| Hi Stephen
> Perhaps you never realize the Maglev needs consistent supply of power from ground, at high speed, the contact point of > power supply can easily or prematurely worn out. The same problem also applies other high speed trains currently using > overhead transmission. I did (not) realize, because it does not work that simple way!! There are two types of Maglevs, the low speed ones indeed work like an old fashioned e-tram or e-trolley bus with constant overhead transmission! Instead, high speed Maglevs as the German type and the Japanese type derive ALL their energy at higher speed from the AC field that also drives them. At higher speed there is NO mechanical contact to the "rails" in the Shanghai Maglev at all at 431 km/h. In case of energency breaking it can also still make a "soft" landing from battery power in case the contact would fail! The "Transrapid" has electrical contacts that allows it to start and to work when stopped. In move these contacts are fully detached! So no mechanical problems from this point! At LongYang station there is a very good museum in the base floor that explains all this, I highly recommend the visit. All exhibits are explained in Chinese and English, unfortunatelly the movies are only in Chinese. I have photographed quite a lot of the posters in that exhibit room, I could post some! >The noise pollution generated by Maglev is 2.5 times over other trains associated with high building cost makes Maglev >economic unfeasible to build in large scale. Also not true (according to the figures the Maglev people give, maybe they cheat?)! They claim, that at >400 km/h the noise if still just par to the best ICEs or TGVs at 300 km/h, which is about the same noise an old fashioned train already emits at 50 km/h! |
Inside Pudong Airport Maglev Train