Japanese levitating train. Shanghai Maglev is a magnetic levitation train. Advantages and disadvantages of EDS technology

The first magnetic levitation train carried a group of passengers as part of the 1979 IVA International Transport Exhibition in Germany. But few people know that in the same year another maglev, the Soviet model TP-01, drove its first meters along the test track. It is especially surprising that Soviet maglevs have survived to this day - they have been collecting dust on the outskirts of history for more than 30 years.

Tim Skorenko

Experiments with transport operating on the principle of magnetic levitation began even before the war. IN different years and in different countries Ah, working prototypes of levitating trains appeared. In 1979, the Germans introduced a system that transported more than 50,000 passengers in three months of operation, and in 1984, the first ever permanent line for magnetic levitation trains appeared at Birmingham International Airport (UK). The initial length of the route was 600 m, and the levitation height did not exceed 15 mm. The system operated quite successfully for 11 years, but then technical failures became more frequent due to aging equipment. And since the system was unique, almost any spare part had to be manufactured according to individual order, and it was decided to close the line, which was bringing continuous losses.

1986, TP-05 at the training ground in Ramenskoye. The 800-meter section did not allow us to accelerate to cruising speeds, but the initial “races” did not require this. The car, built in an extremely short time, managed almost without any “childhood diseases”, and this was a good result.

In addition to the British, serial magnetic trains were quite successfully launched in Germany - the company Transrapid operated a similar system 31.5 km long in the Emsland region between the cities of Derpen and Laten. The story of the Emsland Maglev, however, ended tragically: in 2006, due to the fault of technicians, a serious accident, in which 23 people died, and the line was mothballed.

There are two magnetic levitation systems in use in Japan today. The first (for urban transport) uses an electromagnetic suspension system for speeds up to 100 km/h. The second, better known, SCMaglev, is designed for speeds over 400 km/h and is based on superconducting magnets. As part of this program, several lines were built and a world speed record for railways was set. vehicle, 581 km/h. Just two years ago, a new generation of Japanese maglev trains was introduced - the L0 Series Shinkansen. In addition, a system similar to the German “Transrapid” operates in China, in Shanghai; it also uses superconducting magnets.

The TP-05 salon had two rows of seats and a central aisle. The car is wide and at the same time surprisingly low - the 184 cm tall editor practically touched the ceiling with his head. It was impossible to stand in the driver's cab.

And in 1975, the development of the first Soviet maglev began. Today it is almost forgotten, but this is a very important page technical history our country.

Train of the future

He stands in front of us - large, futuristic in design, looking more like spaceship from a sci-fi movie rather than a vehicle. Streamlined aluminum body sliding door, stylized inscription “TP-05” on the side. An experimental maglev car has been standing at a testing ground near Ramenskoye for 25 years, the cellophane is covered with a thick layer of dust, underneath is an amazing machine that miraculously was not cut into metal according to the good Russian tradition. But no, it was preserved, and TP-04, its predecessor, intended for testing individual components, was preserved.

The experimental car in the workshop is already in a new livery. It was repainted several times, and for the filming of a fantastic short film, a large Fire-ball inscription was made on the side.

The development of maglev goes back to 1975, when the USSR Ministry of Oil and Gas Construction appeared Production Association"Soyuztransprogress". A few years later it started Government program“High-speed environmentally friendly transport”, within the framework of which work began on a magnetic levitation train. The financing was very good; a special workshop and training ground of the VNIIPItransprogress Institute with a 120-meter section of road in Ramenskoye near Moscow was built for the project. And in 1979, the first magnetic levitation car TP-01 successfully passed the test distance under its own power - however, still on a temporary 36-meter section of the Gazstroymashina plant, elements of which were later “moved” to Ramenskoye. Please note - at the same time as the Germans and before many other developers! In principle, the USSR had a chance to become one of the first countries to develop magnetic transport - the work was carried out by real enthusiasts of their craft, led by Academician Yuri Sokolov.

Magnetic modules (gray) on a rail (orange). The rectangular bars in the center of the photo are gap sensors that monitor surface unevenness. The electronics were removed from TP-05, but the magnetic equipment remained, and, in principle, the car can be started again.

The Popular Mechanics expedition was led by none other than Andrey Aleksandrovich Galenko, General Director of the OJSC Engineering and Scientific Center TEMP. “TEMP” is the same organization, ex-VNIIPItransprogress, a branch of the Soyuztransprogress that has sunk into oblivion, and Andrei Aleksandrovich worked on the system from the very beginning, and hardly anyone could talk about it better than him. TP-05 stands under cellophane, and the first thing the photographer says is: no, no, we can’t photograph this, nothing is visible right away. But then we pull off the cellophane - and the Soviet Maglev for the first time in long years appears before us, not engineers or landfill employees, in all its glory.

