Maglev Trains – The Next Generation of Bullet Trains
Trains were long the purview of mechanical engineers; however, maglev technology is revolutionizing this sector with wheels and engines being rendered secondary. Maglev trains require their own infrastructure as they rely heavily on magnets requiring expertise from electrical engineers.
Japan is taking steps to build its first high-speed rail line that could cut travel times from Tokyo to Osaka by half. But what are these trains?
What is a Maglev Train?
People typically associate maglev trains with elevated monorail tracks with linear motors; however, not all maglev trains are monorail systems and not all high-speed rail systems include magnetic levitation. Some trains like Germany’s Transrapid and Japan’s HSST and Linimo train lines use wheels as propulsion while still classed as maglev since they levitate at high speeds.
Maglev technology utilizes superconducting magnets to suspend a train above its track, eliminating friction and allowing much faster travel than wheeled trains. Electricity for powering these magnets comes from either directly from guideway power rails (HSST and Linimo) or wirelessly (Rotem).
This system works by regulating currents flowing through superconducting coils on a train as it passes. By changing flux in half of these coils and producing force that attracts it back toward itself, this method allows acceleration, slowdown or stoppage as well as generating energy and braking capabilities.
Safety
Magnel vehicles differ from traditional high-speed trains in that they float above the tracks and travel smoothly from origin to destination, offering faster, more efficient, and greener travel than current wheeled trains. While maglev technology might seem futuristic today, its development could soon become commonplace and widespread.
Maglev technology uses electromagnets to generate an electric field between its guideway and vehicle, producing a repulsive force which lifts and propels trains. As opposed to electric rotary motors with stationary pieces known as stator that surround a rotating piece known as the rotor, maglev uses permanent levitation magnets mounted to the bottom of each vehicle with guidance magnets on both sides for guidance purposes – creating no mechanical contact between car and track and eliminating derailments caused by speedy movements or sudden turns being avoided altogether.
Economy
Maglev trains differ from conventional trains by not requiring wheels or rails, making them more energy efficient due to less energy lost through friction. Furthermore, maglevs use regenerative braking technology which recycles energy back into their power source for reuse which allows faster acceleration while simultaneously decreasing fuel consumption.
Maglev trains, due to not contacting their tracks directly, are more durable. Conventional train wheels and rails experience significant stress which require routine maintenance and replacement work; consequently they do not last as long as maglevs resulting in reduced operational and maintenance costs for former.
Trains do pose their own set of difficulties. One major downside is their need for custom infrastructure on every route, which increases initial capital expenses. To combat this issue, experts suggest installing maglev lines in urban areas where high-capacity transit is needed; unfortunately however, maglev trains don’t work well with existing tracks, rendering them less cost-effective for longer distance travel; consequently planes remain the more competitive solution when considering mid-range travel needs.
Noise
Maglev trains travel at extremely high speeds without making noise, and their non-combustion engine results in far less pollution than traditional train engines.
These trains can reach speeds of 310 mph, twice that of Amtrak’s fastest commuter train. Over time, these trains may connect cities too far apart for travel by car or bus alone.
Noise characteristics of high-speed maglev trains remain poorly understood. Here, we use Lighthill acoustic model and large eddy simulation to investigate their aerodynamic noise in three groups of maglev trains using Lighthill’s acoustic model and large eddy simulation techniques. Our findings show that interior noise from three-group high-speed maglev train in low vacuum tube is greatly affected by its near field aerodynamic characteristics but air density’s effect can be ignored once speed exceeds 350 km/h (corresponding Mach number=0.286). Optimizing noise within vehicles can enhance passenger comfort; optimizing in-vehicle noise of these maglev trains will increase comfort for passengers onboard these journeys.