Superconducting maglev and LSM development in canada

Studies on the use of superconducting magnets for levitation, synchronous propulsion and guidance of high speed intercity ground transportation in Canada are reported. For a 100 passenger vehicle weighing 300 kN, a levitation height of 22 cms at 480 Km/hr. is obtained by the interaction of eight 3.85 × 10⁵amp turn 100 × 30 cm magnets with eddy currents induced in two 80 × 1 cm aluminum guideway strips. In low speed sections, aluminum thickness is graded to 3 cms to maintain total drag (aerodynamic and magnetic) almost speed independent. The variable speed LSM uses fifty 5 × 10⁵amp turn 40 × 150 cm magnets on a half pitch of 45 cms. The motor, with split 3-phase guideway windings energized in 5 Km block lengths, has 72% efficiency and 0.82 power factor. A favoured guidance scheme for a flat-topped elevated guideway (minimizing snow accumulation) uses the interactions of the propulsion magnets with flat null-flux loops overlying the LSM windings and with the edges of the levitation strips. This scheme produces a lateral stiffness of 10⁶N/m and a maximum guidance force equal to vehicle weight. The Canadian test facility, presently being commissioned, uses full scale magnets and a 7.6 m diameter wheel rotated about a vertical axis with a maximum peripheral speed of 100 Km/hr.