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Maglev train

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Railway transport

   Transrapid at the Emsland test facility in Germany
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   Transrapid at the Emsland test facility in Germany
   Maglev in Shanghai
   Enlarge
   Maglev in Shanghai
   Inside the Shanghai maglev
   Enlarge
   Inside the Shanghai maglev
   Inside the Shanghai maglev VIP section
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   Inside the Shanghai maglev VIP section

   Magnetic levitation transport, or maglev, is a form of transportation
   that suspends, guides and propels vehicles via electromagnetic force.
   This method can be faster and more comfortable than wheeled mass
   transit systems. Maglevs could potentially reach velocities comparable
   to turboprop and jet aircraft (500 to 580 km/h). Since much of a
   Maglev's propulsion system is in the track rather than the vehicle,
   Maglev trains are lighter and can ascend steeper slopes than
   conventional trains. They can be supported on lightweight elevated
   tracks. Maglevs have operated commercially since 1984. However,
   scientific and economic limitations have hindered the proliferation of
   the technology.

   Maglev technology has minimal overlap with wheeled train technology and
   is not compatible with conventional railroad tracks. Because they
   cannot share existing infrastructure, maglevs must be designed as
   complete transportation systems. The term "maglev" refers not only to
   the vehicles, but to the vehicle/guideway interaction; each being a
   unique design element specifically tailored to the other to create and
   precisely control magnetic levitation and propulsion.

   The world's first commercial application of a high-speed maglev line is
   the IOS (initial operating segment) demonstration line in Shanghai that
   transports people 30 km (18.6 miles) to the airport in just 7 minutes
   20 seconds (top speed of 431 km/h or 268 mph, average speed 250 km/h or
   150 mph). Other maglev projects worldwide are being studied for
   feasibility.

Technology

   There are two primary types of maglev technology:
     * electromagnetic suspension (EMS) uses the attractive magnetic force
       of a magnet beneath a rail to lift the train up.
     * electrodynamic suspension (EDS) uses a repulsive force between two
       magnetic fields to push the train away from the rail.

Electromagnetic suspension

   In current EMS systems, the train levitates above a steel rail while
   electromagnets, 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.

Electrodynamic suspension

   In Electrodynamic suspension (EDS), both the rail and the train exert a
   magnetic field, and the train is levitated by the repusive force
   between these magnetic fields. The magnetic field in the train is
   produced by either superconducting electromagnets (as in JR-Maglev) or
   by an array of permanent magnets (as in Inductrack). The repulsive
   force in the track is created by an induced magnetic field in wires or
   other conducting strips in the track.

   At slow speeds, the current induced in these coils and the resultant
   magnetic flux 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.

   Propulsion coils on the guideway are used to exert a force on the
   magnets in the train and make the train move forwards. The propulsion
   coils that exert a force on the train are effectively a linear motor:
   An alternating current flowing through the coils generates a
   continuously varying magnetic field that moves forward along the track.
   The magnets on the train line up with this field, and the train moves.

Pros and cons of different technologies

   Each implementation of the magnetic levitation principle for train-type
   travel involves advantages and disadvantages. Time will tell as to
   which principle, and whose implementation, wins out commercially.
     __________________________________________________________________

   Technology    Pros    Cons
     __________________________________________________________________

   EMS (Electromagnetic) Magnetic fields inside and outside the vehicle
   are insignificant; proven, commercially available technology that can
   attain very high speeds (500 km/h); no wheels or secondary propulsion
   system needed The separation between the vehicle and the guideway must
   be constantly monitored and corrected by computer systems to avoid
   collision due to the unstable nature of electromagnetic attraction.
     __________________________________________________________________

   Superconducting EDS (Electrodynamic) Powerful onboard superconducting
   magnets and large margin between rail and train enable highest recorded
   train speeds (581 km/h) and heavy load capacity; has recently
   demonstrated (Dec 2005) successful operations using high temperature
   superconductors ( HTS) in its onboard magnets, cooled with inexpensive
   liquid nitrogen Strong magnetic fields onboard the train make the train
   inaccessible to passengers with pacemakers or magnetic data storage
   media such as hard drives and credit cards; vehicle must be wheeled for
   travel at low speeds; system per mile cost still considered
   prohibitive; the system is not yet out of prototype phase.
     __________________________________________________________________

