“MAGNETIC LEVITATION TRAIN”

A
Seminar Report
Submitted
in partial fulfillment
For the award of the Degree of
Bachelor of Technology

in Mechanical Engineering
2015-2019

SUBMITTED TO SUBMITTED BY

DR. DEEPAK PALIWAL AMAN POKHARANA

(Head of Department) (ROLL NO.15EGIME007)
Mechanical Engineering
GITS, Udaipur

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Geetanjali Institute of Technical Studies, Dabok Udaipur

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 CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the Seminar report entitled “MAGNETIC LEVITATION
TRAIN” for the award of Degree in Mechanical Engineering at Rajasthan Technical
University (Kota) has been prepared and submitted by AMAN POKHARANA
(15EGIME007) as per the guidelines under supervisor and guide.
Date:

Under the Guidance of

Supervisor Name:

Head of Department
(Department of Mechanical Engineering)

2
 STUDENT DECLARATION

We hereby declare that the Seminar report entitled "MAGNETIC LEVITATION

TRAIN" is the work done by us during the academic year 2018-2019 and is
submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Four Year
Degree in MECHANICAL ENGINEERING from RAJASTHAN TECHNICAL
UNIVERSITY (KOTA).

Signature
AMAN POKHARANA
(15EGIME007)

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to place on record my deep sense of gratitude to Dr.

N.S.Rathore, Director of Geetanjali Institute Of Technical Studies,
Udaipur for his generous guidance, help and useful suggestions.

I express my sincere gratitude to Mr. Deepak Paliwal, Head of

Department (HOD) Mechanical Engineering, Udaipur, for his
stimulating guidance, and continuous encouragement.

I also wish to extend my thanks to Dr. Saurabh Tege and other

faculties for guiding and providing the knowledge related to
machinery.

Aman Pokharana

B.Tech 4th YEAR

15EGIME007

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

GITS, UDAIPUR

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 ABSTRACT

This paper involves the design, hardware, technology, application and future uses of
“Magnetic levitation trains.” The maglev transportation system is more stable, faster,
economic, efficient. Maglev systems are currently in use for applications such as
bearings, high-speed trains, and manufacturing. Maglev is a method of propulsion that
uses magnetic levitation to propel vehicles with magnets rather than with wheels,
axles and bearings. With maglev, a vehicle is levitated a short distance away from a
guide way using magnets to create both lift and thrust (levitation would not exceed
above 10 centimetre‟s). In future these High-speed maglev trains would give a huge
competition to the aviation industry.

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 Table of Contents

Chapter Contents Page No.

1. Background 1
1.1 Maglev: The Principle 1
1.2 The Types Of Maglev Methods 4
2 Technology And Working Of Maglev Trains 6
2.1 The Levitation System 7
2.2 Propulsion System 9
2.3 The Operation Control System 12
3 Maglev The Best Option 17
3.1 Pros and Cons 20
3.2 Safety 26
4 Conclusion 29
4.1 Future Expansion 30

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 1. BACKGROUND

Transportation is the direct product of the social link and social relationship of the
people. Revolutionary changes have taken place in the life of the mankind since
human beings acquired the capability of walking upright as a result of evolution from
the ape. Human being’s vision was widened to enable itself to better observe the
surroundings and to be watchful against any possible crises. But due to the low
productive forces and constraints on people by the conditions of the nature in the
primitive times, usually they could not but live by hunting animals or gathering plants
within a certain region to maintain the lease of life by making use of a few elements
of the nature, let alone any act of transport for the commercial intercourse among the
peasants, workers and merchants.

Nevertheless, with the development of human society, people gradually widened their
vision in the geographic space through several forms of lateral social contact in their
production activities and injected active seeking factor into the passive man,
environment relationship. Gradually, human being mastered the use of tools and other
special at his service. Among others, the horse, an animal which changed the speed of
human transportation, enabled a cart to run at some 10km/h, thus the region scoped
varied and the link between city and city became closer, enhancing the progress of
culture and civilization in various places.

