Maglev Systems

How Maglev Rail Systems Operate

Maglev trains float on a cushion of air. In a Maglev system, magnets are installed on a vehicle's undercarriage and on a guideway a short distance away. Maglev guideways are made of steel, concrete, or aluminum which can be T-shaped, U-shaped, Y-shaped or box-beam. The magnets allow the vehicle to levitate between .039 and .93 inches above the guideway and electric power is supplied to the coils within the guideway walls, creating a system of magnetic fields that pull and push the vehicle along the guideway. The electric current in the coils in the guideway walls constantly alternates to change the polarity of the magnetized coils. This change in polarity causes the magnetic field in front of the vehicle to pull it forward, while the magnetic fields behind the vehicle give it more forward thrust. Existing Maglev technology focuses on Maglev trains that promise dramatic improvements in rail systems if countries have the resources and political will to install them. Developers predict that Maglev trains will eventually link cities as distant as 1,000 miles apart.

Maglev Trains Compared to Conventional Trains

Electric powered and noncontact, the Maglev system and does not rely on the wheels, bearings, and axles of the conventional rail systems. Maglev trains do not have the kind of engine used to pull conventional train cars along steel tracks. Since they are noncontact, weather does not affect Maglev trains and snow, ice, severe cold, rain or high winds don'st slow them down or stop their operation.

The Maglev air cushion eliminates friction and this lack of friction and the aerodynamic design of the Maglev trains allows them to reach ground transportation speeds of more than 310 miles per hour, or twice as fast as Amtrak's fastest commuter train. The trains move more smoothly and quietly than mass transit systems with wheels. Also, Maglev [Page 900]train systems can accelerate and decelerate more quickly than wheeled systems. Instead of using fossil fuels, Maglev trains are powered by electricity, and there is no need for signaling systems or whistles or horns on Maglev trains, because all systems are computer-controlled. No human operator could move fast enough to slow down or stop these systems, but two microwave towers are in contact with the Maglev trains at all times.

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