Stability of magnetically levitated vehicles over a split guideway

The Wolfson experimental maglev vehicle being built at the University of Warwick is to be levitated and guided over a track consisting of two flat parallel conducting sheets. The advantages of this system are discussed and measurements of forces and moments for the proposed coil configuration are shown. The condition for static stability is determined and the possibility of obtaining desirable roll characteristics under cornering and cross wind conditions by manipulation of track and vehicle geometry discussed. The system is shown to be stable for small perturbations.