How Maglev Trains Work

Introduction to How Maglev Trains Work

The Maglev trains are the trains which are used for the transportation in some parts of the world, theses trains run on the concept of magnetic levitation. The train is propelled with the help of large number of magnets placed on the rails. The train could able to reach a speed of 4,000 miles an hour when experimented at vacuum. The highest recorded speed of the train is 361 miles an hour in Japan.

If you've been to an airport lately, you've probably noticed that air travel is becoming more and more congested. Despite frequent delays, airplanes still provide the fastest way to travel hundreds or thousands of miles. Passenger air travel revolutionized the transportation industry in the last century, letting people traverse great distances in a matter of hours instead of days or weeks.

The first commercial maglev line made its debut in December of 2003. Learn about it and other maglev lines in the works.

The only alternatives to airplanes -- feet, cars, buses, boats and conventional trains -- are just too slow for today's fast-paced society. However, there is a new form of transportation that could revolutionize transportation of the 21st century the way airplanes did in the 20th century.

A few countries are using powerful electromagnets to develop high-speed trains, called maglev trains. Maglev is short for magnetic levitation, which means that these trains will float over a guideway using the basic principles of magnets to replace the old steel wheel and track trains. In this article, you will learn how electromagnetic propulsion works, how three specific types of maglev trains work and where you can ride one of these trains.

Electromagnetic Suspension (EMS)

If you've ever played with magnets, you know that opposite poles attract and like poles repel each other. This is the basic principle behind electromagnetic propulsion. Electromagnets are similar to other magnets in that they attract metal objects, but the magnetic pull is temporary. As you can read about in How Electromagnets Work, you can easily create a small electromagnet yourself by connecting the ends of a copper wire to the positive and negative ends of an AA, C or D-cell battery. This creates a small magnetic

field. If you disconnect either end of the wire from the battery, the magnetic field is taken away.

The magnetic field created in this wire-and-battery experiment is the simple idea behind a maglev train rail system. There are three components to this system:

A large electrical power source Metal coils lining a guideway or track Large guidance magnets attached to the underside of the train

The big difference between a maglev train and a conventional trainis that maglev trains do not have an engine -- at least not the kind of engine used to pull typical train cars along steel tracks. The engine for maglev trains is rather inconspicuous. Instead of using fossil fuels, the magnetic field created by the electrified coils in the guideway walls and the track combine to propel the train.

Photos courtesy Railway Technical Research InstituteAbove is an image of the guideway for the Yamanashi maglev

test line in Japan.

The Maglev Track

The magnetized coil running along the track, called a guideway, repels the large magnets on the train's undercarriage, allowing the train to levitate between 0.39 and 3.93 inches (1 to 10 cm) above the guideway. Once the train is levitated, power is supplied to the coils within the guideway walls to create a unique system of magnetic fields that pull and push the train along the guideway. The electric current supplied to the coils in the guideway walls is constantly alternating to change the polarity of the magnetized coils. This change in polarity causes the magnetic field in front of the train to pull the vehicle forward, while the magnetic field behind the train adds more forward thrust.

Maglev trains float on a cushion of air, eliminating friction. This lack of friction and the trains' aerodynamic designs allow these trains to reach unprecedented ground transportation speeds of more than 310 mph (500 kph), or twice as fast as Amtrak's fastest commuter train. In comparison, a Boeing-777 commercial airplane used for long-range flights can reach a top speed of about 562 mph (905 kph). Developers say that maglev trains will eventually link cities that are up to 1,000 miles (1,609 km) apart. At 310 mph, you could travel from Paris to Rome in just over two hours.

Germany and Japan are both developing maglev train technology, and both are currently testing prototypes of their trains. (The German company "Transrapid International" also has a train in commercial use -- more about that in the next section.) Although based on similar concepts, the German and Japanese trains have distinct differences. In Germany, engineers have developed an electromagnetic suspension (EMS) system, called Transrapid. In this system, the bottom of the train wraps around a steel guideway. Electromagnets attached to the train's undercarriage are directed up toward the guideway, which levitates the train about 1/3 of an inch (1 cm) above the guideway and keeps the train levitated even when it's not moving. Other guidance magnets embedded in the train's body keep it stable during travel. Germany has demonstrated that the Transrapid maglev train can reach 300 mph with people onboard.

Electrodynamic Suspension (EDS)

Japanese engineers are developing a competing version of maglev trains that use an electrodynamic suspension(EDS) system, which is based on the repelling force of magnets. The key difference between Japanese and German maglev trains is that the Japanese trains use super-cooled, superconducting electromagnets. This kind of electromagnet can conduct electricity even after the power supply has been shut off. In the EMS system, which uses standard electromagnets, the coils only conduct electricity when a power supply is present. By chilling the coils at frigid temperatures, Japan's system saves energy. However, the cryogenic system uses to cool the coils can be expensive.

