Maglev Technology

Magnetic Levitation technology is one the most efficient forms of current transportation.

Politics explains the absence of magnetic levitation (maglev) technology in the US. Public transportation is an exorbitant expense for large-scale urban public transportation systems. It’s beneficial to maintain a failed system than to implement something different.

Public maglev train systems have been completed and operating in only one country. Communism doesn’t have the freedom of an adversary political party. China is now building its sixth or seventh maglev train system. 

The leader in efficient mass transit technology is maglev. This technology isn’t available for the automobile industry.

In tune with Malcolm Gladwell’s book, ‘The Tipping Point’, today’s growing youth are adapting to and seeking alternatives from the automobile. The youth are well accustomed to technology. Many large and financially powerful tech companies are luring the population into adapting its movement towards autonomous automobiles. The reception is cold. 

Train technology is dysfunctional to Western Society’s automobile centric land-use design. The immediate transportation solution? Implementation of the Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) version of maglev transportation technology.

The following is an excerpt from a 2010 presentation which outlines Maglev technology. Several of the companies mentioned which were in the process of development are no longer in business and there are a few companies in existence now that weren’t created then. 

“New Technology Transit systems fit into to the model for environmentally sustainable urban growth by using clean advanced transit technology, which also provides the convenience of on-demand and direct to destination capability.

               What is environmentally sustainable about these advanced transit technologies? Many system designs include solar electric generation for power, computer operated: for increased vehicle frequencies, stress relief of navigation, low noise levels, public accessibility, public Rights-Of-Ways (ROW), and as a convenience they maximize overall economic productivity by reducing wait times. To afford increases of heavier ridership New Technology Transit is automatically able to comply with an increase in frequency of vehicle’s headway (distance between vehicles) via the computerized technology which shuttles more vehicles to particular locations. 

               In urban planning, demand for transportation is proportionate to the increase in population. As populations grow, transportation loads expand at a proportionally greater rate; and there is an increased appetite for land consumption and improved mobility. By investing in an on-demand transit system, traffic congestion is mitigated through the use and application of this advanced technology. By the implementation of New Technology Transit in regional urban planning, the increased traffic loads are mitigated.

               As the automobile is wholly unsustainable, oil base surface streets cause ground water hazards. The massive proliferation of roads and automobiles are no longer a viable resource for mobility. 

               Maglev technology in transit systems provide mobility solutions for true environmental sustainability. Part of the efficiency in non-train maglev transit systems are the two fundamentals: weight and resistance. 

               In comparing maglev; automobile technology requires a 3,000-pound vehicle to carry a single 200-pound load. The efficiency of non-train maglev technology is its ability to design lightweight vehicle systems. Granted, a passenger carrier weighs a comparable weight of an automobile without a heavy steel frame and a motor. Without contact to the ground, however, it remains virtually weightless and maintains efficiency. With maglev, a 500-pound load can be propelled by a ¼ horse electric motor (Lev-X). Resistance caused by the friction of moving parts in an automobile causes massive inefficiencies. There are no moving parts on a passive maglev transit system: the load carrying vehicles are levitated by the magnetic force of the passive guideway; and therefore, not attached as moving parts.

               Resources - A 2010 list of Maglev projects completed or in development:

HSST (Japan)

Rotem (Korea)

Maglevision (Philippines)

Transrapid (Germany; Shanghai, China)

Autoshuttle (German)

Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) (Japan)

Yamanashi Maglev Test facility (Japan)

Maglev 2000; aka: American Maglev Star - AMS (Florida)

American Maglev (Georgia)

Magnemotion (M3)(Massachuetts)

Magplane Tecnology (Massachusetts)

Fastransit (NY)

Applied Levitation (CA)

Urban Maglev (General Atomics) (San Diego)

Modern Transport Systems (MTSC) (CA)

Magnetrans (CA)

Unimodal, (Skytran) (CA)

Lev-X (WA)

ETT, (Florida)

Zhonghua 6 (China)

