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Maglev Research

Maglev Research Studies show that people are reluctant to abandon automobile use for trips of less than 100 miles, while planes are most efficient at trips of over 500 or 600 miles. The trips in between these distances are those that will be best served by magnetic levitation (Maglev) transportation systems. By replacing short, inefficient commuter flights between cities, maglev trains might eventually link sections of the country, ease traffic congestion on the highways, and help alleviate overcrowding at airports. Aside from its transportation benefits, a maglev system will create jobs Magnetic levitation uses magnetic waves to suspend and propel vehicles along a guideway similar to monorail guideways. To understand how this works we will go into a little physics. A theorem devised by William Earnshaw proves that it is not possible to achieve static levitation using any combination of fixed magnets and electric charges. Static levitation means stable suspension of an object against gravity. There are however, a few ways to levitate by getting around the assumptions of the theorem. The proof of Earnshaw’s theorem is very simple if you understand some basic vector calculus. The static force as a function of position F(x) acting on any body in vacuum due to gravitation, electrostatic and magnostatic field will always be divergence’s. divF=0. At a point of equilibrium the force is zero. If the equilibrium is stable the force must point in towards the point in towards the point of equilibrium on some small sphere around the point. However, Gauss’ theorem, the integral of the radial component of the force over the surface must be equal to the integral of the divergence of the force over the volume inside which is zero. This theorem even applies to extended bodies which may even be flexible and conducting so long as they are not diamagnetic. They will always be unstable to lateral rigid displacements of the body in some direction about any position of equilibrium. You cannot get around it using any combination of fixed magnets with fixed pendulums or whatever (Earnshaw,W., On the nature of the molecular forces which regulate the constitution of the luminferous ether). There are not really exceptions to any theorem but there are ways around it which violate the assumptions. If you can detect the position of an object in space and feed it into a control system which can vary the strength of electromagnets which are acting on the object, it is not difficult to keep it levitated. You just have to program the system to weaken the strength of the magnet whenever the object approaches it and strengthen when it moves away. You could even do it with movable permanent magnets. This method violates the assumption of Earnshaw’s theorem that the magnets are fixed. This system, electromagnetic suspension is the system used in maglev The maglev system has an estimated maximum speed of 300 mph and would require only 40% as much fuel per passenger mile as an average automobile, and only 33% as much as the average airplane. Much of its speed comes from the frictionless surface which, according to Isaac Newton, an object remains in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. Also due to the maglev train being run on a frictionless surface, a maglev train is quieter than a car, airplane, or a conventional train. Also to increase the speed of the maglev train, the US Air Force is testing a maglev that travels inside a tube filled with helium which is less dense than air. The trains can also run on electricity alone; saving valuable natural fuels. A great advantage to building these maglev trains is that it can be built along side or even in the median strips of existing highways. Although maglev trains require its own road bed and cannot be used on existing rail lines, it requires far less room than either regular train tracks or highways, and it can be elevated above the ground as to not interfere with traffic below. Efficiency does come with its costs though. The costs for the production of the maglev trains would be about 3 times that of a conventional train. This does not include the cost of testing the maglev train systems. This is one of its greatest setbacks. Research on maglev technology has taken place since 1970 in Japan and Germany. So the question you might ask is why after 28 years has the maglev train system not boomed into production? To my knowledge only one maglev train system has been used for commercial use. This system, which went from an airport in Birmingham, England to a conventional rail line, ran for 11 years then was replaced by transit buses which were cheaper to fix and parts were readily available. The facts are that instead of choosing a multibillion railway system, governments have settled for the bland, conservative, less efficient options of transportation such as bus transit. When the financing is available, maglev technology is the key to ‘progress’ and the conservation of the environment. As a New York senator writes, “Because of faster acceleration, higher speeds around curves and the ability to climb steeper grades, a maglev train can make every stop and still equal the travel time of a nonstop railroad. Had Scientific American been published in 1807, when Robert Fulton was developing the first steamship service between New York City and Albany, perhaps we would have read an article entitled ‘Steamships: Racing to Oblivion.’ The article would probably have pointed out that the latest Hudson River sloops, with mild wind, can make the journey on about the same time and at a much lower cost. Why would we want to invest in what many engineers were calling ‘Fulton’s Folly?’ There was no way of anticipating the speedy and efficient ships that would eventually evolve from the technology deployed in 1807; similarly, the limits of maglev are yet to be seen.”( Moynihan, Daniel Patrick, Scientific American - Letters to the Editor (Feb98)). Current funding in the production of maglev systems have kept the dream alive. According to Scientific American’s - “Maglev: Racing to Oblivion”, Germany has receive federal and private funding to build a maglev train system from Hamburg to Berlin. “It wants the technology as a symbol that the reunited nation remains an innovator - and to quell questions about why it has not built a commercial maglev inside its own borders while trying to sell these flying trains abroad”(Stix, Gary; Scientific American - “Maglev: Racing to Oblivion”). Research is also being conducted by large aeronautical groups such as Boeing and Macdonald Douglas. Currently Douglas is employing Hundreds of workers and engineers to work on the new designs and when production starts has the possibilities of hiring thousands. Scientists and engineers are constantly working to solve the mysteries of the maglev and it appears as though the light at the end of the tunnel is in sight. Dr. Richard Post and Dr. Klaus Halbach are working on a maglev train the runs on permanent magnets. Currently maglev trains are run by electromagnets but with their newly found process, maglev trains would run on much stable permanent magnets. Normally just a Permanent magnet could not support the weight of the train but using a process called Indutrack. “...by using the right arrangement of Halbach arrays, the train can be made self-stabilizing so that, short of an earthquake, it will never fall off the track...According to Dr. Post’s calculations, Indutrack should be extremely efficient at high speed. It will, he claims, have a lift-to-drag ration eight times better than a jet airliner’s, with a consequent saving in energy”(A Permanent Solution?, The Economist 10/31/98). As technology for maglev trains increases the potential use of maglev train systems will greatly out-weighs conventional train lines. We have seen that maglev trains are safer, better for the environment, more efficient, and much faster than any other form of mechanical transportation. Just imagine. A trip to New York from Florida on a conventional train would take a full day, on a maglev train would accomplish it in half the time. In time and money this could be the future in Here a just a few pictures of maglev trains and then a further explanation of maglev Maglev is a system in which the vehicle runs levitated from the guideway (corresponding to the rail tracks of conventional railways) by using electromagnetic forces between superconducting magnets on board the vehicle and coils on the ground. The following is a general explanation of The "8" figured levitation coils are installed on the sidewalls of the guideway. When the on-board superconducting magnets pass at a high speed about several centimeters below the center of these coils, an electric current is induced within the coils, which then act as electromagnets temporarily. As a result, there are forces which push the superconducting magnet upwards and ones which pull them upwards simultaneously, thereby levitating the Maglev vehicle. The levitation coils facing each other are connected under the guideway, constituting a loop. When a running Maglev vehicle, that is a superconducting magnet, displaces laterally, an electric current is induced in the loop, resulting in a repulsive force acting on the levitation coils of the side near the car and an attractive force acting on the levitation coils of the side farther apart from the car. Thus, a running car is always located at the center of the guideway. A repulsive force and an attractive force induced between the magnets are used to propel the vehicle (superconducting magnet). The propulsion coils located on the sidewalls on both sides of the guideway are energized by a three-phase alternating current from a substation, creating a shifting magnetic field on the guideway. The on-board superconducting magnets are attracted and pushed by the shifting field, propelling the Maglev vehicle. © Railway Technical Research Institute Bibliography: WORKS CITED Optimization of the Magnetic Configuration in EMS-Maglev Systems