Abstract

A positioning apparatus for a maglev vehicle includes multiple vehicle magnets. The magnets are paired For a suspension configuration, the magnets are one above the other, with a plurality of pairs arranged along the length of the vehicle. The poles are of adjacent magnets are opposite each other, transverse of the guideway. The guideway carries a conductor that is located symmetrically with respect to the two vehicle magnets. Among other things, the conductor may be a ladder, discrete coils or a helical winding. As the vehicle moves along the guideway, the voltages are induced in the circuits of the guideway conductor by the moving vehicle magnetic fields. If the vehicle is at a symmetry position with respect to the guideway, no current is induced in the guideway conductors because the magnetic fields from the pair of magnets cancel each other. However, if, as is typical, the vehicle is away from the symmetry position, such is the case due to the force of gravity, a current is induced that interacts with the vehicle magnets, to tend to push the vehicle toward the symmetry position. Thus, the vehicle is supported against gravity. The invention may also be used in a guidance configuration, by rotating the above described structure 90°, so that the magnet poles are aligned vertically.

Other References

• "Whey the U.S. Needs a Maglev System" Technology Review, Apr. 1991, pp. 30-42, R. D. Thornton
• "JR Group probes maglev frontiers," Railway Gazette International, Jul. 1990, pp. 537-539, by Hisashi Tanaka
• "Electrodynamic Forces of the Cross-Connected Figure-Eight Null-Flux Coil Suspension System," by J. L. He, D. M. Rote and H. T. Coffey of the Center for Transportation Research Energy Systems Division of Argonne National Laboratory (Published after Jul. 3, 1992)
• "Development of Maglev Transportation in Japan: Present State and Future Prospects," by E. Masada of The University of Tokyo (1993