Design and Analysis of a Plate Type Electrodynamic Suspension Structure for Ground High Speed Systems

Abstract

The research of ground high speed systems has been popular, especially after the announcement of Hyperloop concept, and the analysis of the suspension structure is critical for the design of the system. This paper focuses on the design and analysis of a plate type electrodynamic suspension (EDS) structure for the ground high speed system. The working principle of proposed whole system with functions of levitation, guidance and propulsion is presented, and the researched EDS structure is composed of permanent magnets (or superconducting magnets) and non-ferromagnetic conductive plates. Levitation and guidance are achieved by forces generated through the motion of the magnets along the plates. The plate type EDS structure is analyzed by three-dimensional (3D) finite element method (FEM) in ANSYS Maxwell. Structure parameters that affect the EDS performances are investigated, which include dimensions of magnets and plates, plate material, the relative position between magnets and plates, and arrangement of magnets. The properties of forces are discussed, especially for the levitation force, and the levitation working point is decided based on the analysis. Levitation-drag ratio of the plate type structure is investigated, and it improves with the increasing of vehicle velocity. The analysis results indicate that the plate type EDS structure is feasible for applications in ground high speed systems. The following study will focus on the dynamic research of the EDS system.