1.1 Maglev: The Principle

A method of supporting and transporting objects or vehicles which is based on

the physical property that the force between two magnetized bodies is
inversely proportional to their distance. By using this magnetic force to
counterbalance the gravitational pull, a stable and contactless suspension
between a magnet (magnetic body) and a fixed guideway (magnetized body)
may be obtained. In magnetic levitation (Maglev), also known as magnetic
7
suspension, this basic principle is used to suspend (or levitate) vehicles
weighing 40 tons or more by generating a controlled magnetic force. By
removing friction, these vehicles can travel at speeds higher than wheeled
trains, with considerably improved propulsion efficiency (thrust energy/inputenergy)
and reduced noise. In Maglev vehicles, chassis-mounted magnets areeither
suspended underneath aferromagnetic guideway (track) orlevitated above an
aluminum track .

Figure 1.1 depicts the three primary functions basic to Maglev technology

Fig 1.1 Primary functions of Maglev

(1) levitation or suspension;

(2) propulsion;

(3) guidance.

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In most current designs, magnetic forces are used to perform all three
functions, although a nonmagnetic source of propulsion could be used. Noconsensus
exists on an optimum design to perform each of the primary functions.

In the attraction-type system, a magnet-guideway geometry is used to attract a

direct-current electromagnet toward the track. This system, also known as the
electromagnetic suspension (EMS) system, is suitable for low- and high-
speed passenger-carrying vehicles and a wide range of magnetic bearings. The
electromagnetic suspension system is inherently nonlinear and unstable, requiring an
active feedback to maintain an upward lift force equal to the weight of the
suspended magnet and its payload (vehicle).

In the repulsion-type system, also known as the electrodynamic levitation

system (EDS or EDL), a superconducting coil operating in persistent-current
mode is moved longitudinally along a conducting surface (an aluminum plate
fixed on the ground and acting as the guideway) to induce circulating eddy
currents in the aluminum plate. These eddy currents create a magnetic field
which, by Lenz’s law, opposes the magnetic field generated by the travelling
coil. This interaction produces a repulsion force on the moving coil. At lower
speeds, this vertical force is not sufficient to lift the coil (and its payload), so
supporting auxiliary wheels are needed until the net repulsion force is positive.
The speed at which the net upward lift force is positive (critical speed) is
dependent on the magnetic field in the airgap and payload, and is typically
around 80 km/h (50 mi/h). To produce high flux from the traveling coils, hard
superconductors (type II) with relatively high values of the critical field (the
magnetic field strength of the coil at 0 K) are used to yield airgap flux densities of
over 4 tesla. With this choice, the strong eddy-current induced magnetic field is
rejected by the superconducting field, giving a self-stabilizing levitationforce at
high speeds (though additional control circuitry is required for adequate
damping and ride quality.

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1.2 The Types of Maglev Methods

• Repulsion between like poles of permanent magnets or

electromagnets.

• Repulsion between a magnet and a metallic conductor induced by

relative motion.

• Repulsion between a metallic conductor and an AC electromagnet.

• Repulsion between a magnetic field and a diamagnetic substance.

• Repulsion between a magnet and a superconductor.

• Attraction between unlike poles of permanent magnets or

electromagnets.

• Attraction between the open core of an electromagnetic solenoid and a

piece of iron or a magnet.

• Attraction between a permanent magnet or electromagnet and a piece

of iron.

• Attraction between an electromagnet and a piece of iron or a magnet,

with sensors and active control of the current to the electromagnet
used to maintain some distance between them.

• Repulsion between an electromagnet and a magnet, with sensors and

active control of the current to the electromagnet used to maintain
some distance between them.

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 Fig 1.2 EMS suspension system

Fig. 1.3 EDS suspension system

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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 these systems. EMS systems are wheel-less.

The German Transrapid, Japanese HSST (Linimo), and Korean Rotem EMS
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 (6.2 mph) speed, using the power from onboard batteries. This is not the case
with the HSST and Rotem systems.

2. TECHNOLOGY AND WORKING OF MAGLEV TRAINS

Fig 2.1 Internal working of the Maglev trains

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2.1 The Levitation System

Support electromagnets built into the undercarriage and along the entire
length of the train pull it up to the guideway electromagnets, which are called
ferromagnetic reaction rails. The guidance magnets placed on each side of
the train keep it centered along the track and guide the train along. All the
electromagnets are controlled electronically in a precise manner. It ensures
the train is always levitated at a distance of 8 to 10 mm from the guideway
even when it isn't moving. This levitation system is powered by onboard
batteries, which are charged up by the linear generator when the train travels.
The generator consists of additional cable windings integrated in the levitation
electromagnets. The induced current of the generator during driving uses
thepropulsion magnetic field's harmonic waves, which are due to the side effects of
the grooves of the long stator so the charging up process does not consume the useful
propulsion magnetic field. The train can rely on this battery power for up to one hour
without an external power source. The levitation system is independent from the
propulsion system.