Why do you need Maglev?

The development of transport systems operating on the principle of magnetic levitation can be divided into three directions. The first is cars with a design speed of up to 100 km/h; in this case, the most optimal scheme is with levitation electromagnets. The second is suburban transport with speeds of 100-400 km/h; here it is most advisable to use a full-fledged electromagnetic suspension with lateral stabilization systems. And finally, the most “fashionable” trend, so to speak, is long-distance trains capable of accelerating to 500 km/h and above. In this case, the suspension should be electrodynamic, using superconducting magnets.

TP-01 belonged to the first direction and was tested at the test site until mid-1980. Its weight was 12 tons, length - 9 m, and it could accommodate 20 people; The suspension gap was minimal - only 10 mm. TP-01 was followed by new gradations testing machines— TP-02 and TP-03, the track was extended to 850 m, then the laboratory car TP-04 appeared, designed to study the operation of a linear traction electric drive. The future of Soviet maglevs seemed cloudless, especially since in the world, besides Ramensky, there were only two such training grounds - in Germany and Japan.

Previously, the TP-05 was symmetrical and could move both forward and backward; control panels and windshields were on both sides. Today, the control panel is preserved only on the workshop side - the second one was dismantled as unnecessary.

The operating principle of a levitating train is relatively simple. The composition does not touch the rail, being in a state of hovering - the mutual attraction or repulsion of magnets works. Simply put, the cars hang above the track plane thanks to the vertically directed forces of magnetic levitation, and are kept from lateral rolls by similar forces directed horizontally. In the absence of friction on the rail, the only “obstacle” to movement is aerodynamic resistance - theoretically, even a child can move a multi-ton carriage. The train is set in motion by a linear asynchronous motor, similar to what works, for example, on the Moscow monorail (by the way, this engine was developed by OJSC Scientific Center "TEMP"). Such an engine has two parts: the primary (inductor) is installed under the car, the secondary (reactive tire) is installed on the tracks. The electromagnetic field created by the inductor interacts with the tire, moving the train forward.

The advantages of maglev primarily include the absence of resistance other than aerodynamic. In addition, equipment wear is minimal due to the small number of moving elements of the system compared to classic trains. The disadvantages are the complexity and high cost of the routes. For example, one of the problems is safety: the maglev needs to be “lifted” onto an overpass, and if there is an overpass, then it is necessary to consider the possibility of evacuating passengers in case of an emergency. However, the TP-05 car was planned for operation at speeds of up to 100 km/h and had a relatively inexpensive and technologically advanced track structure.

1980s An engineer from VNIIPI-transprogress works on a computer. The equipment of the workshop at that time was the most modern - the financing of the “High-Speed ​​Environmentally Friendly Transport” program was carried out without serious failures even during perestroika times.

Everything from scratch

When developing the TP series, the engineers essentially did everything from scratch. We selected the parameters for the interaction between the magnets of the car and the track, then took up the electromagnetic suspension - we worked on optimizing magnetic fluxes, motion dynamics, etc. The main achievement of the developers can be called the so-called magnetic skis they created, capable of compensating for track unevenness and ensuring comfortable dynamics of the car with passengers. Adaptation to unevenness was realized using small-sized electromagnets connected by hinges into something similar to chains. The circuit was complex, but much more reliable and efficient than with rigidly fixed magnets. The system was monitored thanks to gap sensors, which monitored track irregularities and gave commands to the power converter, which reduced or increased the current in a particular electromagnet, and therefore the lifting force.

TP-01, the first Soviet maglev, 1979. Here the car is not yet standing in Ramenskoye, but on a short, 36-meter section of track, built at the training ground of the Gazstroymashina plant. In the same year, the Germans demonstrated the first such carriage - Soviet engineers kept pace with the times.

It was this scheme that was tested on TP-05, the only “second direction” car built within the program, with an electromagnetic suspension. Work on the carriage was carried out very quickly - it aluminium case, for example, they did it literally in three months. The first tests of TP-05 took place in 1986. It weighed 18 tons, accommodated 18 people, the rest of the car was occupied by testing equipment. It was assumed that the first road using such cars in practice would be built in Armenia (from Yerevan to Abovyan, 16 km). The speed was to be increased to 180 km/h, the capacity to 64 people per car. But the second half of the 1980s made its own adjustments to the rosy future of the Soviet maglev. By that time, the first permanent magnetic levitation system had already been launched in Britain; we could have caught up with the British if not for the political vicissitudes. Another reason for the project's curtailment was the earthquake in Armenia, which led to a sharp reduction in funding.

