Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering

Lovely Professional University Phagwara

OF

(Maglev and its application’s)

Submitted in the partial fulfillment of the Degree of Bachelor of

Technology

In

Electronics and Communication Engineering

SUBMITTED BY:- GUIDED BY:

Abhishek Mehra Barpur sir

Regd. No : 10901468

Rollno : RC6903B41

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I take this opportunity to present my votes of thanks to all
those guidepost who really acted as lightening pillars to
enlighten our way throughout this project that has led to
successful and satisfactory completion of this study.

We are highly thankful to Miss Prerna for her active support,

valuable time and advice, whole-hearted guidance, sincere
cooperation and pains-taking involvement during the study and
in completing the assignment of preparing the said project
within the time stipulated.

Lastly, We are thankful to all those, particularly the various

friends , who have been instrumental in creating proper,
healthy and conductive environment and including new and
fresh innovative ideas for us during the project, their help, it
would have been extremely difficult for us to prepare the
project in a time bound from you.
CONTENTS

1. Introduction
2. How Maglev train works
3. Applications of Maglev
• Leviation

Methods of leviation

• Propulsion
• Evacuated tubes
• Stability
• Transrapid
• Lateral guidence
4. Comparison of Maglev and conventional trains
5. Advantages
6. Conclusion
7. References
Introduction:-

Maglev, or magnetic levitation, is a system of transportation that suspends, guides and

propels vehicles, predominantly trains, using magnetic levitation from a very large
number of magnets for lift and propulsion. This method has the potential to be faster,
quieter and smoother than wheeled mass transit systems. The power needed for
levitation is usually not a particularly large percentage of the overall consumption; most
of the power used is needed to overcome air drag, as with any other high speed train.[1]

The highest recorded speed of a Maglev train is 581 kilometres per hour (361 mph),
achieved in Japan in 2003, 6 kilometres per hour (3.7 mph) faster than the conventional
TGV speed record.

The first commercial Maglev "people-mover" was officially opened in 1984 in

Birmingham, England. It operated on an elevated 600-metre (2,000 ft) section of
monorail track between Birmingham International Airport and Birmingham International
railway station, running at speeds up to 42 km/h (26 mph); the system was eventually
closed in 1995 due to reliability and design problems.

• A few countries are using powerful electromagnets to develop high-speed trains, called
maglev trains.

• Traveling at speeds of up to 310 mph (500 kph), maglev trains could begin connecting
distant cities in a few years.[1]

The principal of a Magnet train is that floats on a magnetic field and is propelled by a
linear induction motor. They follow guidance tracks with magnets. These trains are often
refered to as Magnetically Levitated trains which is abbreviated to MagLev. Although
maglevs don't use steel wheel on steel rail usually associated with trains, the dictionary
definition of a train is a long line of vehicles travelling in the same direction - it is a train.
Figure1

HOW MAGLEV WORKS:-

• A maglev train floats about 10mm above the guide way on a magnetic field.

• It is propelled by the guide way itself rather than an onboard engine by changing
magnetic fields.

• Electromagnets on track: they attract the train as it is coming, and repel it as it’s going

• Once the train is pulled into the next section the magnetism switches so that the
train is pulled on again
• The Electro-magnets run the length of the guide way.
 Figure 2

APPLICATIONS OF MEGLAV:-

Levitation

• The passing of the superconducting magnets by figure eight levitation coils on the side
of the tract induces a current in the coils and creates a magnetic field. This pushes the
train upward so that it can levitate 10 cm above the track.

• The train does not levitate until it reaches 50 mph, so it is equipped with retractable
wheels.[4]
LEVIATION METHODS:-

• Electromagnetic levitation:-

Electromagnetic levitation (EML), patented by Muck in 1923, is one of the oldest

levitation techniques used for containerless experiments. The technique enables
the levitation of an object using electromagnetic radiation. A typical EML coil has
reversed winding of upper and lower sections energized by an Radio frequency
power supply.