System

Electronically controlled support magnets located on both sides along the entire
length of the vehicle pull the vehicle up to the ferromagnetic stator packs mounted to
the underside of the guideway.
Guidance magnets located on both sides along the
entire length of the vehicle keep the vehicle laterally
on the track. Electronic systems guarantee that the
clearance remains constant (nominally 10 mm). To
hover, the Maglev requires less power than its air
conditioning equipment. The levitation system is
supplied from on-board batteries and thus
independent of the propulsion system. The vehicle
is capable of hovering up to one hour without
external energy. While travelling, the on-board Fig 2.2 Maglev Guideway
13
batteries are recharged by linear generators integrated into the support magnets

Fig 2.3 Guideway Structure

Fig 2.4 Guidance and Support Magnet

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 Fig 2.5 Sections of the Maglev Train

Maglev vehicles comprise a minimum of two sections, each with approx. 90 seats on
average. According to application and traffic volume, trains may be composed of up
to ten sections (two end and eight middle sections).

However, the Maglev is suitable for transporting goods as well. For high-
speed cargo transport, special cargo sections can be combined withpassenger
sections or assembled to form dedicated cargo trains (payload up to 15 tons per
section). As the propulsion system is in the guideway, neither the length of the vehicle
nor the payload affect the acceleration power.

2.2 Propulsion System

The synchronous longstator linear motor of the maglev system is used both
for propulsion and braking. It is functioning like a rotatingelectric motor whosestator
is cut open and stretched along under the guideway. Inside the
motorwindings,alternatingcurrentisgenerating a magnetictraveling field which
moves the vehiclewithout contactThe support magnets in the vehicle function as the

15
excitation portion (rotor). The propulsion system in the guideway is activated only in
the section where the vehicle actually runs.

The speed can be continuously regulated by varying the frequency of the

alternating current. If the direction of the traveling field is reversed, the motor
becomes a generator which brakes the vehicle without any contact. The
braking energy can be re-used and fed back into the electrical network. The
three-phase winded stator generates an electromagnetic travelling field and
moves the train when it is supplied with an alternating current. The
electronmagnetic field from the support electromagnets (rotor) pulls it along.
The magnetic field direction and speed of the stator and the rotor are
synchronized. The Maglev's speed can vary from standstill to full operating
speed by simply adjusting the frequency of the alternating current. To bring
the train to a full stop, the direction of the travelling field is reversed. Even
during braking, there isn't any mechanicalcontact between the stator and the rotor.
Instead of consuming energy, the Maglev system acts as agenerator, converting the
breaking energy into electricity, which canbe used elsewhere.

Fig 2.8 Repulsion of magnets

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Fig 2.7 Process of Propulsion and the traveling field

Fig 2.9 Stator Winding for Propulsion

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2.3 The Operation Control System

Fig 2.11 Operation Control Center

The operation control system controls the operation and guarantees the
safety of the Maglev system. It safeguards vehicle movements, the position of
the switches, and all other safety and operational functions. Vehicles location
on the track is accomplished using an on-board system which detects digitally
encoded location flags on the guideway. A radio transmission system is used
for communication between the central control center and the vehicles.

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 Fig 2.12 Operation of Maglev train

The Guideway

The Maglev hovers over a double track guideway. It can be mounted either at-
grade or elevated on slim columns and consists of individual steel or concrete
beams up to 62 m in length. Guidance or steering refers to the sideward
forces that are required to make the vehicle follow the guideway. The
necessary forces are supplied in an exactly analogous fashion to the
suspension forces, either attractive or repulsive. The same magnets on board
the vehicle, which supply lift, can be used concurrently for guidance or
separate guidance magnets can be used. They use Null Flux systems, also
known as Null Current systems, these use a coil which is wound so that it
enters two opposing, alternating fields. When the vehicle is in the straight

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ahead position, no current flows, but if it moves off-line this creates a
changing flux that generates a field that pushes it back into line.

