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While German and Japanese prototypes have demonstrated drastically reduced operating costs and carbon emissions, incompatibilities with existing rail infrastructure and $60-200 million per mile construction costs have become insurmountable impediments to mainstream adoption. In contrast, the Studer Mag-Rail™ concept relies primarily on inexpensive permanent magnets for stand-alone levitation above standard steel railroad tracks resulting in vastly less expensive development and infrastructure costs. |
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Studer Maglev Design - MagLEVrail
The First Low Cost Maglev Breakthrough
The MagLEVrail™ technology is currently in the product development stage. A patent has been issued for the underlining technology followed by a number of provisional patents as the development progresses. The base patent was developed by Phillip A. Studer, a retired NASA engineer with over 27 patents in the last 40 years, 18 of which relate to electro-magnetic motion systems. Mr. Studer, one of the inventors of the magnetic bearing making modern space travel possible, was recognized as the NASA Scientist of the Year in 1986. Exclusive rights to the patent have been assigned to Sandor Shapery and licensed to Innovative Transportation Systems Corporation (ITSC).
Additional patents by Mr. Shapery and Mr. Studer have resulted from design innovations to the original Studer concept. ITSC is in the preliminary stages of technology development. The principals are funding mathematical modeling, design improvement, and small scale concept prototyping activities through university consultants at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of California. To date, the mathematical modeling, simulations and subscale operating models being performed by Dr. Bruce Montgomery, Professor emeritus and his associates at MIT has confirmed and documented the viability of the technology. Dr. Montgomery in corroboration with Phillip Studer and Sandor Shapery is currently modeling numerous variants to improve operations.
Existing Maglev Systems
In the German maglev train, electromagnets fitted on the underside of specially design guide-ways are used to lift and propel portions of the train wrapped around the guide-way
While in the Japanese system, superconducting magnets embedded in a u-shaped guide-way are used to repel and propel a vehicle lying within the guideway.
While maglev prototypes have demonstrated drastically reduced operating costs and carbon emissions, incompatibilities with existing rail infrastructure and $60-200 million per mile construction costs have become insurmountable impediments to mainstream adoption. The high cost of maglev systems results from the need for a standalone guide-way construction featuring active magnetic coils embedded directly into the guide-way and, in the case of the Japanese design, the addition of liquid cooled superconducting magnets.
Studer Design Advantages
By using a new magnetic suspension design, the Studer maglev, as compared to German or Japanese design, provides a system that is
- More vertically tolerant thus reduced cost
- Always on from permanent magnets - substantially reduced cost
- Lower power - reduces costs
- Passive track - substantially reduced cost
- Proven Concept
The Studer MagLEVrail™ concept relies primarily on inexpensive permanent magnets for stand-alone levitation above standard steel railroad tracks without the need of wayside power sources. During operation a low power control system can be used in conjunction with the magnets to center the vehicle between the tracks and assure no contact with the steel rails. This results in a permanently levitating platform or rail car without rolling resistance.
Original Design
New and Improved Design
Studer Linear Motor
The propulsion system that can be used in the Studer MagLEVrail maglev system is equally as novel as the levitating system and can be incorporated into the same set of magnets used for levitation. Drawing from Mr. Studer’s earlier patents developed at NASA, Mr. Studer has designed a linear motor variant to his Burshless DC motor with integralable magnetic syspension.
Alternatively the Studer levitating platform can be propelled by a standard long stator linear motor as used for other applications discussed herein above.
