Characteristics of Combined Propulsion, Levitation and Guidance System with Asymmetric Figure between Upper and Lower Coils in EDS.

Abstract

In commercializing the superconducting maglev system it is important to reduce the cost, especially that of ground coils constructed along the whole length of the guideway. For a system to save the cost, we have examined the combined propulsion, levitation and guidance system (PLG system) which can generate levitation, guidance and propulsion forces by the same ground coils. This system is composed of superconducting coils on board and 8-shaped ground coils on the side wall of the guideway whose unit coils are connected reversely between the upper and lower sides and between the right and left sides to make null flux circuits, and serially between the front and rear sides to make a three phase circuit with the power source. On the contrary, the EDS (Electro-Dynamic Suspension) maglev including the PLG system needs auxiliary wheels at low speed at which the levitation force and the electromagnetic stiffness are insufficient for non-contact running. The take off velocity is desirably made as low as possible for dispensing with the strength design and maintenance of track and wheels. Since the side wall levitation system has a large coupling between guidance and rolling, it is important to improve the stiffness considering this coupling, which restricts the take off velocity. The ground coils in the above-mentioned examination have symmetric figure and same impedance between upper and lower coils. This paper describes the PLG system with asymmetric figure between upper and lower coils which reduce the large coupling between guidance and rolling and increase the guidance stiffness. We present not only the principle but also the characteristics of this system with a numerical example and a test run at Miyazaki test track.