Fig 2.13 Guideway Specifics

The Maglev system changes tracks using steel bendable switches. They consist of
continuous steel box beams with length between 78 m and 148 m (256 ft - 486 ft)
which are elastically bent by means of electromagnetic setting drives and securely
locked in their end positions.In the straight position, the vehicle can cross the switch
without speed restrictions, in the turnout position, the speed is limited to 200 km/h
(125 mph) (high speed switch) or 100 km/h (62 mph) (low speed switch).

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 Fig 2.14 Guideway turning

The propulsion in the guideway is activated only the section where the vehicle
actually is.

Fig 2.15 Power supply

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 Fig 2.16 Maglev track

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

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 3. MAGLEV : THE BEST OPTION

• What are the attributes of maglev which commend its consideration by

transportation planners?

• Faster trips

High peak speed and high acceleration/braking enable average speeds three to four
times the national highway speed limit of 65 mph (30 m/s) and lower door-to-door
trip time than high-speed rail or air (for trips under about 300 miles or 500 km).And
still higher speeds are feasible. Maglev takes up where high-speed rail leaves off,
permitting speeds of 250 to 300 mph (112 to 134 m/s) and higher.

• High reliability

Less susceptible to congestion and weather conditions than air or

highway. Variance from schedule can average less than one minute
based on foreign high-speed rail experience. This means intra- and
intermodal connecting times can be reduced to a few minutes (rather
than the half-hour or more required with airlines and Amtrak at present)
and that appointments can safely be scheduled without having to take
delays into account.

• Petroleum independence

With respect to air and auto as a result of being electrically powered. Petroleum is
unnecessary for the production of electricity. In 1990, less than 5 percent of the
Nation's electricity was derived from petroleum whereas the petroleum used by both
the air and automobile modes comes primarily from foreign sources.

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• Less polluting

With respect to air and auto, again as a result of being electrically powered. Emissions
can be controlled more effectively at the source of electric power generation than at
the many points of consumption, such as with air and automobile usage.

• Higher capacity than air

At least 12,000 passengers per hour in each direction with potential for
even higher capacities at 3 to 4 minute headways. Provides sufficient
capacity to accommodate traffic growth well into the twenty-first century
and to provide an alternative to air and auto in the event of an oil
availability crisis.

• High safety

Both perceived and actual, based on foreign experience.

• Convenience

Due to high frequency of service and the ability to serve central

business districts, airports, and other major metropolitan area nodes.

• Improved comfort

With respect to air due to greater roominess, which allows separate dining and
conference areas with freedom to move around. Absence of air turbulence ensures a
consistently smooth ride.

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• Maintenance

Due to the non-contact technology, the cost of vehicle and guideway maintenance is
very low.

In the event of a malfunction of one of the propulsion and control

components, the remaining components can assume its
responsibilities, thereby ensuring a high overall system availability. If an
electronic component group in the vehicle fails, the high redundancy
concept guarantees that the vehicle will reach the next destination.

Here the vehicle can be taken out of operation, the defective component quickly
replaced, and then be available as reserve.

Fig 3.1 Maintenance Factory

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The guideway is inspected and monitored by maintenance vehicles
from the guideway. These are provided with measuring systems to
detect any changes in the position of the guideway equipment (such as
stator packs, cable windings, and guidance rails) and with optical
systems using digital photo interpretation to check the condition of the
surfaces, e.g. for corrosion. In addition, evaluation of the sensor data
obtained in daily operation allows the maintenance personnel to detect
any changes in the position of the guideway and to implement
corrective measures in a timely, efficient manner. An access road along
the guideway is not required for maintenance purposes.

3.1 Pros and Cons

Compared to conventional trains

Major comparative differences between the two technologies lie in backward-

compatibility, rolling resistance, weight, noise, design constraints, and control
systems.

• Backwards Compatibility

Maglev trains currently in operation are not compatible with

conventional track, and therefore require all new infrastructure for their
entire route. By contrast conventional high speed trains such as the
TGV are able to run at reduced speeds on existing rail infrastructure,
thus reducing expenditure where new infrastructure would be
particularly expensive (such as the final approaches to city terminals),
or on extensions where traffic does not justify new infrastructure.