   Inductrack System (Permanent Magnet EDS) Failsafe Suspension - no power
   required to activate magnets; Magnetic field is localized below the
   car, can generate enough force at low speeds (around 5 km/h) to
   levitate maglev train; in case of power failure cars slow down on their
   own in a safe, steady and predictable manner before coming to a stop;
   Halbach arrays of permanent magnets may prove more cost-effective than
   electromagnets Requires either wheels or track segments that move for
   when the vehicle is stopped. New technology that is still under
   development ( as of 2006) and has as yet no commercial version or full
   scale system prototype.
     __________________________________________________________________

   Neither Inductrack nor the Superconducting EDS are able to levitate
   vehicles at a standstill, although Inductrack provides levitation down
   to a much lower speed. Wheels are required for both systems. EMS
   systems are wheel-less.

   The German Transrapid, Japanese HSST (Linimo), and Korean Rotem maglevs
   levitate at a standstill, with electricity extracted from guideway
   using power rails for the latter two, and wirelessly for Transrapid. If
   guideway power is lost on the move, the Transrapid is still able to
   generate levitation down to 10 km/h speed, using the power from onboard
   batteries. This is not the case with the HSST and Rotem systems.

Propulsion

   An EMS system can provide both levitation and propulsion using an
   onboard linear motor. EDS systems can only levitate the train using the
   magnets onboard, not propel it forward. As such, vehicles need some
   other technology for propulsion. A linear motor (propulsion coils)
   mounted in the track is one solution. Over long distances where the
   cost of propulsion coils could be prohibitive, a propeller or jet
   engine could be used.

Stability

   Static magnetic bearings using only electromagnets and permagnets are
   unstable, as explained by Earnshaw's theorem. As all EDS systems are
   moving systems, Earnshaw's theorem does not apply to them. EMS systems
   rely on active electronic stabilization. Such systems constantly
   measure the bearing distance and adjust the electromagnet current
   accordingly.

Pros and cons of maglev vs. conventional trains

   Due to the lack of physical contact between the track and the vehicle,
   the only friction experienced by a maglev train is due to air
   resistance (although maglev trains also experience electromagnetic
   drag, this is relatively small at high speeds). The power consumption
   per passenger-km of the Transrapid Maglev train at 200 km/h is 24% less
   than the ICE at 200 km/h (22 Wh per seat-km, compared to 29 Wh per
   seat-km).

   Because maglev trains do not run on rails, their speed is not limited
   by the tolerances of track designs. Systems have been proposed that
   operate at up to 650 km/h (404 mph), which is far faster than is
   practical with conventional rail transport. The very high maximum speed
   potential of maglevs make them potential competitors to airline routes
   of 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) or less.

   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. For this reason one research path is using
   superconductors to improve the efficiency of the electromagnets.

   In April 2004, a peer-reviewed article in the Journal of the Acoustical
   Society of America stated that the noise from high-speed maglev trains
   is considerably more disturbing than standard steel on steel intercity
   train noise and is approximately as disturbing as road traffic. The
   difference between equal disturbance levels of maglev and traditional
   trains was 5dB (about 78% noisier). Maglev is characterized by high
   noise levels and brief duration, which may startle those underneath the
   track. The type of noise a maglev emits is similar to a jet aircraft,
   due to the speed and shape of the maglev train.

Economics

   High-speed maglevs can be expensive to build, but are comparable to the
   capital costs of building a traditional high-speed rail system from
   scratch, a highway system or a system of airports. More importantly,
   maglevs are significantly less expensive to operate and maintain than
   traditional high-speed trains, planes or intercity buses. The data
   coming out of the Shanghai maglev demonstration project indicates that
   operation and maintenance costs are quite low, and are indeed covered
   by the current relatively low volume of 7,000 passengers per day.
   Passenger volumes on this Pudong International Airport line is expected
   to rise dramatically once the line is extended from Longyang Road metro
   station all the way to Shanghai's downtown train depot.

