Transverse edge effects of sheet guideways in magnetic levitation

Calculations of electrodynamic forces of conducting sheet suspensions for preliminary design studies of magnetically levitated high speed guided ground transport have usually considered sheets of infinite width. Economic considerations necessitate a limited sheet width, and to the designer a knowledge of the effect of finite width on suspension forces becomes important. Edge effects of sheet guideways are studied here by boundary matching of the three-dimensional magnetic fields to the guideway current modes and to the current excitations in the flat rectangular superconducting coils. The double Fourier series approach is used. Theoretical predictions correlate with experimental measurements simulating the high speed limit of the suspension. Design guidelines are given.