Another difference between the systems is that the Japanese trains levitate nearly 4 inches (10 cm) above the guideway. One potential drawback in using the EDS system is that maglev trains must roll on rubber tires until they reach a liftoff speed of about 62 mph (100

Photo courtesy Railway Technical Research

InstituteJapan's MLX01 maglev

train

kph). Japanese engineers say the wheels are an advantage if a power failure caused a shutdown of the system. Germany's Transrapid train is equipped with an emergency battery power supply. Also, passengers with pacemakers would have to be shielded from the magnetic fields generated by the superconducting electromagnets.

The Inductrack is a newer type of EDS that uses permanent room-temperature magnets to produce the magnetic fields instead of powered electromagnets or cooled superconducting magnets. Inductrack uses a power source to accelerate the train only until begins to levitate. If the power fails, the train can slow down gradually and stop on its auxillary wheels.

The track is actually an array of electrically-shorted circuits containing insulated wire. In one design, these circuits are aligned like rungs in a ladder. As the train moves, a magnetic field the repels the magnets, causing the train to levitate.

There are two Inductrack designs: Inductrack I and Inductrack II. Inductrack I is designed for high speeds, while Inductrack II is suited for slow speeds. Inductrack trains could levitate higher with greater stability. As long as it's moving a few miles per hour, an Inductrack train will levitate nearly an inch (2.54 cm) above the track. A greater gap above the track means that the train would not require complex sensing systems to maintain stability.

Permanent magnets had not been used before because scientists thought that they would not create enough levitating force. The Inductrack design bypasses this problem by arranging the magnets in a Halbach array. The magnets are configured so that the intensity of the magnetic field concentrates above the array instead of below it. They are made from a newer material comprising a neodymium-iron-boron alloy, which generates a higher magnetic field. The Inductrack II design incorporates two Halbach arrays to generate a stronger magnetic field at lower speeds.

Dr. Richard Post at the Livermore National Laboratory in California came up with this concept in response to safety and cost concerns.

The prototype tests caught the attention of NASA, which awarded a contract to Dr. Post and his team to explore the possibility of using the Inductrack system to launch satellites into orbit.

Maglev Technology In Use

Image used under GNU Free Documentation LicenseA Transrapid train at the Emsland, Germany test facility.

While maglev transportation was first proposed more than a century ago, the first commercial maglev train made its test debut in Shanghai, China, in 2002 (click here to learn more), using the train developed by German company Transrapid International. The same line made its first open-to-the-public commercial run about a year later in December of 2003. The Shanghai Transrapid line currently runs to and from the Longyang Road station at the city's center and Pudong airport. Traveling at an average speed of 267 mph (430 kmh), the 19 mile (30 km) journey takes less than 10 minutes on the maglev train as opposed to an hour-long taxi ride. China is building an extension of the Shanghai line that will run 99 miles (160 km) to Hangzhou. Construction is scheduled to begin in fall 2006 and should be completed by the 2010 Shanghai Expo. This line will be the first Maglev rail line to run between two cities.

Several other countries have plans to build their own maglev trains, but the Shanghai airport line remains the only commercial maglev line. U.S. cities from Los Angeles to Pittsburgh have had maglev line

plans in the works, but the expense of building a maglev transportation system has been prohibitive. The administration at Old Dominion University in Virginia had hoped to have a super shuttle zipping students back and forth across campus starting back in the fall semester of 2002, but the train remains motionless while research continues. The American Maglev Company is building a prototype using similar technology in Georgia that it plans to finish by fall 2006.

Maglev Accidents

On August 11, 2006, a maglev train compartment on the Transrapid Shanghai airport line caught fire. There were no injuries, and investigators believe that the fire was caused by an electrical problem.

On September 22, 2006, a Transrapid test train in Emsland, Germany had 29 people aboard during a test run when it crashed into a repair car that had been accidentally left on the track. The train was going at least 120 mph (133 km) at the time. Most passengers were killed in the first fatal accident involving a maglev train.

At China

maglev train shanghai complete video presentation

http://video.google.com/videosearch?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=Maglev+Trains&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=lYvPSsWGGIf-sQPtiZ25Dg&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=8&ved=0CCcQqwQwBw#

At Japan

Fastest Train in the World: 581km/h. Japan JR-Maglev

http://video.google.com/videosearch?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=Maglev+Trains&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=lYvPSsWGGIf-sQPtiZ25Dg&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=8&ved=0CCcQqwQwBw#

Maglev Train Complete Presentation

Maglev Train - complete video presentation

http://video.google.com/videosearch?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=Maglev+Trains&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=lYvPSsWGGIf-sQPtiZ25Dg&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=8&ved=0CCcQqwQwBw#

Maglev Trains: On Track with Superconductivity

Well, for one, it could mean that you’ll be zipping across town or across country one day at hundreds of miles an hour on a train that flies through the air.

