Magnetic levitation trains, the future is coming!

Trains that use magnetic levitation technology are no longer seen only in science fiction movies. In China and Japan, research has been carried out for several years on how magnetic levitation can be used to transport people. Prototypes have already been developed in the two countries, which reach impressive speeds of up to 600 km / h! This could significantly reduce journey times.

The Chinese model is called Maglev from the English name of magnetic levitation, and should go into production in 2021. While the Japanese variant, Chuo Shinkansen, is scheduled for 2027 with a national road across the whole country. Levitation, and precisely in this case, magnetic levitation, which underlies the two projects, is not used here for the first time. In California, for example, the hoverboard was developed in 2014. A skateboard that can also levitate thanks to magnetic technology.

How does magnetic levitation work?

Let's start at the beginning. In simple terms, magnetic levitation means that two bodies repel each other without any contact and therefore float. However, in his Earnshaw theorem of 1842, Samuel Earnshaw states that no stationary electrical or magnetic phenomenon can cause and maintain this levitation force. Levitation, on the other hand, does not use a static magnetic field, but a mobile field.

The so-called Levitron is a classic example to explain this phenomenon. The American inventor Roy Harringan received the patent for his invention of the Levitron in 1983. It is practically a combination of a base and a magnetic gyroscope which repel each other, therefore, inter alia, the speed of rotation of the gyroscope is decisive for the fact that it is not only a brief moment of levitation, but a stable levitation force.

Of course, this is only a simplified explanation because it is a much more complex subject. To develop magnetic levitation trains, many other factors must be taken into account, some of which have yet to be studied and tested. This is why these science-fiction modes of transport are not yet on the market. However, the fact is that we are closer than we think.

If you are interested in this subject or have questions about magnetic products and their applications, you can contact our specialist staff at any time without obligation.