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• Efficiency

Due to the lack of physical contact between the track and the vehicle,
maglev trains experience no rolling resistance, leaving only air
resistance and electromagnetic drag, potentially improving power
efficiency.

• Weight

The weight of the large electromagnets in many EMS and EDS designs is 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, and the energy cost of maintaining the field.

• Noise

Because the major source of noise of a maglev train comes from

displaced air, maglev trains produce less noise than a conventional
train at equivalent speeds. However, the psychoacoustic profile of the
maglev may reduce this benefit: A study concluded that maglev noise
should be rated like road traffic while conventional trains have a 5-10dB "bonus" as
they are found less annoying at the same loudness level.

• Design

Comparisons Braking and overhead wire wear have caused problems for the Fastech
360 railed Shinkansen. Maglev would eliminate these issues. Magnet reliability at
higher temperatures is a countervailing comparative disadvantage (see suspension
types), but new alloys and manufacturing techniques have resulted in magnets that
maintain their levitational force at higher temperatures.

As with many technologies, advances in linear motor design have

addressed the limitations noted in early maglev systems. As linear

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motors must fit within or straddle their track over the full length of the
train, track design for some EDS and EMS maglev systems is
challenging for anything other than point-to-point services. Curves must
be gentle, while switches are very long and need care to avoid breaks
in current. An SPM maglev system, in which the vehicle permanently
levitated over the tracks, can instantaneously switch tracks using
electronic controls, with no moving parts in the track. A prototype SPM
maglev train has also navigated curves with radius equal to the length
of the train itself, which indciates that a full-scale train should be able to
navigate curves with the same or narrower radius as a conventional
train.

• Control Systems

EMS Maglev needs very fast-responding control systems to maintain a

stable height above the track; this needs careful design in the event of
a failure in order to avoid crashing into the track during a power
fluctuation. Other maglev systems do not necessarily have this
problem. For example, SPM maglev systems have a stable levitation
gap of several centimeters.

Compared to aircraft

For many systems, it is possible to define a lift-to-drag ratio. For

maglev systems these ratios can exceed that of aircraft (for example
Inductrack can approach 200:1 at high speed, far higher than any
aircraft). This can make maglev more efficient per kilometre. However,at high
cruising speeds, aerodynamic drag is much larger than lift-
induced drag. Jet transport aircraft take advantage of low air density at
high altitudes to significantly reduce drag during cruise, hence despite
their lift-to-drag ratio disadvantage, they can travel more efficiently at
high speeds than maglev trains that operate at sea level (this has been

28
proposed to be fixed by the vactrain concept). Aircraft are also more
flexible and can service more destinations with provision of suitable
airport facilities.

Unlike airplanes, maglev trains are powered by electricity and thus

need not carry fuel. Aircraft fuel is a significant danger during takeoff
and landing accidents. Also, electric trains emit little carbon dioxide

emissions, especially when powered by nuclear or renewable sources.

• How much will it cost to travel by Maglev compared to airplanes? Will it

be faster or slower, more comfortable?

The average cost for air travel is about 13 cents per passenger mile. This includes
labor, airplanes, fuel, and other costs, and corresponds to a ticket price of about $600
round trip, for a coast-to-coast flight. Some tickets cost less, some more, for a
particular flight, depending on the discount offer, date of purchase, age, and so on.
The 13 cents per passenger mile does not include government subsidies for airports,
highway access, FAA operations, etc.

Maglev operational costs for vehicles, energy, and labor total about 4
cents per passenger mile, not including the amortization cost for the
guideway. Projecting guideway amortization cost is difficult since it
depends on ridership and whether the guideway carries freight as well
as passengers. For a MAGLEV guideway cost of 10 million dollars per
2-way mile, that carries only passengers, amortization cost is about 10
cents per passenger mile, assuming a 30-year payback period and
10,000 passengers daily. If the guideway carries 1000 trailers daily and
allocates 3 cents per ton mile (30 tons per trailer} of revenue to
guideway amortization, the passenger share for guideway amortization
is zero cents per passenger mile. Total cost for passengers is then only

4 cents per passenger mile, about 1/3 of that for air travel. If Maglev guideways carry
both passengers and truck type freight, Maglev will be much cheaper than air travel.
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Although jet aircraft speed is greater than Maglev (500 mph compared
to 300 mph) the actual trip time will be much less for Maglev. First,access to Maglev
stations will be much easier and faster than airports. With the National Maglev
Network, over 70% of the population will live within 15 miles of a Maglev station,
which they could reach in a few minutes. Second, the departure frequency of Maglev
vehicles will be much greater than for aircraft. Most airports have only a few flights
daily to a given destination: Maglev stations will typically have dozens. Third,
Maglev schedules will not be upset by bad weather or congestion, which is often
the case for air travel.

