NEW DELHI, Dec 27: China has set a new world record with its fastest maglev train, achieving a speed of 700 km/h in just two seconds – so fast that it disappears before ne even realise it.
Researchers at China’s National University of Defence Technology conducted a test on a magnetic levitation train, and they managed to accelerate a vehicle weighing around a tonne (about 1,000 kg) to this incredible speed.
The test was performed on a 400-metre (1,310-foot) maglev track, and the train was brought safely to a halt after reaching that speed, making it the fastest superconducting electric maglev train ever.
The video of the test shows the train flash past like a silver lightning bolt, almost too quick to follow with the naked eye, leaving behind a thin misty trail. It looks like a scene straight out of a science fiction movie.
The train floats above the track using superconducting magnets that lift it and push it forward without actually touching the rails. The acceleration is so powerful that it’s capable of even launching a rocket. At this speed, the maglev could connect cities over long distances in minutes.
This maglev technology also shows how future travel like the hyperloop, where trains move through vacuum-sealed tubes at super high speeds, could become possible. “It resolves core technical challenges including ultra-high-speed electromagnetic propulsion, electric suspension guidance, transient high-power energy storage inversion, and high-field superconducting magnets,” local media reports said.
The technology used to accelerate the maglev train, called electromagnetic acceleration, could also be applied to space and aviation. Rockets and planes could use electromagnetic systems to get faster, smoother take-offs while reducing fuel consumption and lowering costs.
Li Jie, a professor at the National University of Defence Technology, said, “The successful development of this ultra-high-speed superconducting electric maglev system will accelerate the research and development process of China’s ultra-high-speed maglev transport.”
The team behind the current breakthrough has been working on the project for 10 years. Earlier this year, in January, they tested the train on the same track and reached a top speed of 648 km/h. Nearly three decades ago, the same university developed the country’s first manned single-bogie maglev train, making China the third country in the world to master the technology.
(Manas Dasgupta)