Cover Story

REVOLUTIONIZING Transport Through Maglev

Authored By..

Manoranjan Kumar Senior Editor METRO RAIL NEWS

The technology which we are featuring this time as our Cover Story is non-other than the Maglev Train which is also known as magnetic levitation train. It is a floating vehicle which is used as a mode of land transportation. The technology is supported either by electromagnetic attraction or repulsion. The magnetic field created by the electromagnetic waves helps the technology to carry on with its work with an amazing speed.

The concept of Maglev was formulated during the early 1900s by American professor and inventor Robert Goddard and Frenchborn American engineer Emile Bachelet. The commercial use of the technology started in the year 1984 and since then, many networks and operators are working for the development of extensive networks proposed for the future for different countries especiallythe Asian ones.

Maglevs incorporate a basic fact about magnetic forces—like magnetic poles repel each other, and opposite magnetic poles attract each other—to lift, propel, and guide a vehicle over a track. It is a basic science which is used in an advanced mode through the concept of electromagnetic waves. Maglev propulsion and levitation generally involves the use of superconducting materials, electromagnets, diamagnets, and rare-earth magnets as of now.

Electromagnetic suspension known as EMS in short form uses the attractive force between magnets present on the train’s sides and the underside and on the guidewayto levitate the train. Avariation on EMS, called Transrapid, employs an electromagnet to lift the train off the guideway. The attraction from magnets presents on the underside ofthe vehicle that wraps around the iron rails ofthe guideway keep the train about 1.3 cm above the guideway as per the studies conducted on the technology.

These magnetic fields interact with simple metallic loops set into the concrete walls of the Maglev guideway. The loops are made of conductive materials, like aluminium, and when a magnetic field moves past, it creates an electric current that generates another magnetic field.

Electrodynamic suspension (EDS) systems are similar to EMS in several respects, but the magnets are used to repel the train from the guideway rather than attract them. These magnets are supercooled and superconducting and have the ability to conduct electricity for a short time after power has been cut.

Unlike EMS, the charge of the magnetized coils of the guideway in EDS systems repels the charge of magnets on the undercarriage of the train so that it levitates higher (typically in the range of 1–10 cm) above the guideway. EDS trains are slowto lift off, so they have wheels that must be deployed below approximately 100 km per hour. However, these trains are not considered as much popular in comparison with the other ones.

"Three types of loops are set into the guideway at specific intervals to do three important tasks: one creates a field that makes the train hover about 5 inches above the guideway; a second keeps the train stable horizontally. Both loops use magnetic repulsion to keep the train car in the optimal spot; the further it gets from the centre ofthe guideway orthe closerto the bottom, the more

magnetic resistance pushes it back on track", according to an expert.

The third set of loops is a propulsion system run by alternating current power. Here, both magnetic attraction and repulsion are used to move the train car along the guideway. Imagine the box with four magnets -- one on each corner. The front corners have magnets with north poles facing out, and the back corners have magnets with south poles outward. Electrifying the propulsion loops generates magnetic fields that both pull the train forward from the front and push it forward from behind.

"This floating magnet design creates a smooth trip. Even though the train can travel up to 375 miles per hour, a rider experiences less turbulence than on traditional steel wheel trains because the only source of friction is air", he adds. more than 500 km per hour. This speed is twice as fast as a conventional passenger train. Because of air resistance, the Maglevs have several other advantages compared with conventional trains. They are less expensive to operate and maintain because the absence of rolling friction means that parts do not wear out quickly. This means that fewer materials are constantly have to be replaced.

The design of the maglev cars and railway makes derailment highly unlikely, and maglev coaches can be built wider than conventional Rail or Metro Coaches which further offers more options for using the interior space and making them more comfortable to ride in. Maglevs produce little to no air pollution during operation as no fuel is being burned, and the absence of

Maglev generally eliminates a key source of friction although they must still overcome air resistance. There is no friction related to rolling stock and tracks and finally, this lack of friction means that they can reach higher speeds than conventional trains.

At present maglev technology has produced trains that can travel consumed by the train’s operation because parts do not

maglevs are only slightly more energy-efficient than conventional trains. friction makes the trains very quiet. The maglev systems can operate on higher ascending grades than traditional Rail tracks. It also reduces the need to excavate tunnels or level the landscape to accommodate the tracks compared to traditional Rail or Metro networks.

The greatest obstacle to the development of maglev systems is that they require entirely new infrastructure that cannot be integrated with existing rail tracks and that would also compete with existing highways, rail tracks, and air routes.

