DYNAMICS OF MAGNETIC LEVITATION SUSPENSION SYSTEMS FOR HIGH SPEED GROUND VEHICLES

During the past decade there has been a marked increase in the attention devoted to achieving noiseless, smooth and efficient suspension systems for use on high speed ground vehicles. The technology of magnetic levitation offers great promise for use in such suspensions; as a result two distinct types of non-contracting magnet systems have been proposed: 1. An attraction system, which suspends a vehicle by means of the attractive force generated between a controlled electromagnet and a ferromagnetic rail. 2. A repulsion system, which utilizes the repulsive levitation force generated by the current induced in a normal conducting guideway as a result of the motion of a superconducting coil carried onboard the vehicle. Each of these techniques has several forms and adaptations which are discussed, the advantages and disadvantages of the various systems are described as appropriate and the present state of various experimental vehicles and test programs is reported. A bibliography is included to help the interested reader obtain information about specific research programs and technical problems.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Presented at the Winter Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Nov. 11-15, 1973, sponsored by the Applied Mechanics Division and the Automatic Controls Division. Papers presented at this meeting are compiled in "Surveys of Research in Transportation Technology", AMD-Vol. 5.
• Corporate Authors:

  American Society of Mechanical Engineers

  Two Park Avenue
  New York, NY  United States  10016-5990
• Authors:
  • Milner, J L
• Publication Date: 1973

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 79-86
• Serial:
  • Publication of: American Society of Mechanical Engineers
  • Publisher: American Society of Mechanical Engineers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Dynamics; Guideways; Intelligent transportation systems; Magnetic levitation; Vehicle dynamics
• Old TRIS Terms: Advanced systems
• Subject Areas: Operations and Traffic Management; Public Transportation; Railroads; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00057161
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: American Society of Mechanical Engineers
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 31 1974 12:00AM