On an electromagnetic cushion. Shanghai Maglev is the fastest and most expensive train in the world. Development of new modes of transport

More than 200 years have passed since steam locomotives were invented. Since then, railway transport has become the most popular for transporting passengers and goods. However, scientists have been actively working to improve this method of movement. The result was the creation of the maglev, or train, magnetic pads.

The idea appeared at the beginning of the twentieth century. But it was not possible to implement it at that time and in those conditions. And only in the late 60s - early 70s, a magnetic track was assembled in Germany, where they launched vehicle new generation. Then it moved at a maximum speed of 90 km/h and could only accommodate 4 passengers. In 1979, the magnetic levitation train was modernized and was able to carry 68 passengers while traveling 75 kilometers per hour. At the same time, a different variation of the maglev was designed in Japan. It accelerated to 517 km/h.

Today, the speed of magnetic levitation trains can become a real competitor to airplanes. Magnetoplane could seriously compete with air carriers. The only obstacle is that maglevs are not capable of sliding along regular railway tracks. They require special highways. In addition, it is believed that the trains need to air cushion The magnetic field may have adverse effects on human health.

The magnetic plane does not move on rails, it flies in the literal sense of the word. At a small height (15 cm) from the surface of the magnetic path. It rises above the track due to the action of electromagnets. This also explains the incredible speed.

Maglev canvas looks like a string concrete slabs. Magnets are located under this surface. They artificially create a magnetic field along which the train “travels.” There is no friction while driving, so aerodynamic drag is used for braking.

If on in simple language explain the principle of operation, it will turn out like this. When a pair of magnets are brought closer to each other with identical poles, they seem to repel each other. It turns out to be a magnetic cushion. And when opposite poles approach, the magnets attract and the train stops. This elementary principle forms the basis for the operation of a magnetic plane, which moves through the air at a low altitude.

Today, 3 maglev suspension technologies are used.

1. Electrodynamic suspension, EDS.

Otherwise it is called superconducting magnets, that is, variations with a winding made of superconducting material. This winding has zero ohmic resistance. And if it is short-circuited, then electricity it remains indefinitely.

2. Electromagnetic suspension, EMS (or electromagnetic).

3. On permanent magnets. Today it is the least expensive technology. The movement process is ensured linear motor, that is, an electric motor, where one element of the magnetic system is open and has a deployed winding that creates a running magnetic field, and the second is made in the form of a guide responsible for the linear movement of the moving part of the engine.

Many people wonder: is this train safe, will it not fall? Of course it won't fall. This is not to say that the Maglev does not hold anything back on the road. It rests on the track using special “claws” located at the bottom of the train, which contain electromagnets that lift the train into the air. The magnets that hold the magnetic plane on the track are also located there.

Those who have ridden a maglev claim that they did not feel anything inspiring. The train moves so quietly that the mind-blowing speed is not felt. Objects outside the window fly by quickly, but are located very far from the track. The magnetoplane accelerates smoothly, so no overloads are felt either. The only interesting and unusual moment is when the train rises.

So, the main advantages of Maglev:

• the maximum possible speed that can be achieved in ground (non-sport) transport,
• requires a small amount of electricity,
• due to the lack of friction, low maintenance costs,
• quiet movement.

Flaws:

• the need for large financial costs in the construction and maintenance of the track,
• the electromagnetic field can cause harm to the health of those who work on these lines and live in the surrounding areas,
• to constantly monitor the distance between the train and the track, high-speed control systems and heavy-duty instruments are required,
• complex track layout and road infrastructure are required.

The technology is under development!

A magnetic levitation train - a flying train, magnetoplane or maglev - is a train held above the road surface, propelled and driven by force electromagnetic or magnetic field.

Description:

A magnetic levitation train - a flying train, magnetic plane or maglev (from the English magnetic levitation - “magnetic levitation”) is a train held above the road surface, driven and controlled by the force of an electromagnetic or magnetic field.

Unlike traditional railway trains, the maglev does not touch the surface while moving rail. Therefore, the speed of this transport can be comparable to the speed airplane. Today, the maximum speed of such a train is 581 km/h (Japan).

In practice, two magnetic levitation systems are implemented: electromagnetic suspension (EMS) and electrodynamic suspension (EDS). Other systems: permanent magnets exist only in theory, and the RusMaglev system is in the process of development.

