PRELIMINARY DESIGN STUDIES OF MAGNETIC SUSPENSIONS FOR HIGH SPEED GROUND TRANSPORTATION. VOLUME II, EXPERIMENTAL RIDE SIMULATION STUDIES

The report describes an experimental program using human subjects to evaluate the ride quality resulting from specific suspension strategies, and to compare these with a standard ride. The study is part of a more general task to learn how to isolate guideway irregularities from high speed ground vehicles to insure passenger comfort. The results of the study show the following: A ride evaluation by different individuals is a meaningful approach; the discomfort index criterion is roughly correct but has some limitations; the standard ride which was used for comparison, namely, the DOT ride quality specification, is not a particularly good ride; and magnetic suspensions operating on a moderately smooth guideway at 483 km/hr will require active control in order to produce ride quality approaching that of a jet aircraft on a quiet day.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • See also Volume 1, PB-223 237.
• Corporate Authors:

  Ford Motor Company

  Transportation Research and Planning Office
  Dearborn, MI  United States  48129
• Authors:
  • BORCHERTS, R H
  • Wilkie, D F
  • Davis, L C
  • Reitz, J R
• Publication Date: 1973-6

Media Info

• Pagination: 31 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Acceleration (Mechanics); Electric circuits; Intelligent transportation systems; Magnetic levitation; Magnetic materials; Performance evaluations; Power spectra; Quality assurance; Quality of work; Rapid transit; Ride quality; Roughness; Suspension systems
• Identifier Terms: U.S. Federal Railroad Administration
• Old TRIS Terms: Acceleration tolerance; Acceptable quality level; Advanced systems; Fra; Magnetic circuits; Rapid transit railways
• Subject Areas: Operations and Traffic Management; Public Transportation; Railroads; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00051579
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: Final Rpt
• Contract Numbers: DOT-FR-10026
• Files: NTIS, TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 25 1981 12:00AM