An attraction type magnetic levitation vehicle system includes a magnetic rail laid on the side of a track and a levitation vehicle having a supporting electromagnet and a guide electromagnet each having a plurality of magnetic poles arrayed along the track. A magnetic pole surface of each of the plurality of magnetic poles is in opposing relationship to a surface of the magnetic rail, respectively. The magnetic pole surface of at least one of the supporting and guide electromagnets and the surface of the magnetic rail opposing the magnetic pole surface is in the form of a rectangular waveform having a plurality of alternating groove-and-teeth pairs arranged at a predetermined pitch. The distances from one of the plurality of magnetic poles each having the rectangular-wave-shaped magnetic pole surface of the remaining magnetic poles are staggered by less than one pitch from an integer multiple of the predetermined pitch. Exciting currents flowing in pulses through exciting coils of the plurality of magnetic poles are controlled to increase in predetermined timing and order, thereby allowing thrust to be produced in the direction of the track.

A superconducting electromagnet for levitation and propulsion of a maglev vehicle running against a rail has a magnetic core having a number of salient poles extending from a surface thereof, thereby forming gaps between adjacent ones of the poles, and facing and in operative proximity with the rail. An excitation coil surrounds each pole and is positioned in the gaps on each side of the pole. A cryostat accommodates the excitation coil and is positioned in the gaps between the conducting coil and the core. A control coil surrounds each pole and is positioned in the gaps on each side of the pole for responding to fast disturbances of short duration with a transient current.

An electrodynamic levitation system for moving from one location to another location. The system comprises a vehicle. The system also comprises a guideway along which the vehicle travels. Additionally, the system comprises a propulsion mechanism for moving the vehicle. At least a first portion of the propulsion mechanism is in contact with the vehicle and at least a second portion of the propulsion mechanism is in contact with the guideway. The system also comprises mechanism for controlling lateral guidance levitation of the vehicle with respect to the guideway as the vehicle travels along the guideway. At least a first portion of the controlling mechanism is in contact with the vehicle and at least a second portion of the controlling mechanism is in contact with the guideway. The present invention also pertains to a levitation and guidance element for an electrodynamically suspended maglev vehicle. The element comprises an electrically conductive levitation and guidance strip. The element also is comprised of a ferromagnetic lateral guidance strip in contact with and in parallel with the levitation and guidance strip. In a preferred embodiment, the levitation and guidance strip has a width, and the lateral guidance strip has a width which is less than the width of the levitation and guidance strip.

A monobeam/guideway (beam) and electromagnetically jimmied vehicle prototype mating system having: a beam of durable, long life pre-cast reinforced concrete or similar composite infrastructure produce with mass to reduce travel sound transmissions caused by deflections in lighter weight elevated guideway support designs. The beam to vehicle mating design allows the vehicle to straddle over the beam riding along its ridge on tires while balancing on support casters making firm positive contact at critical tangent points along the beam's Nebel surfaces during intermittent non-jimmied/non-levitated periods of operation. Non-jimmied vehicle positioning is free of the wide gap tolerances of prior art. The beam and elevated support allow the vehicle to underwrap and become jimmied by attractive magnetic response of magnetic balancers which are magnets at the vehicle underwrap excited by electromagnetic starter packs located underside guideway beams. The Beam has rubberized non-stick ride surfaces to shed ice and snow. Other magnetic balancers are also set at clockset positions to the beam's radial tendency and are in addition angular set in a unified saw-tooth arrangement to draw train toward travel direction. Noise, mechanical wear and the vibrational passenger discomforts of prior art during non-jimmied operation are reduced if not eliminated by this design.

A guideway for a magnetically levitated railway is described, having a longitudinal stator linear drive comprising at least two parallel stators. The guideway includes a plurality of supports (1) arranged along a given line and adapted to form straight and curved guideway sections and stator sections mounted on the supports (1), these sections being composed of straight stator end packs (6a, f; 7a, f) and likewise straight middle stator packs (6b-3; 7b-e) arranged therebetween, the packs in the region of the curved guideway sections being laid in the manner of polygonal trains to form outer and inner stator sections (6, 7) and being separated from one another by gaps (23, 24). The stator end packs (6a,f; 7a,f) and the middle stator packs (6b-3; 7b-e) have a predetermined tooth/groove pitch (16) with reference to a conceptual space curve (2) and different "ideal" lengths which differ from one another by fractions of a tooth/groove pitch (16). The middle stator packs (6b-3; 7b-e) are so combined with one another in at least one outer or inner stator section (6, 7), taking into account their different "ideal" lengths, that a "material" total gap between the stator end packs (6a,f; 7a,f) and the middle stator packs (6b-3; 7b-e) of this stator section (6, 7) has the smallest possible width. A parts set and a method of making a double track guideway are also described (FIG. 2).