Electromagnetic suspension (EMS) train:

Electromagnetic suspension (EMS) allows the train to levitate using an electromagnetic field with a time-varying force. The system is a path made from conductor and a system of electromagnets installed on the train.

Advantages of this system:

– magnetic fields inside and outside the vehicle are lower than those of the EDS system,

– economically viable, marketable and accessible technology,

– high speeds (500 km/h),

– there is no need for additional suspension systems.

Disadvantages of this system:

– instability: constant monitoring and adjustment of fluctuations in the magnetic field of tracks and composition is required,

– the process of tolerance alignment by external means may result in unwanted vibration.

Electrodynamic suspension (EDS) train:

An electrodynamic suspension system (EDS) creates levitation by a changing magnetic field in the tracks and a field generated by magnets on board the train.

Advantages of this system:

– development of ultra-high speeds (603 km/h) and the ability to withstand heavy loads.

Disadvantages of this system:

– inability to levitate low speeds, the need for high speed, so that there is enough repulsive force to at least hold the weight of the train (that’s why such trains use wheels),

– strong magnetic radiation is harmful and unsafe for passengers with poor health and with pacemakers, and for magnetic storage media.

Inductrack permanent magnet train magnetic levitation systems:

Currently, the permanent magnet system Inductrack, which is a type of EDS system, is relevant for implementation.

Advantages of this system:

– potentially the most economical system,

– low power to activate magnets,

– the magnetic field is localized below the car,

– the levitation field is generated already at a speed of 5 km/h,

– in case of power failure, the cars stop safely,

– multiple permanent magnets may be more efficient than electromagnets.

Disadvantages of this system:

– requires wheels or a special segment of track to support the train when it stops.

RusMaglev system:

Levitation RusMaglev is a Russian development. Levitation is created by permanent magnets (neodymium-iron-boron) on board the train. The tracks are made of aluminum. The system requires absolutely no electricity supply.

Advantages of this system:

– more economical high speed line,

– no electricity required

– high speeds – more than 400 km/h,

– the train levitates at zero speed,

– transportation of goods is 2 times cheaper than transportation of goods along the existing railway.

Note: © Photo https://www.pexels.com

Magnetic levitation trains and maglev trains are the fastest form of ground public transport. And although only three small tracks have been put into operation so far, research and testing of prototypes magnetic trains pass in different countries Oh. How magnetic levitation technology has developed and what awaits it in the near future you will learn from this article.

History of formation

The first pages of Maglev history were filled with a series of patents received at the beginning of the 20th century in different countries. Back in 1902, the German inventor Alfred Seiden was awarded a patent for the design of a train equipped with a linear motor. And four years later, Franklin Scott Smith developed another early prototype of an electromagnetic suspension train. A little later, in the period from 1937 to 1941, the German engineer Hermann Kemper received several more patents related to trains equipped with linear electric motors. By the way, the rolling stock of the Moscow monorail transport system, built in 2004, uses asynchronous linear motors for propulsion - it is the world's first monorail with a linear motor.

A train of the Moscow monorail system near the Teletsentr station

In the late 1940s, researchers moved from words to action. British engineer Eric Lazethwaite, whom many call the “father of maglevs,” managed to develop the first working full-size prototype of a linear induction motor. Later in the 1960s, he joined the development of the Tracked Hovercraft bullet train. Unfortunately, the project was closed in 1973 due to lack of funds.

In 1979, the world's first prototype of a magnetic levitation train, licensed for the provision of passenger transport services, Transrapid 05, appeared. A 908 m long test track was built in Hamburg and presented during the IVA 79 exhibition. Interest in the project was so great that Transrapid 05 managed to successfully operate for another three months after the end of the exhibition and transport a total of about 50 thousand passengers. The maximum speed of this train was 75 km/h.

And the first commercial magnetic plane appeared in 1984 in Birmingham, England. A maglev railway line connected the Birmingham International Airport terminal and the nearby railway station. She worked successfully from 1984 to 1995. The length of the line was only 600 m, and the height to which the train with a linear asynchronous motor rose above the road surface - 15 millimeters. In 2003, the AirRail Link passenger transportation system based on Cable Liner technology was built in its place.

In the 1980s, the development and implementation of projects to create high-speed magnetic levitation trains began not only in England and Germany, but also in Japan, Korea, China and the USA.

