Chinese scientists say maglev ‘sky train’ floats without power using permanent magnets
- Unlike most existing maglev lines, this suspended ‘sky train’ operates about 10 metres above the ground and underneath its rail
- 800m experimental Red Rail in southern China holds promise of ‘personalised and intelligent transport’, says professor involved in project
China has launched the world’s first suspended maglev line built with permanent magnets that can keep a “sky train” afloat forever – even without a power supply.
The 800-metre (2,600-foot) experimental Red Rail in southern China’s Xingguo county, Jiangxi province, used powerful magnets rich in rare earth elements to produce a constantly repelling force strong enough to lift a train with 88 passengers in the air, according to a report by state broadcaster China Central Television on Tuesday.
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China launches world’s first maglev ‘sky train’ that floats in the air using permanent magnets
Unlike most existing maglev lines, the suspended rail operates about 10 metres above the ground. There is no physical contact with the rail as the train moves underneath the rail at a speed of 80km/h (50mph).
An arm from the train surrounds the rail and permanent magnets in both the arm and the rail repel each other, suspending the train.
With free-floating conditions and an absence of friction, only a small amount of electricity is needed to propel the train, according to the researchers at Jiangxi University of Science and Technology.
The new maglev technology generated little electromagnetic radiation, and its construction cost was about a tenth of that to build a subway, they said.