Electrostatic levitation:-

Electrostatic levitation is the process of using an electric field to levitate a

charged object and counteract the effects of gravity. It was used, for instance, in
Robert Millikan's oil drop experiment and is used to suspend the gyroscopes in
Gravity Probe B during launch.

Due to Earnshaw's theorem no static arrangement of classical electrostatic fields

can be used to stably levitate a point charge. There is a point where the two
fields cancel, but it is unstable. By providing feedback it is possible to adjust the
charges to achieve a quasi static levitation.

In electrostatic levitation an electric field is used to counteract gravitational force.

[2]

• Acoustic leviation:-

Acoustic levitation is a method for suspending matter in a medium by using

acoustic radiation pressure from intense sound waves in the medium. Acoustic
levitation is possible because of the non-linear effects of intense sound waves.
 Some methods can levitate objects without creating sound heard by the human ear
such as the one demonstrated at Otsuka Lab, while others produce some audible
sound. There are many ways of creating this effect, from creating a wave
underneath the object and reflecting it back to its source, to using an acrylic glass
tank to create a large acoustic field.

Acoustic levitation is usually used for containerless processing which has become more
important of late due to the small size and resistance of microchips and other such
things in industry. Containerless processing may also be used for applications requiring
very-high-purity materials or chemical reactions too rigorous to happen in a container.
This method is harder to control than other methods of containerless processing such
as electromagnetic levitation but has the advantage of being able to levitate
nonconducting materials.

Casimir effect :-

The Casimir effect and the Casimir-Polder force are physical forces arising from a quantized
field. The typical example is of two uncharged metallic plates in a vacuum, placed a few
micrometers apart, without any external electromagnetic field. In a classical description, the lack
of an external field also means that there is no field between the plates, and no force would be
measured between them. When this field is instead studied using quantum electrodynamics, it is
seen that the plates do affect the virtual photons which constitute the field, and generate a net
force—either an attraction or a repulsion depending on the specific arrangement of the two
plates. Although the Casimir effect can be expressed in terms of virtual particles interacting with
the objects, it is best described and more easily calculated in terms of the zero-point energy of a
quantized field in the intervening space between the objects. This force has been measured,
and is a striking example of an effect purely due to second quantization. However, the treatment
of boundary conditions in these calculations has led to some controversy. In fact " Casimir's
original goal was to compute the van der Waals force between polarizable molecules" of the
metallic plates. Thus it can be interpreted without any reference to the zero-point energy
(vacuum energy) or virtual particles of quantum fields.
 Figure 3

PROPULSION:-

• An alternating current is ran through electromagnet coils on the guide walls of the guide
way. This creates a magnetic field that attracts and repels the superconducting magnets
on the train and propels the train forward.

• Braking is accomplished by sending an alternating current in the reverse direction so

that it is slowed by attractive and repulsive forces.

Figure 4

In electrodynamic suspension (EDS), both the rail and the train exert a magnetic field, and the
train is levitated by the repulsive force between these magnetic fields. The magnetic field in the
train is produced by either electromagnets or by an array of permanent magnets . The repulsive
force in the track is created by an induced magnetic field in wires or other conducting strips in
the track. A major advantage of the repulsive maglev systems is that they are naturally stable -
minor narrowing in distance between the track and the magnets create strong forces to repel the
magnets back to their original position, while a slight increase in distance greatly reduced the
force and again returns the vehicle to the right separation.] No feedback control is needed.

The drag force can be used to the electrodynamic system's advantage, however, as it creates a
varying force in the rails that can be used as a reactionary system to drive the train, without the
need for a separate reaction plate, as in most linear motor systems. Laithwaite led development
of such "traverse-flux" systems at his Imperial College lab. Alternately, propulsion coils on the
guideway are used to exert a force on the magnets in the train and make the train move
forward. The propulsion coils that exert a force on the train are effectively a linear motor: an
alternating current flowing through the coils generates a continuously varying magnetic field that
moves forward along the track. The frequency of the alternating current is synchronized to
match the speed of the train. The offset between the field exerted by magnets on the train and
the applied field creates a force moving the train forward.[5]

EVACUATED TUBES:-

Some systems (notably the swissmetro system) propose the use of vactrains —
evacuated (airless) tubes used in tandem with maglev technology to minimize air drag.
This has the potential to increase speed and efficiency greatly, as most of the energy for
conventional Maglev trains is lost in air drag.

