THE FEASIBILITY OF MAGNETICALLY LEVITATING HIGH SPEED GROUND VEHICLES

Abstract

To determine technical feasibility of magnetically levitated and guided highspeed ground transportation vehicles theoretical analyses of four suspension systems were conducted: permanent magnet, electromagnet-ferromagnetic guideway, superconducting magnet, conducting coil guideway, superconducting magnet, conducting sheet guideway. All four were found to be feasible with the last preferred. A magnet-guideway interaction theory was formulated for it based on a Fourier transform calculation of fields from rectangular magnets, assuming the guideway conducting sheets to be infinite. (Author)