Beijing Enterprises Holding Maglev Technology Development Co. Ltd (China)

Maglev transit technology is sustainable transportation. Sustainable transportation requires maglev technology to proliferate. The most efficient form of transportation is found with passive magnetic guideways. Passive magnetic guideways are a different technological approach than the methodology used to electrify the guideways with electromagnetism. Electrified guideway technology seen in the commercialized Transrapid system in Shanghai and other train systems being developed are much more complicated and more costly. The cost of building non-electrified guideway infrastructure for smaller lightweight vehicles is substantially less expensive; non-train direct to destination technology is more efficient as an urban transportation system. 

               Maglev systems can be designed to encompass global travel. With no resistance and encapsulated in an air evacuated tube, further reduction of air resistance; one maglev system in development (ET3) has computer simulated its travel speed at Mach 6 with an efficiency rate incomparable to any other form of transportation system. 

               The explanation for high efficiency in New Technology Transit systems is found in the agility of vehicle size; smaller vehicles which weigh less, requiring less intensive infrastructure. Another ingredient of non-train New Technology Transit technology is interactive computerization of automatic track, or guideway, switching; which lowers system maintenance and increases overall system efficiency with bypassing unwarranted station stops.

               It is impractical to believe all passengers on a train in our modern society would have the same destination. As a train passenger of the 2000s, why should any one rider be inconvenienced to constantly waste their time for every other passenger to board and exit along the route, then be forced to be taken somewhere other than the door of their destination and obligated to obtain other means of transportation to and from a passenger loading station? Trains provided a marvelous service for society’s transportation needs when train systems began delivering passengers in the 1800s. In the early 1900s buses provided lower initial operating costs by using citizen paid tax road funds, eliminating infrastructure as an operational expense and yet are still not able to offer convenience of independent travel needs. 

               A modern approach to transportation needs, requires attainment of environmental sustainability. New Technology Transit offers the opportunity for creativity in building methodologies and urban design. Lower cost infrastructure with the flexibility of small vehicle availability allows private development to participate in Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) reduction. These computerized smaller sized vehicle systems offer on-demand and direct to destination service which is ideal for commerce center TODs (Transit Oriented Developments). 

               The New Technology Transit industry uses systems that have computer-controlled vehicles which do not operate on a schedule; the vehicles are housed at the stations and are made available to passengers when the passenger activates the ticketing process at the station. When the passengers assign their destination at the ticketing station, the system arranges the route to that destination. These station locations are ideal for infill real estate redevelopment with concentrated commerce centers to utilize clean energy generation and fully self-contained developments using green building techniques.

               There are other environmental automobile alternatives besides the existing maglev projects and what is traditionally referred to as light-rail. PRT (Personal Rapid Transit) or Personal Automated Transport (PAT) is the transportation technology system of a closed loop circulation path. Some PRT systems are 1 to 6 passenger pod type vehicles which use rubber tires on a concrete guideway. The advantage with certain of these systems is the computerized direct to destination networking capabilities. Other PRT systems are built as parking lot circulators with a similar look to a ski lift. A majority of PRT systems are not designed with a long-distance capability. The existing APMs (Automated People Movers) serving as airport circulators do not include the sophisticated networking computerization that offer direct to destination capability. 

               Generally speaking, PRT systems can be built with infrastructure costs much lower than the heavy traditional light-rail systems currently used. Also in development are systems with efficiency unparalleled in sustainability. 

               Some of the transit systems in development, offering effective and efficient technology, could easily replace conventional transit systems. 

               One such notable technology is CyberTran®. With regenerative braking and dynamic allocation of system resources, CyberTran is very energy efficient. Running on electrical energy, CyberTran emits 98% less greenhouse gases than cars per passenger mile. This company, in 2007 was nominated for the first World Clean Energy Award in the area of Transport and Mobility. Even though this company is not a maglev system it offers technological advances that the maglev train transit systems aren’t able to offer, plus the advantage of much lower infrastructure costs.