   The Shanghai maglev cost US$1.2 billion to build. At US$6 per passenger
   and 20,000 passengers per day, it would take over 27 years just to
   repay the capital costs (including cost of financing), not accounting
   for track maintenance, salaries and electricity (see solar power).This
   computes to US$60 million per mile. The total $1.2 billion includes
   infrastructure capital costs such as manufacturing and construction
   facilities, and operational training, as part of the calculated
   per-mile cost of the short track. It is predicted that the per-mile
   costs of the extension to Hangzhou will be significantly lower.

   The proposed Chūō Shinkansen line is estimated to cost approximately
   US$ 82 billion to build.

   However, when one considers the cost of airport construction (e.g.,
   Hong Kong Airport cost US$20 billion to build in 1998) and eight-lane
   Interstate highway systems that cost around US$50 million per mile, it
   becomes immediately apparent that maglev's costs are competitive,
   especially considering that they can handle much higher volumes of
   passengers per hour than airports or eight-lane highways and do it
   without introducing any air pollution along the right of way.

   The only low-speed maglev (100 km/h) currently operational, the
   Japanese Linimo HSST, cost approximately US$100 million/km to build.
   Besides offering improved O&M costs over other transit systems, these
   low-speed maglevs provide ultra-high levels of operational reliability
   and introduce little noise and zero air pollution into dense urban
   settings.

   As maglev systems are deployed around the world, experts expect
   construction costs to drop as new construction methods are perfected.

Existing maglev systems

   JR-Maglev at Yamanashi
   Enlarge
   JR-Maglev at Yamanashi

Birmingham 1984–1995

   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. Based on experimental work commissioned by the
   British government at the British Rail Research Division laboratory at
   Derby, the length of the track was 600 m, and trains "flew" at an
   altitude of 15 mm. It was in operation for nearly eleven years, but
   obsolescence problems with the electronic systems made it unreliable in
   its later years and it has now been replaced with a cable-drawn system.

Berlin 1989–1991

   In West Berlin, the M-Bahn was built in the late 1980s. It was a
   driverless maglev system with a 1.6 km track connecting three stations.
   Testing in passenger traffic started in August 1989, and regular
   operation started in July 1991. Although the line largely followed a
   new elevated alignment, it terminated at the U-Bahn station
   Gleisdreieck, where it took over a platform that was then no longer in
   use; it was from a line that formerly ran to East Berlin. After the
   fall of the Berlin Wall, plans were set in motion to reconnect this
   line (today's U2). Deconstruction of the M-Bahn line began only two
   months after regular service began and was completed in February 1992.

Emsland, Germany

   Transrapid, a German maglev company, has a test track in Emsland with a
   total length of 31.5 km.

JR-Maglev

   Japan has a test track in Yamanashi prefecture where test trains
   JR-Maglev MLX01 have reached 581 km/h (361 mph), faster than wheeled
   trains. These trains use superconducting magnets which allow for a
   larger gap, and repulsive-type "Electro-Dynamic Suspension" (EDS). In
   comparison Transrapid uses conventional electromagnets and
   attractive-type "Electro-Magnetic Suspension" (EMS). These
   "Superconducting Maglev Shinkansen", developed by the Central Japan
   Railway Co. ("JR Central") and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, are currently
   the fastest trains in the world, achieving a record speed of 581 km/h
   on December 2, 2003.

Linimo (Tobu Kyuryo Line)

   Linimo train approaching Banpaku Kinen Koen, towards Fujigaoka Station
   Enlarge
   Linimo train approaching Banpaku Kinen Koen, towards Fujigaoka Station

   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. The line has a
   minimum operating radius of 75 m and a maximum gradient of 6%. The
   linear-motor magnetic-levitated train has a top speed of 100 km/h. The
   line serves the local community as well as the Expo 2005 fair site. The
   trains were designed by the Chūbu HSST Development Corporation, which
   also operates a test track in Nagoya. Urban-type maglevs patterned
   after the HSST have been constructed and demonstrated in Korea, and a
   Korean commercial version Rotem is now under construction in Daejeon
   and projected to go into operation by April of 2007.

