Maglev vehicle/guideway dynamic interaction based on vibrational experiment

In case of Maglev vehicle transportation systems using electromagnetic suspension, the dynamic interactions between vehicle and guideway have strong effects on levitation stability, on ride comfort, and on guideway construction costs. It is desirable to understand and to optimize the dynamic interaction during operations. The purposes of this paper are to analyze the interaction characteristics by experiments and to identify methods for improving running performances. Firstly, accelerations are measured on three different types of guideways. The air gaps of electromagnets are also measured when the vehicle stands still and runs on the guideways. With the results from the experiments, the dynamic interactions are analyzed and the ways to improve stability are discussed.