Finally, because Maglev vehicles are much cheaper than airliners -a

few million dollars per vehicle, compared to a 100 million dollars or
more for an airliner - and because their operating cost is very low,
Maglev travel will be much more comfortable than air travel. There is
no need to pack riders in like sardines to save money -passengers will
travel in first class style, for lower cost than economy air. Moreover, the
vibration and noise experienced on airliners are completely absent on
Maglev vehicles.

• Why is Maglev better than the High-Speed Trains already operating in Europe
and Japan?

Maglev is better than high-speed trains for many reasons. First, rather
than the point-to-point service between city centers characteristic of
high speed rail, Maglev will have many more stations, distributed so
that people have easy and fast access to the Maglev Network. Second,
individual Maglev vehicles will hold 100 people at most, compared to
the 500 to 1000 people on a high-speed train. This enables more
frequent and convenient service. Third, Maglev vehicles travel at 300
mph, compared to 180 mph for high-speed trains. The faster Maglev
vehicles, plus their ability to accelerate and decelerate much more
quickly, cut the travel time for Maglev by at least a factor of 2, as
30
compared to high speed rail. Fourth, the Maglev noise is much less
than steel wheels on rail. Finally, Maglev vehicles travel on elevated
guideways, something that the much heavier trains cannot do. Elevated
Maglev guideways enhance safety and reduce environmental impact,
compared to an on-grade rail track.

• Why don't we already have Maglev systems? If they are as good as you say,
why aren't they being built?

There is a tremendous investment, both in money and human

experience, in our present modes of auto, truck, air, and rail transport.
The US spends almost a trillion dollars annually on these transport
systems. Until recently, they have functioned adequately. Moving into a
new transport mode like Maglev is difficult and takes time, because of
the large capital investments required, and the need for people to
acquire new job skills and change their ridership habits.

Public Benefits of Maglev

The economic evaluation of maglev should include not only its financial
viability but also its other public benefits and costs in areas such as
congestion, petroleum consumption, emission, and safety. The estimated
values of such public benefits and costs can, at least conceptually, be added
to the corridor revenues and used to compute a societal benefit/cost (BC)
ratio.

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Airport Congestion Relief Benefit

Analysis of airport congestion relief indicated that:

• Passengers diverted to maglev from air reduce demand and congestion at

airports.

• The congestion reduction benefit is received by remaining air passengers,

i.e., airport users.

• Maglev would have a sizable congestion relief benefit when aggregated

over many cities, corridors, and years.

Diversion of air traffic to Maglev trains will potentially reduce delays at

congested airports. Although this benefit may be reduced by having new
flights at popular departure times, having more air travelers, or by canceling or
postponing airport/air traffic control improvements, the direct congestion
reduction benefit can still be a good first approximation of the size of
estimated benefit. However, the estimate is highly dependent on the
assumptions that are made about airport capacity increases during the period
of analysis.

3.2 Safety

• Are super-conducting magnets really dependable? Will it be safe to travel by

Maglev?

Superconducting magnets are highly reliable. High-energy accelerators

routinely operate with many hundreds of superconducting magnets
positioned along the path followed by particles that travel in precise
orbits along miles of evacuated tubes. If only one of these many
hundred magnets failed, it would shut down the accelerator for a long
period while the magnet was repaired or replaced. Such a situation

32
could not be tolerated, and in fact, does not occur in practice. In the
proposed superconducting super collider (SSC), for example, over
10,000 superconducting magnets would have been positioned along
the 76-kilometer circumference of the SSC. Failure of one of these
magnets would have shut down the SSC.

The Maglev vehicles are designed with multiple (typically 16)

superconducting magnets that operate separately and independently of
each other. The vehicle will remain levitated and operate safely even if
several of its magnets were to fail. Because the failure rate of
superconducting magnets is very low, the probability of two magnets
failing in a period of few minutes, the time needed to reach a stopping
point, would be less than once in a million years of operation.