Besides the costs of construction, one factor to be considered in developing maglev rail systems is that they require the use of rareearth elements (scandium, yttrium, and 15 lanthanides), which may be quite expensive to recover and refine. Magnets made from rare-earth elements, however, produce a stronger magnetic field than ferrite (iron compounds) or alnico (alloys of iron, aluminium, nickel, cobalt, and copper) magnets to lift and guide the train cars over a guideway.

Several train systems using maglev have been developed over the years, with most operating over relatively short distances. Between 1984 and 1995 the first commercial maglev system was developed in Great Britain as a shuttle between the Birmingham airport and a nearby rail station, some 600 metres away.

Germany constructed a maglev in Berlin (the M-Bahn) that began operation in 1991 to overcome a gap in the city ’s public transportation system caused by the Berlin Wall; however, the MBahn was dismantled in 1992, shortly after the wall was dismantled. Six commercial maglev systems are currently in operation around the world. One is located in Japan, two in South Korea, and three in China. The Korean Rotem Maglev runs in the city of Taejeŏn between the Taejeŏn Expo Park and the National Science Museum, a distance of 1 km.

The Inch’ŏn Airport Maglev has six stations and runs from Inch’ŏn International Airport to the Yongyu station, 6.1 km away. The longest commercial maglev system is in Shanghai; it covers about 30 km and runs from downtown Shanghai to Pudong International Airport. The line is the first high-speed commercial maglev, operating at a maximum speed of 430 km per hour. China also has two low-speed maglev system operating at speeds of 100 km per hour. The Changsha Maglev connects that city’s airport to a station 18.5 km away and the S1 line of the Beijing subway system has seven stops over a distance of 9 km.

Japan has plans to create a long-distance high-speed maglev system, the Chuo Shinkansen, by 2027 that connects Nagoya to Tokyo, a distance of 286 km. It is indeed a very ambitious project of Japan. With an extension to Osaka which is 514 km away from Tokyo) planned for 2037. The Chuo Shinkansen is planned to travel at 500 km per hour and make the Tokyo-Osaka trip a 67 minutes journey.

In the system of magnetic repulsion and attraction, once levitated, however, the train is moved forward by propulsion provided by the guideway coils, which are constantly changing polarity owing to alternating electrical current that powers the system.

"With no wheels and only one track, Maglev trains would poohpooh bad weather, the wrong type of leaves on the line, or a points failure at Cricklewood. Because of the way maglev (in various ways) repels the train above its track, derailments are unlikely: the further the vehicle gets from its track, the stronger the magnetic force pushing it back. No signalling or moving parts to go wrong, with all the trains travelling at the same rate. Imagine the effect on commuting and by extension the economy – the Midlands would be half an hour from London" , a researcher says.

Magnetic levitation (maglev) was, according to 1980s science shows such as Tomorrow’s World, going to make domestic air travel defunct, humming from city to city at 500mph with negligible effects on the environment. Japan has plans to create a long-distance high-speed maglev system, the Chuo Shinkansen, by 2027 that connects Nagoya to Tokyo, a distance of 286 km (178 miles), with an extension to Osaka (514 km [319 miles] from Tokyo) planned for 2037. The Chuo Shinkansen is planned to travel at 500 km (310 miles) per hour and make the Tokyo-Osaka trip in 67 minutes.

There are now several other maglev projects in progress in Asia; the best known perhaps being the unmanned EcoBee shuttle that travels to and from South Korea’s Incheon airport. This shortish line linking seven stations along which the shuttle travels at the comparatively sedate at a very High Speed.

In Maglev, superconducting magnets suspend a train car above a U-shaped concrete guideway. Like ordinary magnets, these magnets repel one anotherwhen matching poles face each other.

The Japanese Story

In 2009, the Maglev system was approved and entered commercial construction. The Linear Chuo Shinkansen line is planned to link Tokyo and Nagoya by the year 2027. The trip is expected to take only forty minutes – faster than either flying between the two cities or taking the one and a half hour trip on the current Tokaido Line, available with the Japan Rail Pass. The proposed route will include stops at stations in Shinagawa, Sagamihara, Kofu, Iida, and Nakatsugawa.

Ever since it was launched in time for the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, the Shinkansen has remained a source of national pride in Japan.

The story of the bullet train is also one of progress. When it first linked Tokyo to Osaka over half a century ago, it was at a speed of 210km/h; today, trains hurtle along at a clip of up to 320km/h, transporting over a million passengers a day.