How it works

We have known about the basic properties of magnets since 6th grade physics lessons. If you bring the north pole of a permanent magnet close to the north pole of another magnet, they will repel each other. If one of the magnets is turned over, connecting different poles, it attracts. This simple principle is found in maglev trains, which glide through the air over a rail for a short distance.

Magnetic suspension technology is based on three main subsystems: levitation, stabilization and acceleration. At the same time on this moment There are two main magnetic suspension technologies and one experimental one, proven only on paper.

Trains built on electromagnetic suspension (EMS) technology use an electromagnetic field for levitation, the strength of which varies over time. Wherein practical implementation This system is very similar to the operation of conventional rail transport. Here, a T-shaped rail bed is used, made of a conductor (mostly metal), but the train uses a system of electromagnets - support and guides - instead of wheel pairs. The support and guide magnets are located parallel to the ferromagnetic stators located at the edges of the T-shaped path. The main disadvantage of EMS technology is the distance between the support magnet and the stator, which is 15 millimeters and must be controlled and adjusted by special automated systems depending on many factors, including the variable nature of the electromagnetic interaction. By the way, the levitation system works thanks to batteries installed on board the train, which are recharged by linear generators built into the support magnets. Thus, in case of a stop, the train will be able to levitate for a long time on batteries. Transrapid trains and, in particular, the Shanghai Maglev are built on the basis of EMS technology.

Trains based on EMS technology are driven and braked using a low-acceleration synchronous linear motor, represented by support magnets and a track above which the magnetic plane hovers. By by and large, propulsion system, built into the canvas, is a regular stator (the stationary part of a linear electric motor), deployed along the bottom of the canvas, and the support electromagnets, in turn, work as the armature of the electric motor. Thus, instead of producing torque, the alternating current in the coils generates a magnetic field of excited waves, which moves the train without contact. Changing the strength and frequency of the alternating current allows you to adjust the traction and speed of the train. In order to slow down, you just need to change the direction of the magnetic field.

In the case of using electrodynamic suspension (EDS) technology, levitation is carried out by the interaction of the magnetic field in the canvas and the field created by superconducting magnets on board the train. Japanese JR–Maglev trains are built on the basis of EDS technology. Unlike EMS technology, which uses conventional electromagnets and coils that conduct electricity only when power is applied, superconducting electromagnets can conduct electricity even after the power source has been removed, such as during a power outage. By cooling the coils in the EDS system, you can save a lot of energy. However, the cryogenic cooling system used to maintain lower temperatures in the coils can be quite expensive.

The main advantage of the EDS system is its high stability - with a slight reduction in the distance between the sheet and the magnets, a repulsive force arises, which returns the magnets to their original position, while increasing the distance reduces the repulsive force and increases the attractive force, which again leads to stabilization of the system. In this case, no electronics are required to control and adjust the distance between the train and the track.

True, there are also some drawbacks here - a force sufficient to levitate the train occurs only at high speeds. For this reason, an EDS train must be equipped with wheels that can operate at low speeds (up to 100 km/h). Corresponding changes must also be made along the entire length of the track, since the train can stop at any place due to technical faults.

One more disadvantage of EDS is that at low speeds, a frictional force arises in the front and rear parts of the repelling magnets in the web, which acts against them. This is one of the reasons why JR-Maglev abandoned the completely repulsive system and looked towards a lateral levitation system.

It is also worth noting that strong magnetic fields in the passenger section necessitate the installation of magnetic protection. Without shielding, travel in such a carriage is contraindicated for passengers with an electronic heart pacemaker or magnetic storage media (HDD and credit cards).

The acceleration subsystem in trains based on EDS technology works in the same way as in trains based on EMS technology, except that after a polarity change, the stators stop momentarily.

The third technology, closest to implementation, which currently exists only on paper, is the EDS version with Inductrack permanent magnets, which do not require energy to activate. Until recently, researchers believed that permanent magnets did not have enough force to levitate a train. However, this problem was solved by placing magnets in the so-called “Halbach array”. The magnets are located in such a way that the magnetic field arises above the array, and not below it, and are capable of maintaining levitation of the train at very low speeds - about 5 km/h. True, the cost of such arrays of permanent magnets is very high, which is why there is not a single commercial project of this kind yet.

