What is maglev?
Magnetic levitation or Maglev is the rail industry’s rising star just now. Maglev systems, with top speeds between 250 and 300 mph, use forces of attraction or repulsion1 from powerful magnets placed in either the vehicle or the guide-way beneath it both to lift the vehicle and to propel it forward. The gap between the vehicle and the guide-way is continuously monitored, varying from 10mm to 100-150mm.
The train must be balanced on the magnetic field against varying passenger loads, wind buffeting and centrifugal effects on bends. This requires very accurate and fast control, which is easier to implement with today’s electronic systems.
In contrast to high-speed rail (HSR), Maglev systems involve no physical contact between the guide-way and the train, which means less wear, less maintenance, less noise and no friction to overcome. It also makes Maglev ideal for urban environments. Trains can run in any weather, on steep inclines2 and tight turns3 without reducing speed. Maglev rides are as comfortable as those on airliners flying in non-turbulent air.
T
here
are two countries working on Maglevs now – Japan and Germany. But
their designs are fundamentally different. Japanese Maglev uses
magnets made with superconductors, the extraordinary materials that
carry electric currents without resistance and must be chilled to –
425F for that. The West German model, known as the Transrapid, uses
conventional, room temperature electromagnets. Another major
difference between the two designs is the way the trains levitate.
The two systems use opposite ends of the magnet to lift off. One is
using attraction force, the other repulsive force. However, in both
cases the train effectively rides an electromagnetic wave.
Theoretically, the train can travel beyond 1,000km/h (620mp/h). So
far, a record speed of 560km/h was achieved during an unmanned run at
Central Japan Railway’s Maglev test track.
Transrapid has demonstrated safe and reliable operation of its Maglev vehicles at speeds up to 450km/h on its 35km test track in Emsland, Germany having carried hundreds of thousands of passengers by now. The Transrapid consortium is also working on two major projects, the Los Angeles–Las Vegas link and a 95-mile Hamburg–Hannover line.
In China, the new 430km/h Transrapid Maglev train connects Shanghai’s financial district with the International airport in only 7.5min.
Critics say Maglev is a high cost system, but proponents say that costs are comparable with new motorways or HSR, whereas Maglev’s higher speeds can attract more passengers and produce more revenues.
1 repulsion – відштовхування
2 steep inclines – круті нахили
3 tight turns – круті повороти
Exercise 32 Answer the following questions.
1. What does the term Maglev mean? 2. Describe the functioning principles of Maglev systems. 3. Compare the Maglev projects in Japan and Germany. 4. Where are Maglev systems used? Are they commercial?
Exercise 33 What do you know about high speed trains in Russia? Look through the text below and be ready to comment on it.
Supplementary Text C