The motion of the train depends on the traction of linear motors in the vehicle. This book describes a number of essential technologies that can ensure the safe operation of Maglev trains, such as suspension and orientation technologies, network control and diagnosis technologies. This book is intended for researchers, scientists, engineers and graduate students involved in the rail transit industry, train control and diagnosis, and Maglev technology.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of magnetic levitation (Maglev) technologies, from fundamental principles through to the state-of-the-art, and describes applications both realised and under development. It includes a history of Maglev science and technology showing the various milestones in its advancement. The core concepts, operating principles and main challenges of Maglev applications attempted across various fields are introduced and discussed. The principle difficulties encountered when applying Maglev technology to different systems, namely air gap control and stabilization, are addressed in detail. The book describes how major advancements in linear motor and magnet technologies have enabled the development of the linear-motor-powered Maglev train, which has a high speed advantage over conventional wheeled trains and has the potential to reach speed levels achieved by aircraft. However, many expect that Maglev technology to be a green technology that is applied not only in rail transportation, but also in diverse other fields; to ensure clean transfer in LCD manufacturing, in ropeless high speed elevators, small capacity rail transportation, space vehicle launchers, missile testers, energy storage, and so on. These potential applications and their unique challenges and proposed technological solutions are introduced and discussed in depth. The book will provide readers from academia, research institutes and industry with insights on where and how to apply Maglev technology, and will serve as a guide to the realization of their Maglev applications.

This book introduces the physical principles behind levitation with superconductors, and includes many examples of practical magnetic levitation demonstrations using superconducting phenomena. It features more than twenty examples of magnetic levitation in liquid nitrogen using high temperature superconductors and permanent magnets, all invented by the author. The book includes the demonstration of suspension phenomenon induced by magnetic flux pinning as well as magnetic levitation by the Meissner effect. It shows how superconducting magnetic levitation and suspension phenomena fire the imagination and provide scientific insight and inspiration. This book will be a useful experimental guide and teaching resource for those working on superconductivity, and a fascinating text for undergraduate and graduate students.

Includes five "build it yourself" experiments.

Seminar paper from the year 2008 in the subject Engineering - Industrial Engineering and Management, grade: 1,3, Vrije University Brussel (Solvay Business School), course: Advanced Technology, language: English, abstract: The magnetic levitation train analysed in this study was developed in Germany by the Transrapid International GmbH & Co. KG, a joint venture by Siemens AG and ThyssenKrupp AG, as a means for high speed transportation. First prototypes were presented to the public as early as 1969 and 1979, yet, the first public high-speed maglev track was opened only four years ago in Shanghai, China. Despite the fact that businesspeople like engineers from all sorts of backgrounds speak very highly of the technology, the Shanghai track remains the only commercially operated one thus far.1 Purpose of this paper is to analyse the potential of the maglev train, to assess its strengths and weaknesses, and to spot opportunities as well as threats to the application of this state-of-the-art - or perhaps ahead-of-its-time - technology.

Railway transportation has become one of the main technological advances of our society. Since the first railway used to carry coal from a mine in Shropshire (England, 1600), a lot of efforts have been made to improve this transportation concept. One of its milestones was the invention and development of the steam locomotive, but commercial rail travels became practical two hundred years later. From these first attempts, railway infrastructures, signalling and security have evolved and become more complex than those performed in its earlier stages. This book will provide readers a comprehensive technical guide, covering these topics and presenting a brief overview of selected railway systems in the world. The objective of the book is to serve as a valuable reference for students, educators, scientists, faculty members, researchers, and engineers.

Seminar paper from the year 2008 in the subject Engineering - Industrial Engineering and Management, grade: 1,3, Vrije University Brussel (Solvay Business School), course: Advanced Technology, language: English, abstract: The magnetic levitation train analysed in this study was developed in Germany by the Transrapid International GmbH & Co. KG, a joint venture by Siemens AG and ThyssenKrupp AG, as a means for high speed transportation. First prototypes were presented to the public as early as 1969 and 1979, yet, the first public high-speed maglev track was opened only four years ago in Shanghai, China. Despite the fact that businesspeople like engineers from all sorts of backgrounds speak very highly of the technology, the Shanghai track remains the only commercially operated one thus far.1 Purpose of this paper is to analyse the potential of the maglev train, to assess its strengths and weaknesses, and to spot opportunities as well as threats to the application of this state-of-the-art - or perhaps ahead-of-its-time - technology.

The image of the shinkansen – or ‘bullet train’ – passing Mount Fuji is one of the most renowned images of modern Japan. Yet, despite its international reputation for speed and punctuality, little is understood about what makes it work so well and what its impact is. This is a comprehensive account of the history of the shinkansen, from its planning during the Pacific War, to its launch in 1964 and subsequent development. It goes on to analyze the reasons behind the bullet train’s success, and demonstrates how it went from being simply a high-speed rail network to attaining the status of iconic national symbol. It considers the shinkansen’s relationship with national and regional politics and economic development, its financial viability, the environmental challenges it must cope with, and the ways in which it reflects and influences important aspects of Japanese society. It concludes by considering whether the bullet train can be successful in other countries developing high-speed railways. Overall, this book provides a thorough examination of the phenomenon of the shinkansen, and its relationship with Japanese society.