There's a new way to travel around Shanghai, and it won Popular Science's Best of What's New in the category of Engineering.
Popular Science | Shanghai Transrapid
While other countries argued over the feasibility of maglev trains, the Chinese went and built one. The Shanghai Transrapid is the world's most advanced ground-transportation system: Floating half an inch off its guideway, it whisks passengers along at 267 miles per hour on an ultrasmooth and remarkably quiet ride. Its $1.2 billion track runs from downtown Shanghai to the Pudong International Airport, and the 19-mile trip takes all of 8 minutes. The secret to its speediness? Electromagnetic levitation (or maglev) technology. Electromagnetic force is used to make the train hover, and to provide vertical and horizontal stabilization. The frequency, intensity and direction of the electrical current in the track control the train's movement, while the power for the levitation system is supplied by the train's onboard batteries, which recharge whenever the train is moving. By putting the propulsion system in the guideway rather than onboard, the cars can be lighter, which enables the floating train to accelerate to nearly 200 mph in about 2 minutes.
Comments (3)
How is it protected from a power outtage?
Posted by Don | November 10, 2003 10:04 PM
Posted on November 10, 2003 22:04
Wow, that sounds really cool! I haven't had the opportunity to see it yet, maybe in the summer when I go back to China, I will go down to Shanghai and take a look at this cool new technology. Beijing should definitely start something like that!
Posted by Helen | November 13, 2003 12:46 PM
Posted on November 13, 2003 12:46
we gotta try this train out next time we're over there!
Posted by lisa | November 19, 2003 6:42 AM
Posted on November 19, 2003 06:42