Levitation methodology- magnet type, airgap, control systems (if any), etc.; landing gear methodology; secondary suspension methodology

The MAGLEV 2000 system is a superconducting inductive repulsion system. The superconducting magnets are mounted on the vehicle, while the guideway is outfitted with passive aluminum loops encapsulated in 4' X 8' composite panels that function at normal ambient temperature. These panels are attached to the flat surfaces of the guideway. The magnets on the vehicle induce a small current in the guideway loops. This sets up a repulsion force that lifts the vehicle off the guideway and at the same time maintains an inherently stable condition, both vertically and horizontally. Since the repulsion force becomes greater the closer the vehicle gets to the guideway, a maglev vehicle always remains levitated. The choice of operating gap between vehicle and guideway is a design decision. In the case of other systems using permanent or electromagnets, the practical operating gap is limited to 3/8 inch (1.0 cm) or less. Operation with such small gaps requires exacting construction tolerances, which considerably increases the cost of the guideway and raises safety concerns. In contrast, the superconducting MAGLEV 2000 maglev system can easily operate with gaps of 6 inches (15cm), substantially reducing the cost of constructing the guideway and enhancing safety, while carrying heavier loads.

The capability to operate with large gaps greatly ensures a good ride quality and reduces the demand requirements on electronic or aerodynamic active and passive control systems, such as shock absorbers. The same inductive principle that controls the optimal lift gap provides self-correcting lateral forces. The farther the vehicle might "stray" from the centerline of travel, the stronger the induced repulsion acts to bring it back. The configuration of magnets on vehicles and guideway thus prevent stray movements in five dimensions: vertical, lateral, roll, pitch and yaw, and automatically counter any external force, such as wind gusts, curves or grades.

Two lines of quadrupole superconducting magnets are located on the vehicles, one on each side. These correspond to two discrete sets of guideway loops, one for stable levitation, and the other for stable lateral guidance. As the vehicle travels over the guideway the interaction with the coils and magnets is instantaneous to control speed, levitation and stability. Quadrupole magnets also have the advantage of allowing for instantaneous adaptation to changes between narrow beam guideway and planar guideway configurations.

• Maglev 2000
• Levitation/Guidance
• Propulsion
• Guideways & Switching
• Technical Maturity & Cost