FTA's UMTD program

   In the US, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Urban Maglev
   Technology Demonstration program has funded the design of several
   low-speed urban maglev demonstration projects. It has assessed HSST for
   the Maryland Department of Transportation and maglev technology for the
   Colorado Department of Transportation. The FTA has also funded work by
   General Atomics at California University of Pennsylvania to demonstrate
   new maglev designs, the MagneMotion M3 and of the Maglev2000 of Florida
   superconducting EDS system. Other US urban maglev demonstration
   projects of note are the LEVX in Washington State and the
   Massachusetts-based Magplane.

Southwest Jiaotong University, China

   On December 31, 2000, the first crewed high-temperature superconducting
   maglev was tested successfully at Southwest Jiaotong University,
   Chengdu, China. This system is based on the principle that bulk
   high-temperature superconductors can be levitated or suspended stably
   above or below a permanent magnet. The load was over 530 kg and the
   levitation gap over 20 mm. The system uses liquid nitrogen, which is
   very cheap, to cool the superconductor.

The first, the German patent (1941)

   The first patent for a magnetic levitation train propelled by linear
   motors was German Patent 707032, issued in June 1941. The US patent
   12700 date 1st October 1907 was 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 ( inventor Alfred Zehden of Frankfurt-am-Main )

Under construction

Old Dominion University

   A track of less than a mile in length has been constructed at Old
   Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. The system is not
   operational, but research is currently ongoing to resolve some
   stability issues with the system. This system uses a "smart train, dumb
   track" that involves most of the sensors, magnets, and computation
   occurring on the train rather than the track. This system will cost
   less to build per mile than existing systems. The same principle is
   involved in the construction of a second prototype system in Powder
   Springs, Georgia, by American Maglev Technology, Inc., set for
   deployment in Fall 2006.

Proposals

Europe

Munich

   A Transrapid connection of the Bavarian capital Munich to its
   international airport (37 km) is now being planned. It would reduce the
   current connection time via S-Bahn (German city railroad system) from
   about 40 minutes to 10 minutes.

Berlin – Hamburg

   A 292 km Transrapid line linking Berlin to Hamburg. It has been
   cancelled due to lack of funds. Instead the existing railway line has
   been upgraded to 230 km/h for ICE train sets.

London – Edinburgh and/or Glasgow

   A maglev line has recently been proposed in the United Kingdom from
   London to Edinburgh and/or Glasgow with several route options through
   the Midlands, Northwest and Northeast, and is reported to be under
   favourable consideration by the government. A further high speed link
   is also being investigated as an option between Glasgow to Edinburgh
   though there is no settled technology for this concept yet, ie
   (Maglev/Hi Speed Electric etc)

Asia

Tokyo – Osaka

   If a proposed Chūō Shinkansen is built, connecting Tokyo to Osaka by
   maglev, the existing test track in Yamanashi prefecture would be part
   of the line.

Shanghai – Hangzhou

   China has decided to build a second Transrapid maglev rail with a
   length of 160 km from Shanghai to Hangzhou ( Shanghai-Hangzhou maglev
   line). Talks with Germany and Transrapid Konsortium about the details
   of the construction contracts have started. On March 7, 2006, the
   Chinese Minister of Transportation was quoted by several Chinese and
   Western newspapers as saying the line was approved. Construction will
   probably start towards the end of 2006 and is scheduled to be completed
   in time for the 2010 Shanghai Expo, becoming the first inter-city
   Maglev rail line in commercial service in the world. The line will be
   an extension of the Shanghai airport Maglev line.

Johor, Malaysia

   Malaysia has decided to use Mag-lev technology to link important
   landmarks across the city. This will be a boost to business to compete
   against the neighbouring city, Singapore.

USA

Los Angeles, Southern California – Las Vegas

   High-speed maglev lines between major cities of southern California and
   Las Vegas are also being studied via the California-Nevada Interstate
   Maglev Project. This plan was originally supposed to be part of a I-5
   or I-15 expansion plan, but the federal government has ruled it must be
   separated from interstate work projects.