One potential risk for passengers of trains operating in evacuated tubes is that they
could be exposed to the risk of cabin depressurization unless tunnel safety monitoring
systems can repressurize the tube in the event of a train malfunction or accident.

STABILITY:-

Earnshaw's theorem shows that any combination of static magnets cannot be in a

stable equilibrium. However, the various levitation systems achieve stable levitation by
violating the assumptions of Earnshaw's theorem. Earnshaw's theorem assumes that
the magnets are static and unchanging in field strength and that the relative
permeability is constant and greater than 1 everywhere. EMS systems rely on active
electronic stabilization. Such systems constantly measure the bearing distance and
adjust the electromagnet current accordingly. All EDS systems are moving systems (no
EDS system can levitate the train unless it is in motion).[6]

Because Maglev vehicles essentially fly, stabilisation of pitch, roll and yaw is required by
magnetic technology. In addition translations, surge (forward and backward motions),
sway (sideways motion) or heave (up and down motions) can be problematic with some
technologies.
 TRANSRAPID WORKS

The electromagnets on the underside of the train pull it up to the ferromagnetic

stators on the track and levitate the train.

• The magnets on the side keep the train from moving from side to side.
• A computer changes the amount of current to keep the train 1 cm from the track.

• LATERAL GUIDENCE:-

When one side of the train nears the side of the guideway, the super conducting
magnet on the train induces a repulsive force from the levitation coils on the side
closer to the train and an attractive force from the coils on the farther side. This
keeps the train in the center.

COMPARISON OF MAGLEV AND CONVENTIONAL TRAINS:-

• Backwards Compatibility: Maglev trains currently in operation are not

compatible with conventional track, and therefore require all new infrastructure
for their entire route. By contrast conventional high speed trains such as the TGV
are able to run at reduced speeds on existing rail infrastructure, thus reducing
expenditure where new infrastructure would be particularly expensive (such as
the final approaches to city terminals), or on extensions where traffic does not
justify new infrastructure.

• Efficiency: Due to the lack of physical contact between the track and the vehicle,
maglev trains experience no rolling resistance, leaving only air resistance and
electromagnetic drag, potentially improving power efficiency.[28]

• Weight: The weight of the large electromagnets in many EMS and EDS designs
is a major design issue. A very strong magnetic field is required to levitate a
massive train. For this reason one research path is using superconductors to
improve the efficiency of the electromagnets, and the energy cost of maintaining
the field.

• Noise: Because the major source of noise of a maglev train comes from
displaced air, maglev trains produce less noise than a conventional train at
equivalent speeds. However, the psychoacoustic profile of the maglev may
reduce this benefit: A study concluded that maglev noise should be rated like
 road traffic while conventional trains have a 5-10 dB "bonus" as they are found
less annoying at the same loudness level.

• Design Comparisons: Braking and overhead wire wear have caused problems
for the Fastech 360 railed Shinkansen. Maglev would eliminate these issues.
Magnet reliability at higher temperatures is a countervailing comparative
disadvantage (see suspension types), but new alloys and manufacturing
techniques have resulted in magnets that maintain their levitational force at
higher temperatures.[9]

ADVANTAGES:-[8]

Safety

• The trains are virtually impossible to derail because the train is wrapped around
the track.
• Collisions between trains are unlikely because computers are controlling the
trains movements.

Maintenance

• There is very little maintenance because there is no contact between the parts.

Comfort

• The ride is smooth while not accelerating..

