104 Ë 4 Superconducting magnetic levitationconsumption of an ultra-high-speed ETT HTS Maglev train is only 1/20th of an
airplane.- Environmental effects: The HTS Maglev train in the ETT has no noise or electro-
magnetic or chemical pollution. - Safety: The HTS Maglev train is an inherently self-stable levitation system. The
levitation force will increase exponentially when the levitation height drops.
Consequently, it is impossible to contact the permanent magnet guideway (PMG)
in all operation circumstances. Safe operation of the guidance system in the
horizontal direction can be achieved without controls. - Comfort: HTS Maglev train has very high comfort level because of its inherent
self-stability. - Ultra-high speed: Operation speed can be greater than 1000 km/h in ETT.
- Low cost: Compared with the urban light rail vehicle (LRV) for the same number of
passengers, the HTS Maglev train has lighter vehicle, lighter supporting structure,
smaller drive power, and cheaper infrastructure. The HTS Maglev train does
not need an elevated reinforced concrete structure, but the LVR must have this
structure. Therefore, the total weight of a HTS Maglev train line is lighter than
LVR, and the total construction and operation costs are lower than the equivalent
LRV system.
4.7.2Moderate-/low-speed HTS Maglev trainsThe project of the manned HTS Maglev vehicle was ratified by the National High-tech
R&D Program (National 863 Program) of China in 1997. Thereafter, both experimental
and theoretical studies of the HTS Maglev were made in detail, and a series of
important research results have been obtained [89, 90]. Based on a series of parame-
ters, levitation forces, guidance forces, levitation stiffness, etc. of single- and multi-
YBCO bulks have been measured by the HTS Maglev measurement system SCML-01,
and the first manned HTS Maglev test vehicle in the world, “Century”, was demons-
trated in the Applied Superconductivity Laboratory (ASCLab) of Southwest Jiaotong
University at 2:26 pm on December 31, 2000 [13], and a patent for “a superconducting
Maglev train system” was awarded [91] (see Fig. 4.10).
Figure 4.10a shows that the net levitation gap of the HTS Maglev vehicle was
more than 20 mm with five people standing on the vehicle. Figure 4.10b shows
the first manned HTS Maglev test vehicle in the world, “Century”. “Century” is is
3.5 m long×1.1 m wide×0.9 m high with four passenger seats. Figure 4.10c shows the
“Century” in Review of 15 Years for National High-tech R&D Program (863 Program) of
China in Beijing, 2001. Table 4.1 lists the essential parameters of “Century”. The PMG
track of the HTS Maglev vehicle has a length of 15.5 m, and they have a concentrating
field of 1.2 and 0.4 T at its center surface and 20 mm above the surface, respectively. The