Around the world, scientists and engineers have been developing maglev trains – trains that levitate above a magnetic field. Although there are systems (such as Germany’s Transrapid system) that use electromagnets rather than superconducting magnets, we’ll limit our explanation here to the type of train that harnesses superconductor technology. Such electrodynamic (suspension) systems (EDS) are currently in experimental use or under development in Japan and Florida.

Many believe this mode of transportation holds great promise and offers considerable advantages. The train cars are less expensive to build than traditional railway cars and are relatively quiet. The tracks take up less land. These trains use far less energy than other types of transportation and don’t pollute. And they put today’s “express” trains to shame, rocketing by at an average 250 mph that can climb much higher. Proponents say an underground maglev could one day shuttle you from the Atlantic to the Pacific in just one hour!

The beauty of maglevs is that they travel on air. The consequent elimination of friction means much greater efficiency. Just as electrons move more efficiently through a superconducting wire because there is no resistance, so, too, does a maglev travel more efficiently than a regular train because there is no friction between the wheels and the track, thanks to the Meissner Effect.

The train itself is equipped with several superconductors, while a series of electromagnetic coils run along the length of the track. When the train approaches these coils, the superconductors induce a current in them that works to both levitate the train several centimeters above the track and to center it between the guide rails.

That’s a pretty neat trick, but it gets much neater once you get the train moving.

That’s achieved by a second series of electromagnetic coils, which run alongside the levitation/guidance coils. After the train reaches a

certain speed, these propulsion coils kick into gear. They receive a constantly alternating electric current that changes the polarity of the coils in such a way that they are always arranged to push or to pull the onboard superconducting magnets of the passing train. In essence it’s a motor – not a circular one, like the one in your car, but linear, running the length of the entire track. The beauty, though, is that only the coils that are in the vicinity of the moving train at any point in time need be engaged.

That’s not the end of the line for potential applications for superconducting technology. A number of companies have been developingsuperconducting cables to carry electricity more efficiently, an application already in use in a number of markets.

China maglev budget 'may double'

The cost of extending Shanghai's magnetic levitation - or maglev - railway may more thandouble, says a report in the China Daily newspaper.

The state-run publication said the price could increase to 500m yuan ($69m; £35m) per kilometre of the 31.8km extension, up from 200m yuan.

It puts the increase down to a revised route to avoid densely populated areas.

Maglev trains use electric-powered magnets to float above their tracks, allowing for super-fast speeds.

The newspaper report said the cost increase had also been caused by plans to increase the buffer zone around the track, to take into account residents' concerns about exposure to electromagnetic radiation and noise.

Floating train

Shanghai currently has the world's only commercial maglev service, where the floating train has whisked travellers between the city's main airport and the financial district since 2003. The planned extension will connect with the city's second airport.

The Chinese government and a German consortium including Siemens, which helped develop maglev technology, have also discussed the possibility of extending the line by 160km to the city of Hangzhou.

Shanghai's maglev train started commercial service in 2003

Last year, Germany said it had come up with the funds to launch its own maglev rail service.

The state of Bavaria is to build the high-speed railway line from Munich city centre to its airport.

Japan is also now actively exploring the introduction of maglev services.

The world's first commercially operating maglev railway was at Birmingham International Airport in the UK.

From 1984 to 1995, it shuttled passengers 600m from the main terminal to the nearby railway station.

But after 11 years in operation, it was hit by reliability problems and replaced by a conventional system.

Although maglev allows for speeds substantially higher than traditional railway lines, critics point to its much higher costs of installation.

Munich is following in Shanghai's footsteps

HOW MAGLEV TRAINS WORK

Opposite poles on magnets keep train above trackTrain is propelled by electro-magnetic system in the sides of the "guideway" instead of onboard engineTop speed (with passengers) - 450km/h (280mph)Developed by Transrapid Int in GermanyOperating commercially in ShanghaiTest facility in Emsland, northern Germany, is longest of its kind at 31.5km (19.5 miles)Source: Transrapid International

I can see that the environmental movement is going to provide me with plenty of material for this blog. From the AP: last FridayPresident Bush signed a transportation bill that will provide $45 million for the Disneyland-to-Vegas MagLev train project. Americans may not know much about MagLev trains, since we don’t have any as public transportation. The oil crisis is about to change that.

MagLev stands for Magnetic Levitation. The rails use electromagnetic force to propel the environmentally-friendly trains at over 300 MPH. There are several other plans for MagLev trains in the U.S., but this is the first to get huge funds to help it get started.

The main argument is that these trains are outrageously expensive. This $45 million is just for researching the possibility of building one. A rail that long is expected to cost several billion of dollars. This can be both good and bad for you as a domainer. If you invest into the domains and the price tag permanently scares away the funds, you will be stuck with worthless domain names. On the other hand, if this is seen through to the end, it will be surrounded by money.