M. Andriollo, G. Martinelli, A. Morini, and A. Tortella. (Feb 1999). Vol. 10 Issue 1, pl., 19p, Item number 1466653; International Journal of Applied Electromagnetics & Mechanics Received from EBSCOhost. Accessed Wed, March 31,1999 18:42:07 Message Id: 199903312342.SAA10598@mailgw1.epnet.com. The paper describes a fully automated procedure to optimize the configuration of the magnetic circuit in EMSMAGLEV systems. The procedure elaborates the results obtained through FEM numerical analyses and automatically re-defines the parameters of the configuration to minimize a suitable objective function, which takes into account both significant electromagnetic quantities and design constraints. Control Of Maglev Suspension Systems CAI,Y.; CHEN,S.S. . (Aug 1996) Vol. 2, Issue 3, p349; Journal of Vibration & Control; Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439; item number: 9608143841. Text retrieved from EBSCOhost. This study investigates alternate designs for control of maglev vehicle suspension systems. Active and semiactive control-law designs are introduced into primary and secondary suspensions of maglev vehicles. A one-dimensional vehicle with two degrees of freedom, simulating the German Transrapid Maglev System, is used. The transient and frequency responses of suspension systems and power spectral densities of vehicle accelerations are calculated to evaluate different control designs. The results show that both active and semiactive control designs improve vehicle response and provide acceptable ride comfort for maglev systems. Prepare for lift off - MAGNETIC Levitation Vehicles - Design & Construction; Railroads - Trains - Technological Innoventions Graham-Rowe, Duncan (Aug 8, 1998) New Scientist; Issue 2146, p7. ISSN: 0262-4079 AN: 962028 Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Org. Reports that a research team at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California has found a simpler and safer way to build magnetic levitation ( Maglev) systems for trains. Use of permanent magnets to lift the train in the Inductrack system; How the Inductrack differs from other maglev trains. Technology Today - Magnetic levitation vehicles Pierce, Alan J. (Jan 1998). Tech Directions; Vol.57, Issue 6, P8,. Japanese Railway Technical Research Institute Co. AN: 154964 ISSN: 1062-9351 Reports the testing of the Maglev train vehicle system developed by the Japanese Railway Technical Research Institute. How the system was built; Basis of Maglev’s technological devices Maglev Floats Forward Normille, Dennis. (Jun 1997). Popular Science - Newsfronts: Science & Technology - transportation. Vol.250 Issue 6, p43; Item number: 9705196433. Times Mirror Magazines. Edited by: Dawn Stover. Short article informing readers of the advancements of the Japanese Maglev trains. EBSCOhost document. Accessed Wed., March 31, 1999 18:35:18. Message id: 199903312342.SAA10651@mailgw1.epnet.com Maglev Trains - A Permanent Solution? Author Unknown (Oct 31,1998). Economist. Vol. 349 Issue 8092,p88. Item Number: 1219713. Economist Newspaper, NA, Inc. Skeptical outlook on Dr. Richard Post’s, of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, Idea on a solution to the problems of the Maglev Train. Recieved from EBSCOhost on 3/31/99 at 6:35:18 PM Eastern Standard Time. Message ID: 199903312335.SAA10039@mailgw1.epnet.com Designing and Testing “Maglev” Vehicles and Systems http://www.anl.gov/LabDB/Current/Ext/H389-text.001.html Argonne National Laboratory Web Page. - Programs and Capabilities Database. Information concerning the research and testing of Maglev trains. http://www.rtri.or.jp/rd/maglev/html/english/* Japanese Maglev Research Database on the Web. Includes Principles of Maglev, Overview of Maglev R&D, and History of Maglev R&D. Principles, Overview, and history of Maglev train technology in Japan. Maglev: Racing to Oblivion? Stix, Gary (Oct 1997) Scientific American, http://www.sciam.com/1097issue/1097stix_maglev.html Downhill efforts of recent attempts at efficient Maglev trains. The high cost of building and testing of Maglev trains is hampering forward progress in technology. Accessed 3/30/99 9:55 PM Future of Transportation Moynihans, Daniel Patrick, US Senator, New York. Scientific American - Letters to the Editor. February 1998. http://www.sciam.com/1998/0298issue/0298letters.html, pg. 1. Argumentative view on previous article “ Maglev: Racing to Oblivion?”(Oct 97) Electromagnetic Levitation and Suspension Systems B.V. Jayawant, Publishers: Edward Arnold, London, 1981 Pg11 Examination of nature’s forces. On the Nature of the Nature of the Molecular Forces Which Regulate the Constitution of the Luminferous ether. Earnshaw, W., Trans. Camb. Phil. Soc., 7, pp 97-112 (1842). Free Suspension of Bodies in Electric and Magnetic Fields Braunbeck, W. , Zeitschrift Fur Physik, 112, 11, pp 753-763 ( 1939). EBSCOhost EBSCO Publishing; X-Mailer: EBSCO Publishing Print Component Version 3.1 Built on Feb 26,1999 Floida Southen College Information search engine.

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