Study About Design Method of Safety Equipment of Maglev: Vertical Direction

Among high-speed railway systems, the superconducting maglev train is an innovative transportation system, in which trains are levitated and driven at speeds of up to 550 km/h. But in case of quench of superconducting magnet, vehicles are forced to touch down on the guideway. For safe landing, we developed the new equipment named “Emergency Wheel”. Our process of development is as follows : (i) To know the maximum load for the landing, we simulated the electromagnetic power and dynamics of vehicles. (ii) Each element of emergency wheel was developed and tested in a factory. (iii) Quench tests were conducted on the Yamanashi Maglev Test Line and results showed a good accordance between simulation and test. Through the study and development of emergency wheel, we established a design method of safety equipment for Maglev.