- Comparison with Traditional Trains
- A traditional train relies on the flanges on its
wheels to guide it and keep it on track. The
train's center of gravity it typically about 6'
0" above the flanges. The maglift monorail
relies on horizontal guide wheels mounted at
mid-level, and the monorail's center of gravity
is just 28" above these guide wheels. This
low center of gravity makes the maglift monorail
inherently more stable and able to handle much
higher lateral loads without tipping over.
- A traditional train has a 4' 8 1/2" gauge;
the maglift monorail has a 4' 11" gauge.
Thus the maglift monorail has a slightly wider
base.
- The flanges on a traditional train can have an
aggressive interaction with the rails, causing
the train to hunt and become unstable at high
speeds. The maglift monorail's wheels are
flangeless and lubricated, allowing it to ride
over perturbations that would have caused hunting
in a traditional train.
- A traditional train is driven by traction through
its wheels, and at high speeds, loss of contact
can degrade performance. The maglift monorail has
a linear motor and is driven by electromagnetic
forces, thus propulsion of the maglift monorail
does not degrade with speed.
- A traditional train is heavy; a 10-car TGV train
weighs over 400 tons and the static and rolling
drag is considerable. A maglift monorail of
comparable passenger carrying capacity weighs
just 210 tons due to its monocoque construction.
With its linear motors mounted under the vehicle
and on top of the guideway beam, the maglift
monorail experiences an upthrust which reduces
the weight on the suspension by up to 90% at
maximum power (experienced when accelerating or
at top speed), giving an effective weight as low
as 20 tons. The maglift monorail can have as
little as 5% of the static and rolling drag that
a TGV has!
- A TGV train is long; a 10-car train is 590' long
giving considerable aerodynamic drag. A
20-segment maglift monorail has comparable
passenger carrying capacity, and is only 420'
long. Thus the aerodynamic drag, a governing
factor at very high speeds, is less with the
maglift monorail.
- This upthrust from the linear motor is known as
magnetic lift (maglift). Maglift is an evolution
of maglev, retaining 90% of maglev's benefits,
while eliminating maglev's disadvantage of
magnetic drag (not to mention the increased
operating costs and increased capital costs).
Magnetic drag is due to the eddy currents etc.
caused by maglev's propulsion and guidance
systems. In the German EMS technology used by
Transrapid, this phenomenon is known as
Foucault's effect. In the Japanese EDS technology
used by HSST, this phenomenon is known as Joule's
effect. The result is that at high speeds, the
maglift monorail has less drag than maglev
systems.
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