The present embodiments provide methods and apparatuses for use in controlling and directing magnetically levitated vehicles. In some embodiments, a method propels or passes a vehicle along a guideway, magnetically levitates the vehicle as it travels along the guideway, and induces a magnetic drag on the vehicle as it travels along a portion of the guideway. The magnetic drag can be induced by passing the magnet proximate a plate of conductive material. The plate can be positioned on a first sid...

The vehicle adapted to move along a rail comprises a body and a levitation system, the body resting in operation on the levitation system in a main bearing direction via suspension means between the body and the levitation system to allow relative movement between the body and the levitation system in the main bearing direction. The suspension means comprise a pneumatic diaphragm suspension including a first connector connected to the levitation system, a second connector fastened to the body, a...

A rail support system for adjustably supporting a pair of abutting rails to be welded together. The inventive device includes a pair of support devices each comprising a support base, a first lift assembly attached to an end of the support base, a second lift assembly attached to an opposing end of the support base, a pair of locking handles attached to the support base for engaging a lower portion of the rail, and a gripping handle attached to the support base for allowing manual manipulation o...

A suspending-rail and dual-attraction balancing compensation type permanent magnetic levitation train and railway system, comprising a track unit and magnetic levitation vehicles, the track unit including goalposts, inverted T-shaped gate beams, flanged beams made which are integrally formed by molding reinforced concrete so as to form a portal frame and suspending rails suspended from and fixed to flanged beams and each formed as an arch steel crosstie, both ends of each flanged beams being mou...

Repelling magnetic forces are produced by the interaction of a flux-concentrated magnetic field (produced by permanent magnets or electromagnets) with an inductively loaded closed electric circuit. When one such element moves with respect to the other, a current is induced in the circuit. This current then interacts back on the field to produce a repelling force. These repelling magnetic forces are applied to magnetically levitate a moving object such as a train car. The power required to levita...

A magnetically levitated transporter comprising a plurality of bogies attached thereto and traveling over a track comprising a plurality of rails, and a method for operating such transporter, comprising a plurality of magnets attached to each bogie, a plurality of the magnets being offset outboard with respect to the rails and a plurality of the magnets being offset inboard with respect to the rails, and a computer control system employing gain scheduling to control current provided to each of t...

A vehicle has a compartment joined to a carrier by springs. An attracting magnetic device has a first part (e.g. a ferromagnetic travelling field stator) mounted on a roadway, and a second part (e.g. spaced permanent magnets forming a synchronous linear motor in combination with the stator) mounted on the carrier. The two parts of the magnet device lie opposite one another to leave an air gap therebetween and so to hold the vehicle in spaced relation to the roadway. An additional-force device is...

The electromagnetic induction suspension and horizontal switching system for a vehicle on a substantially planar guideway provides vertical lift and stability and lateral stability for a vehicle. The system provides inherent vertical lift, as well as vertical and lateral stability, including pitch, yaw and roll stability. Moreover, the suspension and stabilization system of the present invention allows electronic, horizontal switching between multiple substantially planar guideways such as a mai...

A transportation system with high-efficiency and large-capacity utilizing potential energy. A transportation vehicle travels at a high speed by potential energy by a level difference on a magnetic levitation guide disposed in a vacuum transportation passage to transport transportation cargoes to a destination location. The transportation vehicle is levitated on the magnetic levitation guide non-contactingly and with a low frictional resistance utilizing a superconduction. Superconductive magneti...

Apparatus, systems and methods for levitating and moving objects are shown and described herein. The embodiments incorporate a track with lower rails having permanent magnets abutted against each other and aligned such that the upper surface of each of the lower rails has a uniform polarity; and the object with upper rails having permanent magnets aligned with the lower rails and oriented to oppose the polarity of the lower permanent magnets. Ferrous backing plates behind the lower rails and/or ...