Guinness Book of Records

At the moment, the first place in the list of the fastest magnetic levitation trains is occupied by the Japanese solution JR-Maglev MLX01, which on December 2, 2003, on the test track in Yamanashi, managed to reach a record speed of 581 km/h. It is worth noting that the JR-Maglev MLX01 holds several more records set between 1997 and 1999 - 531, 550, 552 km/h.

If you look at your closest competitors, among them it is worth noting the Shanghai maglev Transrapid SMT, built in Germany, which managed to reach a speed of 501 km/h during tests in 2003, and its progenitor – Transrapid 07, which surpassed the mark of 436 km/h back in 1988

Practical implementation

The Linimo magnetic levitation train, which began operation in March 2005, was developed by Chubu HSST and is still in use in Japan. It runs between two cities in Aichi Prefecture. The length of the canvas over which the maglev hovers is about 9 km (9 stations). At the same time, the maximum speed of Linimo is 100 km/h. This did not prevent it from carrying more than 10 million passengers during the first three months of its launch alone.

More famous is the Shanghai Maglev, created by the German company Transrapid and put into operation on January 1, 2004. This maglev railway line connects Shanghai Longyang Lu Station with Pudong International Airport. The total distance is 30 km, the train covers it in approximately 7.5 minutes, accelerating to a speed of 431 km/h.

Another maglev railway line is successfully operating in Daejeon, South Korea. UTM-02 became available to passengers on April 21, 2008, and it took 14 years to develop and create. The maglev railway line connects the National Science Museum and the Exhibition Park, which are only 1 km apart.

Among the magnetic levitation trains that will begin operation in the near future, it is worth noting the Maglev L0 in Japan, its testing has recently resumed. It is expected to operate on the Tokyo-Nagoya route by 2027.

Very expensive toy

Not so long ago, popular magazines called magnetic levitation trains revolutionary transport, and the launch of new projects of such systems was reported with enviable regularity by both private companies and authorities from around the world. However, most of these grandiose projects were closed in the initial stages, and some maglev railway lines, although they managed to serve the benefit of the population for a short time, were later dismantled.

The main reason for the failure is that maglev trains are extremely expensive. They require infrastructure specially built for them from scratch, which, as a rule, is the most expense item in the project budget. For example, the Shanghai Maglev cost China $1.3 billion, or $43.6 million per 1 km of two-way track (including the costs of creating trains and building stations). Magnetic levitation trains can compete with airlines only on longer routes. But then again, there are few places in the world with enough passenger traffic to make a maglev rail line worthwhile.

What's next?

At the moment, the future of maglev trains looks vague, largely due to the prohibitive high cost of such projects and the long payback period. At the same time, many countries continue to invest huge amounts of money in high-speed rail (HSR) projects. Not long ago, high-speed testing of the Maglev L0 magnetic levitation train was resumed in Japan.

The Japanese government is also hoping to attract US interest in its own magnetic levitation trains. Recently, representatives of The Northeast Maglev company, which plans to connect Washington and New York using a maglev railway line, made an official visit to Japan. Perhaps maglev trains will become more widespread in countries with a less efficient high-speed rail network. For example, in the USA and Great Britain, but their cost will still remain high.

There is another scenario for the development of events. As is known, one of the ways to increase the efficiency of magnetic levitation trains is the use of superconductors, which, when cooled to temperatures close to absolute zero, completely lose electrical resistance. However, keeping huge magnets in tanks of extremely cold liquids is very expensive, since desired temperature, huge “refrigerators” are needed, which further increases the cost.

But no one excludes the possibility that in the near future luminaries of physics will be able to create an inexpensive substance that retains superconducting properties even at room temperature. When superconductivity is achieved at high temperatures powerful magnetic fields capable of holding cars and trains suspended will become so accessible that even “flying cars” will be economically viable. So we are waiting for news from the laboratories.

More than two hundred years have passed since the moment when humanity invented the first steam locomotives. However, until now, railway ground transport transporting passengers using both electricity and diesel fuel, very common.

It is worth saying that all these years, engineer-inventors have been actively working to create alternative ways movement. The result of their work was magnetic levitation trains.

