A Study of Maglev Vehicle Dynamics Using a Reduced-Scale Vehicle Model Experiment Apparatus

Abstract

An experiment apparatus using a 1/12 scale model of a train car body was constructed to study the characteristics of vehicle dynamics of magnetically levitated high speed surface transport (Maglev) systems that differ from conventional railway systems. Consisting of six-axis parallel link motion bases to reproduce bogie motions, an aluminum car body, and secondary suspension units, this apparatus is expected to be useful in examinations of control methods to reduce vehicle vibrations and to generate data useful in eventually improving the precision of computer simulations. This report provides an overview of the Maglev vehicle model experiment apparatus and results of initial tests examining its fundamental characteristics.

Examination of Vehicle Motion Characteristics of a Maglev Train Set Using a Reduced-scale Model Experiment Apparatus

“…6). The effect of the pitching damper was evaluated by the ride comfort level derived from the vertical accel- MAGMOX reproduces motion of the traveling Maglev vehicle, and was constructed to confirm results of computer simulations and the effects of vibration control [3], [4]. The initial setup consisted of one car body and two bogies [3], but additional components were built to expand the setup to two and a half car bodies and three bogies, to test a train set (Fig.…”

“…8). The main specifications of each bogie and car body are the same as those used in Reference [3]. Because the MAGMOX experiments were conducted in a standard gravitational field, the laws of similitude were set such that the magnitudes of acceleration in the reducedscale model matched those of the full-scale vehicle.…”

“…Modifications to the secondary suspension improved the performance of MAGMOX in reproducing vehicle motion [5]. Figure 9 shows the secondary suspension unit after modifications.…”

“…Each position results in a different height of the axis of rotation for the pitching motion of the car bodies. The setup without any coupler between the car bodies was assigned the case number (5). Figure 11 shows an example of a coupler attached in position (4).…”

“…The MAGMOX bogie (motion base) was modeled by a 1-DOF (one degree of freedom) system, using the forces of interaction in the secondary suspension and guideway vertical irregularities as external disturbance input. The vertical irregularities of the guideway were the same as those used in Reference [3]. The bogie displacement was computed by solving the dynamic equations of this 1-DOF system in real time, and the bogie motion was controlled using vertical displacement of the bogie as feedback.…”