μ-Syntheses of Suspension Systems for EMS and EDS Maglev Vehicles

Under model uncertainty and complex disturbance, the robust control strategy should be used in suspension control systems for various Maglev vehicles to obtain ride comfort of passengers. In this paper, the robust controllers are synthesized using μ approach for levitation system of electromagnetic Maglev vehicle and active suspension system of super conducting Maglev vehicle. The numerical simulations for different parameter perturbations and different disturbances are accomplished, and a comparison of μ control and H ∞ control is performed. The simulation results show that, both H ∞ control and μ control for two kinds of Maglev vehicles exhibit good stability robustness to plant model uncertainty, but μ control exhibits better performance robustness than H ∞ control, therefore better ride quality could be obtained by μ control.

Structure analysis of levitation chassis of medium-to-low speed maglev vehicles based on left-right decoupling

Levitation chassis, as an extremely important component of maglev vehicles, provides functions of transmitting levitation force and steering force, and directly affects the safety performance of the vehicle. Based on the vertical dynamics model of the levitation chassis, kinetic equations of the model are established, and a simulation program is designed to analyze the structural decoupling function of the chassis, especially under the influence of elastic constraints between the left and right modules, which are exclusively owned by maglev vehicles. A finite element model of the levitation chassis based on left-right decoupling is constructed. Analysis results of the model show that the mechanical properties of the chassis tailored for the vehicle meet the design requirements, and the stiffness and strength is adequate to bear the weight of the whole vehicle.

Vibration reduction for a new-type maglev vehicle with mid-mounted suspension under levitation failure

Levitation failure occasionally occurs when a maglev vehicle runs on a track. At the moment of levitation failure, the levitation module falls and hits the track, and there is a violent impact on the maglev vehicle-bridge coupled system. In this paper, the response of the maglev vehicle-bridge coupled system at the moment of and after levitation failure is analyzed, and three methods of reducing the vibration are proposed. First, a dynamics model of the maglev vehicle-bridge coupled system, which considers the control system, five flexible bridges, and track irregularity, is established, and the correctness of the model is verified using test data. The system response for different failure cases is then analyzed. Finally, the three methods of reducing vibration under levitation failure are proposed, and their effectiveness is evaluated. The results show that the failure position and speed barely affect the response, whereas the maximum impact forces due to levitation failure reduced by 13%, 63%, and 50% by adopting the three methods, namely connecting the first and third coils in series, coupling the ends of the levitation module vertically, and adopting two sets of anti-roll devices, respectively. When the latter two schemes are combined, the maximum impact force reduced from 133 kN(without vibration-reduction measures) to 9 kN, and the vibration-reduction measure is also effective for failures of the levitation units at the ends of the vehicle.

Development of new electromagnetic suspension-based high-speed Maglev vehicles in China:Historical and recent progress in the field of dynamical simulation

High-speed Maglev is a cutting-edge technology brought back into the focus of research by plans of the Chinese government for the development of a new 600 km/h Maglev train.A Chinese‐German cooperation with industrial and academic partners has been established to pursue this ambitious goal and bring together experts from multiple disciplines.This contribution presents the joint work and achievements of CRRC Qingdao Sifang,thyssenkrupp Transrapid,CDFEB,and the ITM of the University of Stuttgart,regarding research and development in the field of high‐speed Maglev systems.Furthermore,an overview is given of the historical development of the Transrapid in Germany,the associated development of dynamical simulation models,and recent developments regarding high-speed Maglev trains in China.

Suspension Power Optimization of Unbalanced Structure Permanent-electro Hybrid Magnet Using Genetic Algorithm

The permanent magnet electromagnetic hybridmagnet (PEHM) has the advantages of low energy consumptionand a large suspension air gap. In this study, an unbalancedPEHM structure is proposed, which combines the advantages ofthe previous hybrid magnet structure. First, by establishing themagnetic circuit model of the new hybrid magnet structure, theinfluence of magnetic field distribution on the working magneticcircuit of the magnet is analyzed, and the method of magneticforce correction calculation of the new structure magnet isgiven. Then, the validity of the magnetic calculation method isverified by the 3D finite element method (FEM). Furthermore, theaverage suspension power force ratio is used as the optimizationgoal, and the system parameters of the hybrid magnet under aworking air gap of 6–10 mm and a load condition of 15000–20000 N are optimized by a genetic algorithm. Compared withthe previous hybrid magnet, the optimized hybrid magnet systemcan maintain lower power consumption under comprehensiveworking conditions.