Magnetic Levitation Train- Maglev Train
As the world continues to grow and as cities continue to become more crowded and congested, our normal
modes of transportation will not be able to handle these overpopulated areas. The answer to this transportation problem lies in the world of electro magnetism and superconducting magnets. Electromagnets and superconducting magnets have allowed us to create a magnetic levitating train nicknamed Maglev that floats on the track instead of being directly on it. This has a lot of potential to create trains that are super fast with low maintenance requirements.
The Tokaido Shinkansen was the early Japanese high speed train line. It opened in 1964 and since then has expanded considerably. Its success also prompted the development of high speed trains in the west. But the Japanese public demanded an even faster form of high speed rail travel.
The Shinkansen used a conventional train design, with motors and other equipment mounted on the rolling stock, electric power gathered from overhead wires, and wheels running on rails. It was impossible to increase the speeds much more. Some of the limitations included: Greater size and weight of on board equipment, difficulty in collecting electric power, and reduced adhesion between wheels and rails at higher speeds that may cause wheel slipping . There had to be some new sort of technology that could create faster trains that were just as safe as or even safer than the trains running on the Shinkansen lines. The answer to this problem lied in electro magnetism .
The former Japanese National Railways (JNR) began conducting Maglev research and development in 1970. The Miyazaki Test Track was built in southern Japan was experiments and test runs were being conducted on the tracks . In 1979, the prototype ML-500 test train reached an unmanned speed of 517 km/h on the 7 km track, which proved that Maglev had a great potential for reaching higher speeds than any other train built before that. The Miyazaki track was later modified into a U shaped to simulate more real world track curves.
Magnetic Levitation is a way to suspend objects in air without any support, as if in defiance of gravity. An unsung phenomenon of the past which is now being put to use in a variety of interesting and useful applications. Magnetic levitation, also known as maglev is used in a similar way to levitate objects in air without any support, using magnetic field. Levitation is the process by which an object is suspended against gravity, in a stable position, without physical contact.
For levitation on Earth, first, a force is required directed vertically upwards and equal to the gravitational force, second, for any small displacement of the levitating object, a returning force should appear to stabilize it. The stable levitation can be naturally achieved by, for example, magnetic or aerodynamic forces. Though any electromagnetic force could be used to counteract gravity, magnetic levitation is the most common.
Though any electromagnetic force could be used to counteract gravity, magnetic levitation is the most common. Diamagnetic materials are commonly used for demonstration purposes.
Understanding how Maglev trains work requires some knowledge in advance topics such as calculus, physics, and chemistry. It is important to know common variables assigned to physics terms and a brief overview of chemistry laws dealing with magnets. Most of the equations used to determine how the MagLev trains move is derived from formulas used to calculate electric current, induced voltage, circuit loops, and many other formulas dealing with electromagnetism
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Magnetic Levitation Train- Maglev Train
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