Detail and experimental results of ferromagnetic levitation system of Japan air lines HSST-01/-02 vehicles

HSST is an acronym for high-speed surface transport and is the trade name of the vehicle levitated by the attractive electromagnets and propelled by the linear induction motor (LIM) developed by Japan Air Lines. Two test vehicles have been designed, manufactured, and flight-tested. The first test vehicle, HSST-01, marked a maximum speed of 307.8 km/h on a 1300-m long test track in February, 1978, whereas the second test vehicle, HSST-02, has demonstrated boarding test flights successfully to an aggregated total of abut 1500 passengers since April, 1978, onward. The HSST-01 weighs one ton, is 4 m long, designed for high-speed testing, and incorporates eight electromagnets and a LIM with a maximum thrust of 300 kg. The levitating power supply is taken from the batteries carried on board the vehicle, and the three-phase VVVF power for the LIM propulsion is supplied from the wayside power lines through the power collector. The nine-seated HSST-02 has a loaded weight of 2.3 tons. Major items of additional functions realized in the HSST-02 include: 1) the electromagnets are fitted to the flexible chassis for better riding comfort by incorporating mechanical suspension between the chassis and the body, and 2) with the continuous levitation, the power for the LIM is rectified and supplied to the electromagnets jointly serving with the batteries carried on board. In light of the test results obtained so far, it is shown that the predicted performances of the levitation magnets, LIM, and the power collector system have been satisfactorily established, and that there would be no major technical problems in the course of our future development for implementation of the HSST system toward commercial services. The design of a preoperational test vehicle is now underway, and its test flight is scheduled to he initiated in 1980. This 80-seated preoperational test vehicle will have test flights on a 15-km test tract at a target crusing speed of 300 km/h.