Economic Efficency

• The initial investment is similar to other high speed rail roads. (Maglift is $20-$40
million per mile and I-279 in Pittsburg cost $37 million per mile 17 years ago.)
• Operating expenses are half of that of other railroads.
• A train is composed of sections that each contain 100 seats, and a train can have
between 2 and 10 sections.
• The linear generators produce electricity for the cabin of the train.

Speed

• The train can travel at about 300 mph. (Acela can only go 150 mph)
• For trips of distances up to 500 miles its total travel time is equal to a planes
(including check in time and travel to airport.)
• It can accelerate to 200 mph in 3 miles, so it is ideal for short jumps. (ICE needs
20 miles to reach 200 mph.)

Envoirnment:-

• It uses less energy than existing transportation systems. For every seat on a 300
km trip with 3 stops, the gasoline used per 100 miles varies with the speed. At
200 km/h it is 1 liter, at 300 km/h it is 1.5 liters and at 400 km/h it is 2 liters. This
is 1/3 the energy used by cars and 1/5 the energy used by jets per mile.
• The tracks have less impact on the environment because the elevated models
(50ft in the air) allows all animals to pass, low models ( 5-10 ft) allow small
animals to pass, they use less land than conventional trains, and they can follow
the landscape better than regular trains since it can climb 10% gradients (while
other trains can only climb 4 gradients) and can handle tighter turns.
Noise Pollution

• The train makes little noise because it does not touch the track and it has no
motor. Therefore, all noise comes from moving air. This sound is equivalent to
the noise produced by city traffic.

Magnetic Field:

• The magnetic field created is low, therefore there are no adverse effects.
CONCLUSION:-
This system is not ready for use now, but it should be ready in a few years. It’s top speed
with people aboard is 350 mph. The super conducting magnets create a strong magnetic
field that could be a problem for some passengers. The train is earthquake proof because
the greater space (10 cm) between the track and the train leaves more room for track
deformation. Linear generators will produce all the electricity needed in the train’s interior.
Only the part of the track that is used will be electrified so no energy is wasted. Maglev
trains use magnets to levitate and propel the trains forward. Since there is no friction these
trains can reach high speeds. It is a safe and efficient way to travel. Governments have
mixed feelings about the technology. Some countries, like China, have embraced it and
others like Germany have balked at the expense.
REFERENCES:-

1. U.S. Patent 3,736,880, January 21, 1972. Page 10 Column 1 Line 15 to Page 10 Column 2
Line 25.
2. ^ These patents were later cited by Electromagnetic apparatus generating a gliding
magnetic field by Jean Delassus (U.S. Patent 4,131,813), Air cushion supported,
omnidirectionally steerable, travelling magnetic field propulsion device by Harry A. Mackie
(U.S. Patent 3,357,511) and Two-sided linear induction motor especially for suspended
vehicles by Schwarzler et al. (U.S. Patent 3,820,472)

3. Bonsor, Kevin. “How Maglev Trains Work”. 5 September, 2002.

<http://travel.howstuffworks.com/maglev-train.htm>

4. Keating, Oliver. “Maglevs (Magnetically Levitated Trains)”. 16 June, 2000.

<http://www.okeating.com/hsr/maglev.htm>

5. Disney Online. “California Screamin’”. August, 1999.

<http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/parks/attractions/detail?
name=CaliforniaScreaminAttractionPage>

6. MagLev Systems. “Electromagnetic Systems”. General Atomics and Affiliated

Companies. 2005. <http://www.ga.com/atg/ems.php>.

7. ^ Richard F. Post (January 2000). "MagLev: A New Approach". Scientific

American. http://www.skytran.net/press/sciam01.htm.
8. ^ Gibbs, Philip & Geim, Andre. "Is Magnetic Levitation Possible?". High Field
Magnet Laboratory. http://www.hfml.ru.nl/levitation-possible.html. Retrieved 2009-
09-08.

9.http:// www.wikipedia. com