Ground Travel Will Be Faster Than Air Travel. A Key Obstacle Has Been Cleared

“China says it has found a solution to the problems that killed Elon Musk’s dream of a new way to travel by maglev. Hyperloop project could be revived.

Chinese scientists working on the world’s first full-scale test line of a maglev train in vacuum tubes say they have found a solution to a problem that has doomed ultra-high-speed transport projects like Elon Musk’s Hyperloop.

 

What Obstacles Have Held Hyperloop Work Away

A study by Chinese scientists reveals that even minor defects in the route, such as slightly uneven track coils or slight deformations in a bridge, can cause violent turbulence inside the capsule of such an express train.

These shocks can turn a smooth, high-speed journey into a nightmare, even in the near-vacuum conditions required for high-speed transport like the Hyperloop.

But the Chinese team claims to have managed to reduce the intensity of the turbulence by almost half. This means that extremely severe shocks have been reduced to noticeable but not unpleasant.

The engineers conducting the research are working at the Datong Test Site in Shanxi Province, China’s flagship maglev research center. The team is led by Zhao Ming of the maglev and electromagnetic propulsion division of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), a state-owned defense and space contractor, explains Interestinginginiering.com. So far, Hyperloop has achieved speeds of around 600 km/h, although theoretically, travel at speeds of over 1,200 km/h is possible.

“Our studies considered track irregularities, vertical bridge bends and single-frequency excitations caused by lateral irregularities in grounding coils,” Zhao and his colleagues wrote, as reported by the South China Morning Post.

To understand the problem, the engineers conducted detailed simulations using supercomputers, supported by physical tests using smaller-scale models.

Their results revealed that at high speeds — especially around 400 km/h and 600 km/h — the capsules encounter dangerous resonance. The root of the problem is the lack of physical contact between the train and the track. Because maglev rides on magnetic forces, any imperfection in the infrastructure can cause resonance in the cabin.

To fix the ride, Zhao’s team developed a hybrid suspension system. It combines traditional air springs with advanced electromagnetic actuators [1]. These actuators don’t work alone — they’re controlled by artificial intelligence.

 

AI to help develop maglev

But there are still obstacles. The suspension system, although it has passed lab tests, still needs to be adapted for use in real-world conditions. Engineers also need to make sure it can handle emergencies, such as sudden braking or unexpected obstacles.

Despite these challenges, the Chinese team believes they are on the right track. If their system is proven at full scale, it could change not only public transport but also the way we think about high-speed travel.”

 

1. An actuator is a device that converts energy into motion or control of a system. It's essentially a mover that takes a signal or input and uses it to create mechanical movement or action. This movement can be linear (straight-line) or rotational, and the input energy can be electrical, pneumatic (compressed air), hydraulic (oil pressure), or other forms like heat or magnetism.

 

    Function:

    Actuators are used to move objects, control valves, adjust positions, or perform other actions within a system.

 

Input Energy:

They receive an input, which can be a signal (electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, etc.) or a physical source of energy (heat, magnetism).

Output Motion:

The input energy is then used to create a specific type of movement, which could be linear (like a piston moving in a cylinder) or rotational (like a motor spinning).

Examples:

Actuators are found in various applications, including:

 

    Robotics: Servo motors and other actuators are used to move robot joints.

 

Construction equipment: Hydraulic cylinders are used in power shovels and other heavy machinery.

Automotive: Actuators control car seats, windows, and other features.

Industrial automation: Actuators are used in manufacturing, process control, and other industrial settings.

 

Types:

Actuators can be classified by the type of energy they use (electric, pneumatic, hydraulic, etc.) or the type of motion they produce (linear, rotational).

 

Linear Actuators: Precision Movement for Diverse Applications

In essence, actuators are the "doing" part of a system, taking instructions and using energy to produce a desired effect.