   Since the federal government decision, private groups from Nevada have
   proposed a line running from Las Vegas to Los Angeles with stops in
   Primm, Nevada; Baker, California; and points throughout Riverside
   County into Los Angeles.

   Southern California politicians have not been receptive to these
   proposals; many are concerned that a high speed rail line out of state
   would drive out dollars that would be spent in state "on a rail" to
   Nevada.

Baltimore – Washington, D.C.

   A 64 km project linking Camden Yards in Baltimore and
   Baltimore-Washington International (BWI) Airport to Union Station in
   Washington, D.C. It is in demand for the area due to its current
   traffic/congestion problems. The project is in contention for the same
   federal grant as the Pittsburgh project.

Florida High Speed Rail

   The history of High Speed Rail in Florida started in 1976 with
   feasibility study for service between Daytona Beach and St. Petersburg.
   In November of 2000, the Florida voters approved an amendment to the
   State constitution mandating the construction of a High Speed
   Transportation system to link the five largest urban areas in Florida.
   Construction was mandated to begin by November 1, 2003.

   In October 2002, the Authority issued a Request for Proposal to Design,
   Build, Operate, Maintain and Finance (DBOM&F) the first phase of the
   project from Tampa to Orlando. Based on Fluor Bombardier (FB) proposal
   first and the Global Rail Consortium (GRC) proposal, the cost of
   initial phase is approximately $2.4 billion.

   In early 2004, Governor Jeb Bush endorsed an effort to repeal the 2000
   amendment that mandated the construction of the High Speed Rail System
   which was approved by the voters, resulting in removal of the
   constitutional mandate.

   The Florida High Speed Rail Authority Act is still remains in effect
   pending any action from the Florida Legislature. In fiscal year
   2004/05, no State funds were appropriated, and the Authority has
   operated on surplus funds from previous years.

Honolulu

   The city of Honolulu, Hawaii is said to be planning a Linimo class
   urban Maglev for its main mass transit train.

San Diego

   San Diego is considering a high-speed maglev line to serve as a
   passenger transportation node to remote airport sites under
   consideration. The cost estimate is approximately $10 billion U.S. for
   the 120-150 km (80-100 mile) run, not including the cost of
   construction of the airport.

The Cascadia Maglev

   Long-proposed but not on any official drawing boards would be a Maglev
   line along the Interstate 5 corridor, its core component from Portland,
   Oregon to Vancouver, British Columbia, with eventual extensions to
   Eugene, Oregon (in the south) and Whistler, British Columbia (in the
   north). The initial phase of the project would link Tacoma to Seattle,
   mirroring the old interurban line between those two cities. The same
   idea has re-surfaced with a conventional high-speed rail proposal,
   although its extension into British Columbia has been largely blocked
   by opposition on the part of the City of White Rock, British Columbia,
   which would sit astride the line.

Vactrain

   More exotic proposals include maglev lines through vacuum-filled
   tunnels (see Vactrain), where the absence of air resistance would allow
   extremely high speeds, up to 6000-8000 km/h (4000-5000 mph) according
   to some sources. Theoretically, these tunnels could be built deep
   enough to pass under oceans or to use gravity to assist the trains'
   acceleration. This would likely be prohibitively costly without major
   advances in tunnelling technology. Alternatives such as elevated
   concrete tubes with partial vacuums have been proposed to reduce these
   costs. If the trains topped out at around 8000 km/h (5000 mph), the
   5567km trip between London and New York would take a short 54 minutes,
   effectively supplanting aircraft as the world's fastest mode of public
   transportation.

UniModal

   UniModal is a personal rapid transit idea that proposes to use
   Inductrack suspension to achieve speeds of 160 km/h (100 mph).

Most significant accidents and incidents

August 11, 2006 fire

   On August 11, 2006 a fire broke out on the Shanghai commercial
   Transrapid, shortly after leaving the terminal in Longyang.

September 22, 2006 crash

   On September 22, 2006 an elevated Transrapid train collided with a
   maintenance vehicle on a test run in Lathen (Lower Saxony /
   north-western Germany). Twenty five people were killed, and ten people
   were injured. These were the first fatalities resulting from a Maglev
   train accident.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maglev_train"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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