Project B250 - high-speed maglev "Moscow - Sheremetyevo". Aerodynamics were developed at the Yakovlev Design Bureau, and full-size mock-ups of the segment with seats and cockpit were made. The design speed - 250 km/h - was reflected in the project index. Unfortunately, in 1993, the ambitious idea crashed due to lack of funding.

Ancestor of Aeroexpress

All work on the TP series was discontinued in the late 1980s, and since 1990, TP-05, which by that time had appeared in the sci-fi short film “Robots are No Mess,” was laid up for eternity under cellophane in the same workshop where it was built. We became the first journalists in a quarter of a century to see this car “live.” Almost everything inside has been preserved - from the control panel to the upholstery of the seats. Restoration of TP-05 is not as difficult as it could be - it stood under a roof, in good conditions and deserves a place in the transport museum.

In the early 1990s, the TEMP Research Center continued the topic of maglev, now commissioned by the Moscow government. This was the idea of ​​Aeroexpress, a high-speed magnetic levitation train to deliver residents of the capital directly to Sheremetyevo Airport. The project was named B250. An experimental segment of the train was shown at an exhibition in Milan, after which the project included foreign investors and engineers; Soviet specialists traveled to Germany to study foreign developments. But in 1993, due to the financial crisis, the project was curtailed. 64-passenger carriages for Sheremetyevo remained only on paper. However, some elements of the system were created in full-scale samples - suspension units and chassis, devices for the on-board power supply system, and even testing of individual units began.

The most interesting thing is that there are developments for maglevs in Russia. JSC Scientific Center "TEMP" is working and implementing various projects for the civilian and defense industries, there is a test site, there is experience working with similar systems. Several years ago, thanks to the initiative of JSC Russian Railways, conversations about maglev again moved to the design development stage - however, the continuation of work has already been entrusted to other organizations. Time will tell what this will lead to.

The editors would like to thank you for their assistance in preparing the material. to CEO ITC "Electromagnetic Passenger Transport" A.A. Galenko.

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. It was only in the late 60s and early 70s that a magnetic track was assembled in Germany, where a new generation vehicle was launched. 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 by a 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 motor.

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.

Zoom-presentation:http://zoom.pspu.ru/presentations/145

1. Purpose

Magnetic levitation train or maglev(from the English magnetic levitation, i.e. “maglev” - magnetic plane) is a magnetically suspended train, driven and controlled by magnetic forces, designed to transport people (Fig. 1). Refers to passenger transport technology. Unlike traditional trains, it does not touch the surface of the rail while moving.

2. Main parts (device) and their purpose

There are different technological solutions in the development of this design (see paragraph 6). Let's consider the principle of operation of the magnetic levitation of the Transrapid train using electromagnets ( electromagnetic suspension, EMS) (Fig. 2).

Electronically controlled electromagnets (1) are attached to the metal “skirt” of each car. They interact with magnets on the underside of a special rail (2), causing the train to hover above the rail. Other magnets provide lateral alignment. A winding (3) is laid along the track, which creates a magnetic field that sets the train in motion (linear motor).

3. Operating principle

The operating principle of a maglev train is based on the following physical phenomena and laws:

phenomenon and law of electromagnetic induction by M. Faraday

Lenz's rule

Biot-Savart-Laplace law

In 1831, English physicist Michael Faraday discovered law of electromagnetic induction, Whereby a change in the magnetic flux inside a conducting circuit excites an electric current in this circuit even in the absence of a power source in the circuit. The question of the direction of the induction current, left open by Faraday, was soon solved by the Russian physicist Emilius Christianovich Lenz.

Let's consider a closed circular current-carrying circuit without a connected battery or other power source, into which a magnet is inserted with the north pole. This will increase the magnetic flux passing through the loop, and, according to Faraday's law, an induced current will appear in the loop. This current, in turn, according to the Bio-Savart law, will generate a magnetic field, the properties of which are no different from the properties of the field of an ordinary magnet with north and south poles. Lenz just managed to find out that the induced current will be directed in such a way that the north pole of the magnetic field generated by the current will be oriented towards the north pole of the driven magnet. Since mutual repulsion forces act between the two north poles of the magnets, the induction current induced in the circuit will flow in precisely the direction that will counteract the introduction of the magnet into the circuit. And this is only a special case, but in a generalized formulation, Lenz’s rule states that the induced current is always directed in such a way as to counteract the root cause that caused it.

