| dc.description.abstract | In 2012, the founder of SpaceX, Elon Musk, proposed a new method of transportation known as the Hyperloop. The proposed system, which would serve as the fifth method of transportation, described the fundamental theory of traveling in a near-vacuum tube at high speeds in a pod-like vehicle. Since Musk made his proposal, various companies and universities have investigated the Hyperloop concept in order to make it a reality.
Researchers in the engineering and scientific community are currently investigating an effective electromagnetic suspension system design for the Hyperloop. It is hypothesized that a passive magnetic levitation (maglev) suspension system, as similarly designed for maglev trains, can be properly modeled and designed to provide optimized performance results for the proposed transportation method. The electromagnetic suspension design will utilize a specific arrangement of permanent magnets known as the Halbach array. In introducing linear velocity to the magnets, they will induce eddy currents along a conducting surface, and as a result, will create a force of levitation that will sustain the full weight of the capsule. Researchers have also proposed that in using a method of active magnetic levitation, where angular velocity instead of linear velocity is applied to the arrangement of magnets, the electromagnetic suspension will have improved control in stabilizing the induced levitation force and in keeping the displacement gap between the Hyperloop capsule and the conducting track constant.
In order to approach this engineering problem, a specific methodology composed of literature review, calculation analysis, simulation, and testing evaluation has been selected for the purpose of obtaining satisfactory results for the proposed electromagnetic suspension systems. Through literature review, the physical theoretical models behind the proposed technology will be fully investigated in order to properly apply them as the foundational architecture of the suspension system. A mathematical model of the proposed suspension system will be designed and tested through MATLAB, for comparing the theoretical models with experimental data of existing technologies. Furthermore, the simulation results will be observed and analyzed in order to properly evaluate the figures of merit of the electromagnetic suspension methods. | en |
