Jia-Su Wang and Su-Yu Wang
6 First manned HTS Maglev vehicle in the world
The above chapters have introduced the basic issues about the superconducting
Maglev systems, including the permanent magnet (PM) levitations and the normal
conductive Maglev, the LTS Maglev, and the HTS Maglev. The HTS Maglev includes
using the HTS wire and bulk Maglev.
The HTS bulk Maglev could realize stable levitation without any active control.
This is especially attractive for practical applications of Maglev transportation and
energy storage. The experts in the world are trying to complete the HTS Maglev vehicle
test. The first manned HTS Maglev test vehicle in the world – “Century” was built on
December 31, 2000 [1]. This chapter is devoted to introduce the application of HTS
Maglev transportation. The focus is on the development process of the “Century”.
The other applications of HTS Maglev, for example, Maglev bearings, flywheel energy
storage, Maglev electromagnetic launch technology, etc., will be discussed in later
chapters.
6.1 Introduction
Since the discovery of the HTS bulk Maglev phenomenon, significant progresses have
been made in the theory and application of HTS bulk Maglev, especially in the fields
of transportation and energy storage.
Various Maglev trains and traditional railway transport have their own cha-
racteristics for ground transportation. The normal conductive Maglev trains with
moderate/low speed or high speed and the LTS Maglev trains with high speed or ultra-
high speed have started to enter the market and show their new features. In constant
pursuit of the “perfect” transportation, the HTS bulk Maglev train might be a possible
candidate.
The HTS bulk Maglev train is a transport whose levitation and guidance do not
require an on-board power supply, and it is a self-stable system that does not require
active control. The HTS bulk Maglev system can integrate superconducting levitation,
guidance, and linear motor propulsion. The vehicle in the evacuated tube transpor-
tation (ETT) can achieve ultra-high speed (thousands of kilometers per hour), and is
economical in energy consumption, safety and comfort.
International research zest on the manned HTS Maglev vehicle was aroused after
the manned HTS Maglev vehicle was invented [2]. Two more manned HTS Maglev
vehicles were developed in Germany [3] and Russia [4] in 2004. A full-scale HTS
Maglev train as a substitute for urban light track train is under the development in
Brazil [5, 6]. Moreover, research groups in Japan [7] and Italy [8], among others, also
developed HTS Maglev prototypes.