History of appearance

The very idea of ​​​​creating magnetic levitation trains was actively developed at the beginning of the twentieth century. However, it was not possible to implement this project at that time for a number of reasons. The production of such a train began only in 1969. It was then that a magnetic route began to be laid on the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany, along which a new vehicle was supposed to pass, which was later called the Maglev train. It was launched in 1971. The first maglev train, called Transrapid-02, passed along the magnetic route.

An interesting fact is that German engineers manufactured an alternative vehicle based on the notes left by the scientist Hermann Kemper, who in 1934 received a patent confirming the invention of the magnetic plane.

Transrapid-02 can hardly be called very fast. He could move with maximum speed at 90 kilometers per hour. Its capacity was also low - only four people.

In 1979, a more advanced model of maglev was created. bearing the name "Transrapid-05", could already carry sixty-eight passengers. It moved along a line located in the city of Hamburg, the length of which was 908 meters. which this train developed was equal to seventy-five kilometers per hour.

Also in 1979, another maglev model was released in Japan. It was called "ML-500". on a magnetic levitation it reached speeds of up to five hundred and seventeen kilometers per hour.

Competitiveness

The speed that magnetic levitation trains can reach can be compared to In this regard, this type of transport can become a serious competitor to those airlines that operate at a distance of up to a thousand kilometers. The widespread use of maglevs is hampered by the fact that they cannot move on traditional railway surfaces. Magnetic levitation trains require the construction of special highways. And this requires large investments of capital. It is also believed that what is created for maglev vehicles can negatively affect the human body, which will negatively affect the health of the driver and residents of regions located near such a route.

Principle of operation

Magnetic levitation trains are a special type of transport. While moving, the maglev seems to float above the railway track without touching it. This happens because the vehicle is driven by the force of an artificially created magnetic field. There is no friction when the maglev moves. The braking force in this case is aerodynamic drag.

How does it work? Each of us knows about the basic properties of magnets from sixth grade physics lessons. If two magnets are brought close to each other with their north poles, they will repel each other. A so-called magnetic cushion is created. When different poles are connected, the magnets will attract each other. This rather simple principle underlies the movement of a maglev train, which literally glides through the air at a short distance from the rails.

Currently, two technologies have already been developed with the help of which a magnetic cushion or suspension is activated. The third is experimental and exists only on paper.

Electromagnetic suspension

This technology is called EMS. It is based on the strength of the electromagnetic field, which changes over time. It causes levitation (rising in the air) of the maglev. To move the train in this case, T-shaped rails are required, which are made of conductor (usually metal). In this way, the operation of the system is similar to a conventional railway. However, the train has support and guide magnets instead of wheel pairs. They are placed parallel to the ferromagnetic stators located along the edge of the T-shaped sheet.

The main disadvantage of EMS technology is the need to control the distance between the stator and the magnets. And this despite the fact that it depends on many factors, including the fickle nature. In order to avoid a sudden stop of the train, special batteries are installed on it. They are able to recharge the support magnets built into them, and thereby maintain the levitation process for a long time.

The braking of trains based on EMS technology is carried out by a low-acceleration synchronous linear motor. It is represented by support magnets, as well as a road surface over which the maglev floats. The speed and thrust of the train can be adjusted by changing the frequency and strength of the generated alternating current. To slow down, it is enough to change the direction of the magnetic waves.

Electrodynamic suspension

There is a technology in which the movement of a maglev occurs through the interaction of two fields. One of them is created on the highway, and the second on board the train. This technology is called EDS. The Japanese magnetic levitation train JR-Maglev was built on its basis.

This system has some differences from EMS, where conventional magnets are used, to which electric current is supplied from coils only when power is applied.

EDS technology implies a constant supply of electricity. This happens even if the power supply is turned off. The coils of such a system are equipped with cryogenic cooling, which allows saving significant amounts of electricity.

Advantages and disadvantages of EDS technology

The positive side of a system operating on an electrodynamic suspension is its stability. Even a slight reduction or increase in the distance between the magnets and the canvas is regulated by the forces of repulsion and attraction. This allows the system to remain in an unchanged state. With this technology, there is no need to install electronics for control. There is no need for devices to adjust the distance between the blade and the magnets.

EDS technology has some disadvantages. Thus, a force sufficient to levitate the train can only arise at high speed. That is why maglevs are equipped with wheels. They ensure their movement at speeds of up to one hundred kilometers per hour. Another disadvantage of this technology is the frictional force that occurs at the back and front of the repelling magnets at low speeds.