               Applied Levitation’s technology surpasses the efficiency of CyberTran with a passive magnetic guideway and a vehicle that has no contact resistance or moving parts. Its Linear Induction Motor propels the vehicles along the guideway with an efficiency in an urban environment that has no equal in the world of transportation.

               Systems of more traditional types of transit technology with greatly increased efficiency are currently offered throughout the world. One such system is: Metrail; a monorail transit system that offers a variable power source. This is the most technologically advanced Monorail system available. 

               Demand on the urban planning industry to move towards environmental sustainability dictates that the change take place to include these new technology transit systems for meeting any reduction of VMT.

               Further implementation of 1800’s technology is insufficient for today’s mobility demands. The currently used traditional transit technology enables status-quo patterns of urban growth which increase auto-centric traffic loads. Incremental steps of technological evolution including highway Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and on-board vehicle radar, lidar, and image processing; serve to manage negative impacts of perpetuating auto-centric increase rather than the needed reduction of VMT. While swiveling headlights to anticipate turns is incredible technology that surpasses the Tucker, these new computerized technologies that assist drivers with a drowsy driver monitoring system, lane assist, blind spot assist, night view assist and radar assisted obstacle detection braking systems do little to eliminate traffic congestion and urban sprawl.

               Cars offer independence and convenience. Urban planning has to include the door-to-door convenience of an automobile without the environmental damage. Conveyer belts and train technology of the 1800’s is inapt for the demands of 2000’s car-oriented society.

               Conclusion: an automobile alternative is necessary before the automobile can be replaced in an automobile oriented urban setting. This will require a cultural shift found in the disruptive nature of innovations.

               A maglev system that reaches speeds of Mach 6 is an improvement for transportation that a car can never provide. New Technology Transit presents innovations to improve our travel needs. Innovations that cause no noise, no damaging air quality impact, and; with an 8-foot tube trenched ½ way in the dirt, cause minimal visual intrusion. Yet to build such systems have projected cost estimates from $10million to $15million per mile with an elevated system. Contrast this to the current political mindset: the existing policy is to use massive vehicles and heavy train sets with antique technology that squeal an excruciating 120decibels with a visual intrusion that is a violation of common ethics. Add to this the insult that the infrastructure capitalization will cost tax payers over $70million per mile at grade, over $120million elevated and over $300million per mile underground. This modernized 150 old technology is now able to reach speeds of 225 miles per hour. Compare this to a Mach 6 system at less than $15million per mile.

               The CA High Speed Authority made the political decision to terminate exploration of maglev technology for its high-speed rail in the early 2000s. That decision was made four years prior to the world’s first commercial maglev operation, built in Shanghai. The CA HSRA is pursuing a relationship with the French power conglomerate; Alstom’s technology. The original design of that electrified steel wheel on rail electrified train technology, dates back to the mid 1800’s. 

               To base our 2009 societal transportation needs on an advanced system of the 1800’s has to be considered impractical. Many political decisions are based on personal gain of the decision makers. This vitally important issue must go beyond the status-quo of political special interests that lobby for financial gain. Environmental sustainability caters to everyone.

               As cities flourish with the concentration of economic prosperity, population densities will correspondingly increase. This demands vertical growth in the proximity of transit hubs for mobility convenience. Having edible garden porches within transit and urban developments, the aspects of personal health is edified. Far from a utopia, this is simply a sensible solution for urban planning to preserve the wasteful consumption of sprawl and improving life style. This type of planning does not remove suburb housing availability; it merely provides a method for consolidation to the people interested in efficient conservation as a harmonious mix of our modern society with nature. 

               Utilizing new technology transit systems there is a solid gain to transportation. To use the old marketing phrase of the CA HSRA “Imagine”. Well, imagine getting off work in NY at 5pm and with the time zone changes, through LA; arriving at Yosemite Valley at 3pm.

               This is what is possible today. We need to prepare for it with land use planning, sustainable building and transportation practices.”