A linear synchronous motor has been designed to propel a 480 km/h magnetically levitated passenger vehicle. The paper describes the motor and presents results of tests which have been performed on essentially full-scale components of the motor using a 7.6 m-diameter test-wheel facility. Controlled starting, acceleration, cruising, deceleration and transient operation have been demonstrated. A 6-component force balance has been used to measure the three forces and three moments acting on a single stationary superconducting magnet due to its interaction with the split 3-phase windings mounted on the rim of the test wheel and energized by a variable-frequency current-controlled inverter power supply. Measured forces and terminal characteristics over complete cycles of force angle are claimed to be in agreement with analysis based on a coupled circuit model of the machine and mutual inductance computations. Moments were measured to be small under all operating conditions. Two modes of control have been demonstrated. The alpha -scheme, proposed for a full-scale system, maintains the angle between induced voltage and phase current at a value which optimizes the motor characteristics, i.e. inverter Mva rating, etc. beta- control, which may be required for starting, uses vehicle position detectors to fire the inverter thyristors at appropriate times.
[1]
D. Atherton,et al.
Magnetic Levitation: Linear Synchronous Motor Efficiency
,
1972
.
[2]
P. E. Burke,et al.
A linear synchronous motor for high-speed ground transport
,
1974
.
[3]
R. Rhodes,et al.
The wolfson magnetic levitation project
,
1975
.
[4]
A. Eastham,et al.
Canadian developments in superconducting Maglev and linear synchronous motors
,
1975
.
[5]
G. Slemon.
The Canadian maglev project on high-speed interurban transportation
,
1975
.
[6]
R. D. Thornton,et al.
The magneplane system
,
1975
.