The SCMAGLEV (Superconducting Maglev) is a magnetic levitation (maglev) transportation system based on the principles of magnetic attractions and repulsions between the guideway and the cars. Developed and owned in Japan by Central Japan Railroad Company, SCMAGLEV technology creates one of the safest and fastest transportation systems in the world.
At 374 mph the SCMAGLEV L0 Series train, along with its revolutionary technological advancements, and its superior environmental emission levels, is the train of the future for cleaner and faster travel. The lightweight and high-capacity trains can include up to 16 cars.
If you’ve ever tried to push two magnets of the same polarity together, you understand the basic principle of a maglev train. Magnetic polarity is used to levitate the train, guide it, and propel it at high speeds, for a smooth and quiet ride.
Superconductivity is a phenomenon that occurs where the electrical resistance of certain materials approaches zero when cooled to a very low temperature, allowing for an electric current to flow permanently and efficiently.
Superconductivity is key to the SCMAGLEV’s transformational speed and efficiency, and what makes this technology stand apart from traditional maglev technology. Powerful and energy efficient, these magnets are installed in each train where traditional wheels on a conventional train would be located.
Instead of traditional train tracks, SCMAGLEV trains use powerful magnets to levitate in a unique concrete guideway. The U-shaped guideway is equipped with wire coils that interact with the train’s superconducting magnets. This interaction between the guideway coils and superconducting magnets provides propulsion, levitation, guidance, and braking – keeping the train locked in the guideway, and eliminating the possibility of derailments.
The SCMAGLEV’s magnets are both lightweight and incredibly powerful, allowing SCMAGLEV trains to accelerate faster than any other high-speed rail or maglev system. Acceleration and deceleration are computer controlled for a smooth, comfortable ride.
The lack of electrical resistance in superconducting magnets allows the SCMAGLEV to consume 30% less energy than other high-speed maglev trains, and 50% less than a commercial airliner – making it one of the most efficient modes of large scale transit.
The train travels in a completely dedicated guideway, thereby eliminating the possibility of collisions with freight or other types of passenger vehicles. Additionally, the U-shaped design of the guideway itself prevents derailments. The SCMAGLEV system safety is based upon the Tokaido Shinkansen “bullet train” operation in Japan, which has not experienced any passenger or crew injuries due to train accidents, such as derailments or collisions, during its 50+ years of service.
Developed by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) over 50+ years, the SCMAGLEV train is a very real and truly transformational transportation technology. The SCMAGLEV has travelled hundreds of thousands of miles in its development on a 27 mile long track. This track represents the initial segment of a 220 mile line under current construction in Japan between Tokyo and Nagoya, and will eventually extend on to Osaka. The current SCMAGLEV train, known as the L0 (L-zero) holds the Guinness record for the world’s fastest maglev train – clocking in at 374.68 mph (603 km/h)!
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