of the ride. Thanks to the energy stored in the flywheels, the power demand for launching

3630-684: The ride to reproduce the scene, although some of the effects were removed in later years. The Italian Job theme was also dropped in 2008 following Cedar Fair's acquisition of the amusement parks from Paramount . The Italian Job: Stunt Track was announced by Kings Island and Canada's Wonderland on August 12, 2004. It replaced the Lex Taxis antique car ride at Kings Island. The ride opened at Kings Island for previews on April 29, 2005, followed by its grand opening several weeks later on May 20. It opened at Canada's Wonderland on May 1, 2005. On October 12, 2005, Kings Dominion announced they would be adding

3696-485: The same way. An example of this is Irn Bru Revolution . Another type of launch is by friction wheels . The launch track consists of a series of horizontal tires that pinch the brake fins on the underside of the train. One example of this is the Incredible Hulk Coaster at Universal's Islands of Adventure . Electromagnet An electromagnet is a type of magnet in which the magnetic field

3762-471: The same year, the French scientist André-Marie Ampère showed that iron can be magnetized by inserting it in an electrically fed solenoid. British scientist William Sturgeon invented the electromagnet in 1824. His first electromagnet was a horseshoe-shaped piece of iron that was wrapped with about 18 turns of bare copper wire. ( Insulated wire did not then exist.) The iron was varnished to insulate it from

3828-409: The second term dominates. Therefore, in magnetic circuits with an air gap, B depends strongly on the length of the air gap, and the length of the flux path in the core does not matter much. Given an air gap of 1mm, a magnetomotive force of about 796 Ampere-turns is required to produce a magnetic field of 1T. For a closed magnetic circuit (no air gap), such as would be found in an electromagnet lifting

3894-421: The square of the current but only increases approximately linearly with the number of windings, the power lost in the windings can be minimized by reducing I and increasing the number of turns N proportionally, or using thicker wire to reduce the resistance. For example, halving I and doubling N halves the power loss, as does doubling the area of the wire. In either case, increasing the amount of wire reduces

3960-707: The surface of the poles. This model assumes point-like poles instead of the really existing surfaces, and thus it only yields a good approximation when the distance between the magnets is much larger than their diameter, so it is useful just for a force between them. Magnetic pole strength of electromagnets can be found from: m = N I A L {\displaystyle m={\frac {NIA}{L}}} The force between two poles is: F = μ 0 m 1 m 2 4 π r 2 {\displaystyle F={\frac {\mu _{0}m_{1}m_{2}}{4\pi r^{2}}}} Each electromagnet has two poles, so

4026-413: The system can produce a peak power of up to 20,800 hp (15.5 MW) for each launch. Hydraulic fluid is pumped into several different hydraulic accumulators – energy storing devices – containing two compartments that are separated by a piston . As the incompressible hydraulic fluid is pumped into one compartment, nitrogen in the other compartment is compressed. At launch, the fluid under pressure from

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4092-420: The total force on a given magnet due to another magnet is equal to the vector sum of the forces of the other magnet's poles acting on each pole of the given magnet. There are several side effects which occur in electromagnets which must be provided for in their design. These generally become more significant in larger electromagnets. The only power consumed in a DC electromagnet under steady-state conditions

4158-432: The train inches forward into a ready position, the pusher mechanism moves back from the motor toward the train. Once the pusher connects, the anti-rollback braking system drops beneath the track, giving the train the green light to be launched. The first hydraulic launch coaster was Xcelerator reaching 82 mph (132 km/h) in 2.3 seconds. The world's tallest roller coaster, Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure ,

4224-579: The uninsulated wire he used could only be wrapped in a single spaced-out layer around the core, limiting the number of turns. Beginning in 1830, US scientist Joseph Henry systematically improved and popularised the electromagnet. By using wire insulated by silk thread and inspired by Schweigger's use of multiple turns of wire to make a galvanometer , he was able to wind multiple layers of wire onto cores, creating powerful magnets with thousands of turns of wire, including one that could support 2,063 lb (936 kg). The first major use for electromagnets

4290-427: The windings. When a current was passed through the coil, the iron became magnetized and attracted other pieces of iron; when the current was stopped, it lost magnetization. Sturgeon displayed its power by showing that although it only weighed seven ounces (roughly 200 grams), it could lift nine pounds (roughly 4 kilos) when the current of a single-cell power supply was applied. However, Sturgeon's magnets were weak because

4356-410: Was in telegraph sounders . The magnetic domain theory of how ferromagnetic cores work was first proposed in 1906 by French physicist Pierre-Ernest Weiss , and the detailed modern quantum mechanical theory of ferromagnetism was worked out in the 1920s by Werner Heisenberg , Lev Landau , Felix Bloch and others. A portative electromagnet is one designed to just hold material in place; an example

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