Due to the strong magnetic field, special protection must be installed in the passenger section. Otherwise, a person with an electronic pacemaker is prohibited from traveling. Protection is also needed for magnetic storage media (credit cards and HDDs).

Technology under development

The third system, which currently exists only on paper, is the use of permanent magnets in the EDS version, which do not require energy to be activated. Just recently it was thought that this was impossible. Researchers believed that permanent magnets did not have the strength to cause a train to levitate. However, this problem was avoided. To solve this problem, magnets were placed in a “Halbach array.” This arrangement leads to the creation of a magnetic field not under the array, but above it. This helps maintain levitation of the train even at a speed of about five kilometers per hour.

This project has not yet received practical implementation. This is explained high cost arrays made of permanent magnets.

Advantages of maglevs

The most attractive aspect of magnetic levitation trains is the prospect of them achieving high speeds, which will allow maglevs to compete even with jet aircraft in the future. This type transport is quite economical in terms of electricity consumption. The costs of its operation are also low. This becomes possible due to the absence of friction. The low noise of maglevs is also pleasing, which will have a positive effect on the environmental situation.

Flaws

The downside of maglevs is that the amount required to create them is too large. Track maintenance costs are also high. In addition, the type of transport considered requires a complex system paths and ultra-precise instruments that control the distance between the canvas and the magnets.

in Berlin

In the capital of Germany in 1980, the first maglev-type system called M-Bahn was opened. The length of the road was 1.6 km. The magnetic levitation train ran between three metro stations on weekends. Travel for passengers was free. Afterwards, the city's population almost doubled. It took creation transport networks with the ability to provide high passenger traffic. That is why in 1991 the magnetic strip was dismantled, and the construction of the metro began in its place.

Birmingham

In this German city, low-speed Maglev connected from 1984 to 1995. airport and railway station. The length of the magnetic path was only 600 m.

Shanghai

The first magnetic railway in Berlin was built by the German company Transrapid. The failure of the project did not deter the developers. They continued their research and received an order from the Chinese government, which decided to build a maglev track in the country. Shanghai and Pudong Airport are connected by this high-speed (up to 450 km/h) route.
The 30 km long road was opened in 2002. Future plans include its extension to 175 km.

Japan

This country hosted the Expo-2005 exhibition in 2005. For its opening, a 9 km long magnetic track was put into operation. There are nine stations on the line. Maglev serves the area adjacent to the exhibition venue.

Maglevs are considered the transport of the future. Already in 2025, it is planned to open a new superhighway in a country like Japan. The magnetic levitation train will transport passengers from Tokyo to one of the areas in the central part of the island. Its speed will be 500 km/h. The project will require about forty-five billion dollars.

Russia

Russian Railways is also planning to create a high-speed train. By 2030, Maglev in Russia will connect Moscow and Vladivostok. Passengers will cover the 9,300 km journey in 20 hours. The speed of a magnetic levitation train will reach up to five hundred kilometers per hour.

It is also a magnetic levitation train, also known as maglev from the English magnetic levitation ("magnetic levitation") - this is a magnetic levitation train, driven and controlled by the force of an electromagnetic field. Such a train, unlike traditional trains, does not touch the rail surface during movement. Since there is a gap between the train and the running surface, friction is eliminated and the only braking force is aerodynamic drag. Maglev refers to monorail transport.

Monorail:

High-speed ground transport (HSLT) is rail transport that operates trains at speeds in excess of 200 km/h (120 mph). Although at the beginning of the 20th century, trains traveling at speeds above 150-160 km/h were called high-speed.
Today, VSNT trains travel along specially designated railway tracks - a high-speed line (HSL), or on a magnetic levitation, along which the maglev shown above moves.

The first regular service of high-speed trains began in 1964 in Japan. In 1981, VSNT trains began to operate in France, and soon most Western Europe, including Great Britain, was united into a single high-speed rail network. Modern high-speed trains in operation reach speeds of about 350-400 km/h, and in tests they can even accelerate to 560-580 km/h, such as the JR-Maglev MLX01, which set a speed record of 581 km/h during testing in 2003. h.
In Russia regular use high-speed trains, on common tracks with regular trains, began in 2009. And only by 2017 is the completion of the construction of Russia's first specialized high-speed railway line Moscow - St. Petersburg.