But as the Shinkansen has developed into something of an institution – and emblem ofthe country’s technological spirit – the next chapter of high-speed train travel in Japan has proven much harderto write.

The original goal of the Maglev project was to produce a train that could cover the route from Tokyo to Osaka in less than one hour. This will be achieved when the Maglev line is extended from Nagoya to Osaka, expected to be in operation by 2045.

Eighty per cent of the 286 kilometres Maglev bullet train track will be located underground, passing under urban sprawl and mountainous terrain. The project is expected to cost the equivalent of 55 billion dollars.

When completed, the train will include sixteen carriages capable of holding one thousand passengers. At present, the public has been invited to take part in Maglev test rides. Tourists can visit the SC Maglev Parkway in Nagoya or the Yamanashi Prefectural Maglev Exhibition Center near the town of Otsuki to learn more and view Maglevtest runs.

The Chuo Shinkansen

The Chuo Shinkansen (or the Tokaido Shinkansen Bypass) is a new rail line which will connect Tokyo and Nagoya. It is being constructed in phases and will use cutting-edge Maglev (Magnetic Levitation) technology.

Once completed, the line will provide a more direct line between the two cities and will reduce travel time by around 50% (down to 40 minutes) in comparison to the current Tokaido Shinkansen line. The route will be extended to Osaka once the project progresses – the whole journeywill take just 67 minutes.

Passengers will be able to get tickets for the new line in 2027. The trains will travel at a maximum speed of 505 km/h (the world record is 603 km/h). The route map will initially include 6 stations: the Shinagawa Station, the Nagoya Station, and the prefectures of Kanagawa, Yamanashi, Nagano, and Gifo. It will include 256.6 km oftunnels, 11.3 km of bridges, and 4.1 km of rail beds.

The Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) is overseeing the project which will cost an estimated 5.52tn yen ($52b). They have ordered 14 new Series L0 (L zero) Maglev trains which are currently conducting long-distance trials on the Yamanashi Maglev test line. OtherAspects

The Maglev may hold the current world records, but it will have its competitors. Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe has proposed selling the technology to the United States to build a Maglev line between NewYork and Washington.

At the same time, plans are underway for the Hyperloop train line from Los Angeles to San Francisco, California, USA, that may reach speeds in excess of 700 miles per hour. In the meantime, the highspeed hopes of Japanese citizens and tourists alike rest squarely on the Chuo Shinkansen Maglev line.

The European Scene

The first commercial maglev rail line operated from Birmingham airport for about 11 years before high maintenance costs saw it shut down. Other countries experimented with the technology, but activity ground to a halt after 23 people lost their lives in a 2006 crash between a maglev train and a maintenance vehicle in Germany.

The European nations are very far behind in adopting the technology as compared to the Asian nations. However, the experts suggest that despite this, there is still some wayto go. The European nations maytryto adopt to the technology in a very new and peculiarway in the very near future.

The Indian Perspective

The government-run engineering firm of India, BHEL in September 2020 announced its tie-up with SwissRapide AG to bring Maglev trains (magnetic levitation) to India. Aimed at expanding its footprint in the urban transportation sector as part of its diversification initiatives, BHEL has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SwissRapide AG for MaglevTrain projects in India, a company statement said.

The Maglev Rail system hovers in the air instead of rolling, due to magnetic levitation, thus the vehicles have no physical contact with the guideway. This enables the system to be highly energyefficient, allows operating speeds of easily up to 500 km/h and significantly reduces the total cost of system ownership.

The MoU was signed by S V Srinivasan, GM & Head (Transportation Business Group), BHEL and Niklaus H Koenig, President and CEO, SwissRapide AG.

The agreement has been signed in the backdrop of the Prime Minister's 'Make in India' and 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' initiatives and will enable BHEL to bring the latest, world-class technology to India and manufacture state-of-the-art Maglev trains indigenously.

According to officials related to the Development, Mumbai may well become the first testing ground for this new transportation technology in the country which will further transform the way of public transport especially the High-Speed transport system of the country.

"The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) is proposing to introduce the technology on the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT)-Panvel elevated fast corridor on a public-private partnership (PPP) model", according to recent development. SwissRapide AG has proposed for executing the project at a cost of nearly ₹13,347 crore. This clearly shows that India is progressing very fast in every field and it aspires to become a NextGen leader in the middle ofthis century.