Tests With One Module of the Brazilian Maglev-Cobra Vehicle

Abstract

Approximately a decade ago, superconducting maglev train prototypes started to be developed. Researchers from China, Germany, and Brazil have built prototypes carrying people based on superconducting levitation technology. The Brazilian MagLev project, named MagLev-Cobra, started in 2000 with a small-scale prototype that was concluded in 2006. After that, efforts toward a full-scale test vehicle for 30 passengers began. This vehicle will be composed of 4 modules, each one 1.5 m long, with six levitation cryostats and a linear induction motor. The first module and 12 m of test track are already constructed and this paper will describe the following tests: air gap as a function of load, temporal air gap stability, linear motor traction force, and vehicle acceleration. The paper will also describe the construction details of module, linear motor, and the rail.