Experimental Performance Investigation of a Novel Magnetic Levitation System

This paper deals with the design, construction, and especially the testing of a new magnetic levitation (maglev) train driven by an air-cored tubular linear induction motor. The proposed new design topology uses only one force-generating system (motor) to produce the three forces required in a maglev system: propulsion, levitation, and guidance, whereas classical maglev trains use separate motors or permanent magnets to produce each of these forces. Moreover, the system eliminates the need for control of the levitation and guidance forces. This paper presents a condensed design guideline, simply explains the implementation process of a laboratory-scale prototype, shows in detail the experimental test results-including the low-damping problem-and then addresses the advantages of the proposed system over existing maglev systems.