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SCIPAD - BIG IDEAS - BOOK 2
CIRCUITS AND MAGNETS
Locomotives that Levitate
Imagine floating 12 centimetres off the ground while travelling at 500 kilometres an hour! There is
no sound of steel wheels banging into steel rails, no humming of motors, just the sound of the air
rushing by. Computers automatically control your speed and position. Is this possible? Yes, this is
Maglev!
Levitation and guidance magnets
generate electromagnetic pull to lift
the above the track
Propulsion magnets on the side of
the train and track create a unique
system of magnetic fields that pull
and push the train along the track.
Maximum Train Speeds
No friction Faster speeds No noise
Maglev
500 kmph
High speed train (US)
225 kmph
High speed train (Worldwide)
300 kmph
Maglev is short for Magnetically Levitated Vehicle. A Maglev vehicle floats on, and is moved
forward by, forces from magnets. When the vehicle is levitating it doesn’t touch the ground and
doesn’t need wheels. Maglev research and development began in Japan in 1970, using super-
conducting magnets. Japan is far ahead of any other country in its development, opening the
Miyazaki Maglev Test Track in 1977.
Maglev saves time, money, energy and the environment!
Maglev vehicles have travelled at 500 kilometres per hour. Current high-speed rolling trains can
only reach about 300 kilometres an hour. High-speed trains have achieved higher speeds in test
runs, but it is very difficult for them to go that fast all the time as there a lot of wear and tear on the
moving parts, and the rails have to be maintained to a very high standard to avoid derailment.
How does Maglev compare to aeroplanes?
500 km per hour is about half the speed of passenger aeroplanes. However, many of today’s
airports are very busy, and that means passengers often spend a lot of time waiting at the airport.
Aeroplanes have to taxi out to the runway and wait until one is clear for takeoff. Also, if the weather
is bad, aeroplanes can’t fly. On Maglev, passengers won’t have to wait for empty runways or
delays because of bad weather. In addition, Maglev can go from the centre of one city to the
centre of another. This means that the passenger saves time by not having to travel to the airport
because most airports are on the outskirts of cities.
Maglev uses only a third of the energy of aeroplanes. Conserving energy means using up fewer
natural resources and creating less pollution. Maglev runs on electricity. It is easier to control pollution
at power plants where electricity is generated than it is to control pollution from aeroplanes. Also,
using electricity instead of oil means that New Zealand won’t have to rely on foreign countries for
oil.
Possible hazards of Maglev.
Although Maglev is deemed a safe mode of transportation, it may pose a danger of its own.
Passengers would be exposed to electromagnetic fields, the same kind that are produced by
power wires and many household appliances. The standards for exposure to electromagnetic
fields, or EMFs as they are called, have not yet been established, and there is much controversy
over whether they pose any threat. Most scientific studies show absolutely no relationship
between EMFs and diseases such as cancer. However, more studies are needed to ensure there
are absolutely no long-term health effects.
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