Lenz's rule is precisely what is used today in magnetic levitation trains. Powerful magnets are mounted under the bottom of the car of such a train, located a few centimeters from the steel sheet (Fig. 3). When the train moves, the magnetic flux passing through the contour of the track is constantly changing, and strong induction currents arise in it, creating a powerful magnetic field that repels the magnetic suspension of the train (similar to how repulsive forces arise between the contour and the magnet in the experiment described above). This force is so great that, having gained some speed, the train literally lifts off the track by several centimeters and, in fact, flies through the air.

The composition levitates due to the repulsion of identical poles of magnets and, conversely, the attraction of different poles. The creators of the TransRapid train (Fig. 1) used an unexpected magnetic suspension scheme. They did not use the repulsion of poles of the same name, but the attraction of opposite poles. Hanging a load above a magnet is not difficult (this system is stable), but under a magnet is almost impossible. But if you take a controlled electromagnet, the situation changes. The control system keeps the gap between the magnets constant at several millimeters (Fig. 3). As the gap increases, the system increases the current strength in the supporting magnets and thus “pulls” the car; when decreasing, the current decreases and the gap increases. The scheme has two serious advantages. Track magnetic elements are protected from weather influences, and their field is significantly weaker due to the small gap between the track and the train; it requires much lower currents. Consequently, a train of this design turns out to be much more economical.

The train moves forward linear motor. Such an engine has a rotor and stator stretched into strips (in a conventional electric motor they are rolled into rings). The stator windings are switched on alternately, creating a traveling magnetic field. The stator, mounted on the locomotive, is drawn into this field and moves the entire train (Fig. 4, 5). . The key element of the technology is the change of poles on electromagnets by alternately supplying and removing current at a frequency of 4,000 times per second. The gap between the stator and the rotor should not exceed five millimeters to obtain reliable operation. This is difficult to achieve due to the swaying of the cars during movement, which is characteristic of all types of monorail roads, except for roads with side suspension, especially when cornering. Therefore, an ideal track infrastructure is necessary.

The stability of the system is ensured by automatic regulation of the current in the magnetization windings: sensors constantly measure the distance from the train to the track and the voltage on the electromagnets changes accordingly (Fig. 3). Ultra-fast control systems control the gap between the road and the train.

The only braking force is the aerodynamic drag force.

So, the movement diagram of a maglev train: supporting electromagnets are installed under the car, and coils of a linear electric motor are installed on the rail. When they interact, a force arises that lifts the car above the road and pulls it forward. The direction of current in the windings continuously changes, switching magnetic fields as the train moves.

The supporting magnets are powered by on-board batteries (Fig. 4), which are recharged at each station. Current is supplied to the linear electric motor, which accelerates the train to airplane speeds, only in the section along which the train is moving (Fig. 6 a). A sufficiently strong magnetic field of the composition will induce current in the track windings, and they, in turn, create a magnetic field.

Where the train increases speed or goes uphill, energy is supplied with greater power. If you need to slow down or drive in the opposite direction, the magnetic field changes vector.

Check out the video clips " Law of Electromagnetic Induction», « Electromagnetic induction» « Faraday's experiments».

Rice. 6. b Stills from video fragments “The Law of Electromagnetic Induction”, “Electromagnetic Induction”, “Faraday’s Experiments”.

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 take place in different countries. 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 movement - this 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 was 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. Moreover, the practical implementation of this system is very similar to the operation of conventional railway 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 synchronous linear motor low acceleration, represented by the support magnets and the canvas over which the magnetic plane hovers. By by and large, the motor system built into the canvas is a conventional 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. Change in strength and frequency 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 more low temperatures in 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 move when 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.

Another disadvantage of EDS is that at low speeds, a frictional force develops at the front and rear 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 option with permanent magnets Inductrack, which does 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 line in the list of the most fast trains magnetic levitation 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). Wherein maximum speed Linimo is equal to 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 German company Transrapid and put into operation on January 1, 2004. This maglev railway line connects Shanghai Longyang Lu Station with Pudong International Airport. Total distance is 30 km, the train overcomes 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.

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 of 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:

Electrodynamic suspension system (EDS) creates levitation by changing magnetic field in the tracks and the field created 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 at low speeds, 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 relevant for implementation is the Inductrack permanent magnet system, which is a type of EDS system.

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.

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