In addition to passengers, high-speed trains also transport cargo, for example: the French service La Poste has a fleet of special TGV electric trains for transporting mail and parcels.

The speed of “magnetic” trains, that is, maglev trains, is comparable to the speed of an airplane and allows them to compete with air transport on short- and medium-haul routes (up to 1000 km). Although the idea of ​​such transport itself is not new, economic and technical limitations have not allowed it to fully develop.

At the moment, there are 3 main technologies for magnetic suspension of trains:

1. On superconducting magnets (electrodynamic suspension, EDS);
2. On electromagnets (electromagnetic suspension, EMS);
3. On permanent magnets; this is a new and potentially most cost-effective system.

The composition levitates due to the repulsion of identical magnetic poles and, conversely, the attraction of opposite poles. The movement is carried out by a linear motor located either on the train, on the track, or both. A major design problem is the heavy weight powerful magnets, since a strong magnetic field is required to maintain a massive composition in the air.

Advantages of Maglev:

• theoretically the most high speed of those that can be obtained on a public (not sports) ground transport;
• great prospects for achieving speeds many times higher than those used in jet aviation;
• low noise.

Disadvantages of Maglev:

• high cost of creating and maintaining a track - the cost of building one kilometer of maglev track is comparable to digging a kilometer of metro tunnel using a closed method;
• the electromagnetic field created may be harmful to train crews and surrounding residents. Even traction transformers used on electrified alternating current railways oh, harmful for drivers. But in this case, the field strength is an order of magnitude greater. It is also possible that Maglev lines will not be available to people using pacemakers;
• rail tracks standard width, rebuilt for high-speed traffic, remain accessible to regular passenger and commuter trains. The high-speed Maglev route is not suitable for anything else; additional tracks will be required for low-speed service.

The most active developments of maglev are carried out by Germany and Japan.

*Help: What is Shinkansen?
Shinkansen is the name of the high-speed railway network in Japan, designed to transport passengers between major cities countries. Owned by Japan Railways. The first line opened between Osaka and Tokyo in 1964, the Tokaido Shinkansen. This line is the busiest high-speed rail line in the world. It carries about 375,000 passengers daily.

"Bullet Train" is one of the names for Shinkansen trains. Trains can have up to 16 cars. Each carriage reaches a length of 25 meters, with the exception of the head carriages, which are usually slightly longer. total length train distance is about 400 meters. The stations for such trains are also very long and specially adapted for these trains.

In Japan, maglevs are often called "riniaka" (Japanese: リニアカー), derived from the English "linear car" due to the linear motor used on board.

JR-Maglev uses electrodynamic suspension with superconducting magnets (EDS), installed both on the train and on the track. Unlike the German Transrapid system, JR-Maglev does not use a monorail design: trains run in a channel between magnets. This design allows for higher speeds, ensures greater passenger safety in the event of evacuation, and ease of operation.

Unlike electromagnetic suspension (EMS), trains using EDS technology require additional wheels when traveling at low speeds (up to 150 km/h). When a certain speed is reached, the wheels are separated from the ground and the train “flies” at a distance of several centimeters from the surface. In the event of an accident, the wheels also allow the train to stop more smoothly.

For braking in normal mode, electrodynamic brakes are used. For emergency cases The train is equipped with retractable aerodynamic and disc brakes on the bogies.

Ride in maglev with a top speed of 501 km/h. The description states that the video was made in 2005:

On the line in Yamanashi, several trains with different shapes of the nose cone are being tested: from a regular pointed cone to an almost flat one, 14 meters long, designed to get rid of the loud bang that accompanies a train entering a tunnel at high speed. The maglev train can be completely computer controlled. The driver monitors the operation of the computer and receives an image of the track through a video camera (the driver's cabin does not have forward viewing windows).

The JR-Maglev technology is more expensive than a similar development by Transrapid, implemented in China (line to Shanghai airport), since it requires large expenses for equipping the route with superconducting magnets and laying tunnels in the mountains using an explosive method. The total cost of the project could be US$82.5 billion. If the line were laid along the Tokaido Coastal Highway, it would cost less but would require construction large quantity short tunnels. Despite the fact that the magnetic levitation train itself is silent, each entry into the tunnel at high speed will cause a bang comparable in volume to an explosion, so laying the line in densely populated areas is impossible.