Such a failure rate is much smaller than the engine failure rate in jet
aircraft. Furthermore, the Maglev vehicle would continue to operate,
while the jet aircraft would not. In fact, it would take the simultaneous
failure of at least 6 independent magnets to compromise levitation
capability -a probability that is infinitesimally small compared to other
modes of transport.

• What happens if the electric power is cut off to a Maglev guideway? Will the
vehicles on it crash?

The Maglev vehicles are automatically and passively stably levitated as

long as they move along the guideway. The electric power fed to the
guideway magnetically propels the vehicles and maintains their speed.
If the guideway power were cut off, the vehicles would coast for severalmiles,
gradually slowing down due to air drag. When they reach 30 mph, they settle down on
auxiliary wheels and brake to a stop on the guideway. When power is restored to
the guideway propulsion windings, the vehicles can magnetically accelerate back up
to their cruising speed.Because the vehicles are automatically levitated and stabilized

33
for speeds greater than 30 mph, there is no chance of a crash if guideway power is cut
off.

• Are there any health or environmental hazards from the magnetic fields of a
Maglev vehicle?

There are no health and environmental hazards from the magnetic

fields around the Maglev vehicle. The magnetic fringe fields from the
quadrupole magnets on the vehicles drop off much faster with distance
than do the fringe fields from dipole magnets. This rapid decrease in
fringe fields allows the magnetic fields in the passenger compartment
to be at Earth ambient level, ~ 0.5 Gauss. All humans live constantly in
Earth's magnetic field and are adapted to it. They will experience no
difference in field strength when they ride in a Maglev vehicle.

In fact, people presently experience stronger magnetic fields than the Earth ambient
value when they ride subways and electrified trains, when they operate electrically
powered equipment in the home or when they walk down city streets. The magnetic
fields in vehicles will be lower than in the above examples.

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 4. CONCLUSION

This report gives us an insight about the principle of maglev as well as its
application in running maglev trains. Also, the intricate complexities of the
maglev technology have been explained. Its implementation in the various
cities of the world and its innumerable advantages just take it a step closer to
being the future of transportation. Maglev trains are soon going to be the new
way of transportation. Just a few obstacles are in the way, but with some
more improvisations nothing is impossible. With no engine, no wheels, no
pollution, new source of energy, floating on air, the concept has taken tens of
years to develop and just recently its true capabilities have been realized.

Competing planes with speed, ships with efficiency, traditional trains with
safety, and cars with comfort, it seems like a promising means of transport.
Maglev trains are environment friendly; noise pollution is minimized because
there is no wheel to rail contact (frictionless). A maglev train operating at
150mph is inaudible to a person standing 25 miles away. The system
encourages land conservation, which is especially useful where land is costly
or unavailable. Tracks for the trains are easily built on elevated platforms; this
provides opportunity for construction and development underneath and
prevents land dissection and also reduces animal collisions. This assertion
can prove useful in constructing guide ways for maglev trains across
residential areas, schools, religious places, tourist spots, etc. However, the
cost of construction of these trains runs into billions of dollars. The high cost
of these trains is the only deterrent factor which is preventing the train from
being executed everywhere. Continued research in this field along with active
interest from the various governments in the world can reduce the costing
considerably with cheaper options not compromising on the safety.

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4.1 Future Expansions

In the far future Maglev technology are hoped to be used to transport vast volumes of
water to far regions at a greater speed eliminating droughts.

• Far more, space is an open door to maglev trains to propel space

shuttle and cargo into space at a lower cost. Artist’s illustration of Star
Tram, a magnetically levitated low-pressure tube, which can guide
spacecraft into the upper atmosphere.

Fig. 4.1 propulsion of space shuttle

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•Scientists hope future technologies can get the train to operate at a
6000km/h, since theoretically the speed limit is limitless. But still it’s a long way to
go.

•Toshiba Elevator and Building Systems Corp have developed the

world’s first elevators controlled by magnetic levitation available as
early as 2008.Using maglev technology capable of suspending objects
in mid-air through the combination of magnetic attraction and repulsion
they promise quieter and more comfortable travel at up to 300m per-
minute, some 700m per-minute.

Thus, active collaboration and future joint ventures from all international bodies holds
the future of these trains.

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