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Introduction
How does it work?
- propulsion
- suspension
- advantages and disadvantages
Development of the concept
Present using
Future plans
Conclusion
References
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Out of science fiction books, a train running on
magnetic and electrical force only, no wheels,
no engine and the steel track replaced by a
guideway, the maglev (Magnetic Levitation)
trains are becoming a reality more then ever.
With a record of 581km/h, these trains open
new visions about future transportation.
Just like airplanes revolutionize 20th century’s
transportation, maglev trains are expected to
do the same thing with 21th century’s
transportation.
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Electromagnetic Propulsion:
1. In real life the opposite poles of magnets attract
each other and like ends repel, this is the simple
principle behind electromagnetic propulsion.
2. However electromagnets attract metal objects
while charged with electricity, the pull is
temporary and dependent on the charge.
3. For a train to operate three major components
must be present in the system: a powerful
electrical power source, large guidance magnets
attached to the underside of the train, a track lined
with metal coils.
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2.
The magnetized coil running along the track,
is called the guideway. This will repel the
large magnets on the underside of the
carriage, causing the train to hover above
the track.
The key advantage of the Maglev train is that
it floats on a cushion of air, with virtually no
friction. This allows the train to reach such
high speeds!
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There is 2 forms of suspension technology:
1-Electromagnetic suspension
2-Electrodynamic suspension
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1-Electromagnetic suspension:
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In current EMS systems, the train levitates above a
steel rail while electomagnets attached to the
train, are oriented toward the rail from below.
The electromagnets use feedback control to
maintain a train at a constant distance from a
track.
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2-Electrodynamic suspension:
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In Electrodynamic suspension (EDS), both the rail and the
train exert a magnetic field, and the train is levitated by
the repulsive force between these magnetic fields. The
magnetic field in the train is produced by either
electromagnets or by an array of permanent magnets .
At slow speeds, the force is not large enough to support
the weight of the train. For this reason the train must have
wheels or some other form of landing gear to support the
train until it reaches a speed that can sustain levitation.
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Due to the lack of physical contact between the track
and the vehicle, there is no rolling friction, leaving
only air resistance.
Maglevs can handle high volumes of passengers per
hour and do it without introducing air pollution along
the right way.
Safest way of transportation, since its all
automatically controlled, no chance of collision or
brake down.
No burning of fossil fuel, so no pollution, and the
electricity needed will be nuclear or solar.
The powerful magnets demand a large amount of
electricity to function so the train levitates. What
makes the maglev trains much more expensive to
build and to operate.
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The weight of the large electromagnets in
EMS and EDS designs are a major design
issue. A very strong magnetic field is required
to levitate a massive train.
Due to its high speed and shape, the noise
generated by a maglev train is similar to a jet
aircraft, and is considerably more disturbing
than standard train noise. A study found the
difference between disturbance levels of
maglev and traditional trains to be 5dB (about
78% noisier)
Very costly to operate since it needs large
magnets and a very advanced technology and
huge amount of electrical power.
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A U.S. patent, dated 1 October 1907, is for a
linear motor propelled train in which the
motor, below the steel track, carried some
but not all of the weight of the train. The
inventor was Alfred Zehden.
The world's first commercial automated
system was a low-speed maglev shuttle that
ran from the airport terminal of Birmingham
International Airport (UK) to the nearby
Birmingham International railway station
from 1984 to 1995.
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Shanghai Maglev Train:
Contracted from 2000-2004 with a cost of
1.2 billion $, it links the Pudong Airport and
Shanghai Metro, it is based on the maglev
technologies of Siemens. It caries about
7000 passengers per day
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Linimo:
1. The world's first commercial automated “Urban
Maglev" system commenced operation in March
2005 in Aichi, Japan. This is the nine-station 8.9 km
long Tobu-Kyuryo Line, otherwise known as the
Linimo.
2. The train has a top speed of 100 km/h.
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