Analysis on ground conductor shape and size effect to levitation force in static type EDS simulator

This paper presents the characteristic analysis on the high-Tc superconducting (HTS) electrodynamic suspension (EDS) simulator. In EDS maglev trains, the relative velocity between the moving high field magnet and the fixed ground conductor makes the magnetic reaction between two components. The magnetic reaction generates the levitation force of the EDS system. The distribution of the magnetic flux on the ground conductor affects the strength of the levitation force. A EDS simulator basically consists of levitation magnet and ground conductor and one of these component should be a moving part. In the static type EDS simulator, the levitation force is generated by the velocity equivalent AC current. Therefore, the static type EDS simulator does not need the high speed moving parts and can test the effect of the variations of the ground conductors easily by the change of the frequency of the applying AC current. To design the static type simulator optimally, the HTS levitation magnet and the characteristics of the EDS system were numerically analysed by 3-D finite element method (FEM). Based on the numerical analysis, the static type EDS simulator was designed manufactured and tested. The simulator consists of an HTS magnet, the fixed ground conductor(s), an AC power supply, resonating components, force measuring devices, and a supporting structure. From the calculation and test results on this paper, the consideration of the magnetic flux distribution according to the levitation height should be included in the process of the ground conductor design.