8.5 New developments in HTS Maglev vehicle system Ë 3178.5.2A 45-m-long HTS Maglev ring test line “Super-Maglev”
Based on the first man-loading HTS Maglev test vehicle “Century” in 2000 (see
Chapter 6), a 45-m-long HTS Maglev ring test line “Super-Maglev” [57] which was
planned to run in an evacuated tube, as shown in Fig. 4.13, had been successfully
developed in Chengdu, China, in March 2013.
After 12 years of continuous study, the HTS Maglev vehicle “Super-Maglev”
(2.2 m length, 1.1 m width) was designed for one passenger with a levitation height
of 15–20 mm. Table 8.12 lists the design parameters. It should be noted that one
remarkable research target of this HTS Maglev test line was to build the first ETT HTS
Maglev system in the world. The maximum running speed was designed as 50 km /h
under 0.1 atm without passengers.
From the viewpoint of the vehicle system, “Super-Maglev” integrates a highly
efficient bogie (see Fig. 8.59a), a wireless real-time controller (see Fig. 8.59b) of the
linear motor propulsion system, and an on-board tablet computer (see Fig. 8.59c)
which can monitor, display, and collect real-time all the running parameters of
levitation weight, levitation height, running speed, acceleration, lateral offset, and
total running distance of the HTS Maglev vehicle. Thus, this second-generation HTS
Maglev vehicle system can be expanded easily to a car of a full-scale HTS Maglev
vehicle system.
The technology highlight of this second-generation HTS Maglev vehicle system
is that it successfully achieved more than 1000 kg levitation load capability at 10 mm
WH with only 3000 mm^2. cross-sectional area of the PM in an optimized PMG (see
Fig. 8.60). As is well known, the previously smallest cross-section area of PM was
5980 mm^2 to obtain the same 1000-kg levitation load at the 10-mm WH with the same
on-board bulks YBCO arrangement [10]. The 49.8% decrease of the total PM used will
not only greatly reduce the construction cost of the HTS Maglev vehicle system, but
also lighten the gravitational ground load from the PMG so as to lower the design
requirements and thus the infrastructure cost. Therefore, the total cost of a practical
HTS Maglev vehicle system will be further reduced even if only limited funding for the
longer HTS Maglev running line is available.
Tab. 8.12:Main parameters of the HTS Maglev ring test line “Super-Maglev”.
PMG distance 45 m combined with 2×3.6 m straight lines and 6-m-radius curve lines
Levitation height 15 mm
Load capability 300 kg (one passenger)
Propulsion mode Long stator linear induction motor
Max. acceleration 0.5 m/s^2
Running speed Max. 25 km/h (with one passenger); 50 km/h (non-load)
Vacuum degree 0.1 atm (the diameter of the evacuation tube is 2 m.)