• Congratulations to the Class of 2024 on your results!
    Let us know how you went here
    Got a question about your uni preferences? Ask us here

Maglev trains and Meissner effect (1 Viewer)

noctua

Active Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2014
Messages
178
Gender
Male
HSC
2014
Do maglev trains use the meissner effect to levitate?

I understood it so, however my teacher mentioned that this was not the case and that I would be penalised if we wrote that in the HSC.

So how does maglev trains really work? or is my physics teacher just out of his mind?
 

Fizzy_Cyst

Owner @ Sigma Science + Phys Goat
Joined
Jan 14, 2011
Messages
1,212
Location
Parramatta, NSW
Gender
Male
HSC
2001
Uni Grad
2005
Levitation is not caused by the Meissner Effect in maglev.

Really strong magnetic fields provide really large like pole repulsion forces between the track and the train. These repulsive forces cause the train to levitate
 

anomalousdecay

Premium Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2013
Messages
5,766
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
It would be very hard to implement a system with constantly supercooled material (lower than 150 K) in an environment which is at about 300 K.

Thinking of it that way, then you can tell that its quite difficult to have Maglev trains operating off Meissner Effect.
 

noctua

Active Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2014
Messages
178
Gender
Male
HSC
2014
Levitation is not caused by the Meissner Effect in maglev.

Really strong magnetic fields provide really large like pole repulsion forces between the track and the train. These repulsive forces cause the train to levitate
So is there a reason why superconductors are used as electromagnets than normal conductors?
 

anomalousdecay

Premium Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2013
Messages
5,766
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
So is there a reason why superconductors are used as electromagnets than normal conductors?
Do you mean as in general? In general they are used to make really large magnitudes of magnetic fields (like in MRI).
 

emilios

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2013
Messages
667
Gender
Male
HSC
2014
Can someone tell me what I need to know about maglev trains? That section of the syllabus is such an unorganized mess.
 

Rhinoz8142

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2013
Messages
1,334
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2014
Uni Grad
2018
What I understand is that there are 2 types of Maglev trains
-) EMS(Electromagnectic Suspension System)
-) EDS(Electrodynamic Suspension
The one with a superconductor is used by the EDS
It uses SC magnets on the vehicle and electrically conductive strips or coils in the guideways to levitate the train, this does not require the same degree of computer monitioring and adjustment while travelling, but the requirement for very low temp. means that, for the moment, this is not a practical system.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top