SAFETY AND LICENSING ASPECTS OF TRANSRAPID AND MAGLEV SYSTEMS

Magnetic levitation offers with regard to the advanced wheel-on-rail technology significant merits due to the contact-free levitation, guidance and propulsion/brake system between the vehicle and the guideway. Use of these merits is only possible by considering maglev specific safety aspects. Assisted by TUEV Rheinland as an independent neutral expert the high safety level of the TRANSRAPID system has been achieved. At the International Conference on Maglev Transport '85 a report was given on the principles and aims of TUEV safety work. The characteristics of magnetic levitation are active systems. Some examples will be presented to make safety problems of magnetic levitation and ways to their solution evident, as fail safe-techniques in the classical sense are out of the question. In the TRANSRAPID maglev train the on-board energy supply and the levitation and guidance system are considered. As for the guideway an active system in the form of a hydraulic drive is used for positioning and locking a switch, with fail-safe behavior to meet requirements on vehicle safety in operation. The ways to approve a maglev train in the Federal Republic of Germany and outlooks on approval in the United States of America are discussed.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Translation only available from the Department of Transportation Library.
• Corporate Authors:

  Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

  Operations Center, 445 Hoes Lane, P.O. Box 1331
  Piscataway, NJ  United States  08855-1331
• Authors:
  • Blomerius, J
• Publication Date: 1987

Language

• German

Media Info

• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: p. 205-210

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Licenses; Magnetic levitation; Safety
• Subject Areas: Operations and Traffic Management; Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00480837
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: CH2443
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Mar 31 1989 12:00AM