Permanent Magnet Electrodynamic Suspension System Integrated With a Car: Design, Implementation, and Test

In this article, a permanent magnet electrodynamic suspension (PMEDS) system integrated with a car has been developed by our group, along with a 100-m-long test track made of copper. The entire vehicle weighs 2.8 ton and is freely suspended in air over 35 mm without a lateral constraint on guideway. The car uses its own wheels and engine to provide a take-off speed for the PMEDS system, eliminating the excessive costs of the motor, with a maximum speed of 70 km/h. First, a new topology structure equipped with the damping magnets is presented. Afterward, the onboard magnets and guideway are designed via the simulation method verified by the high-speed rotary experimental platform with a diameter of 2500 mm, clarifying the mapping between the electromagnetic forces and structure parameters. The suspension frame and gap adjustment mechanism are developed, and a complete test system is built to monitor the levitation gap, accelerations, and deflection angle. Lastly, the integrated PMEDS system is implemented and tested. In-house experiment and line test results not only reveal that the PMEDS has a significant weak guidance capability but also confirm the effectiveness of the proposed damping magnets. Through the damping magnets, the maximum lateral deflection is limited to less than 11°. The tested levitation–drag ratio is in general agreement with the simulation results. The great suspension capacity of the PMEDS system can be visually demonstrated. This article conducts the free suspension test of the PMEDS system for the first time in China, which can open up prospects for further engineering applications.