Design and Analysis of a Maglev Planar Transportation Vehicle

We describe the driving mechanism of a maglev planar transportation vehicle (MPTV). The levitation mechanism consists of four magnetic wheels and four rotary machines. The combination of the linear induction motor mechanisms enables the vehicle to travel with planar motion. The wheels provide stability without disturbing the planar motion. Because all the mechanisms use electrodynamic forces, the working range of the MPTV can be expanded simply by paving the workspace with a conductor. The feasibility of the MPTV has been verified in several experiments.