Dynamic response characteristics of high temperature superconducting maglev systems: Comparison between Halbach-type and normal permanent magnet guideways

• The loading weight affects the RF tremendously.
• Reducing the FCH can improve the stability of the maglev vehicle.
• The Halbach-type PMG has better loading capacity than the conventional PMG.
• Pre-load is an effective way to enhance the dynamic characteristic of the HTS maglev vehicle.

The permanent magnet guideway (PMG) is very important for the performance of the high temperature superconducting (HTS) system in terms of electromagnetic force and operational stability. The dynamic response characteristics of a HTS maglev model levitating on two types of PMG, which are the normal PMG with iron flux concentration and Halbach-type PMG, were investigated by experiments. The dynamic signals for different field-cooling heights (FCHs) and loading/unloading processes were acquired and analyzed by a vibration analyzer and laser displacement sensors. The resonant frequency, stiffness and levitation height of the model were discussed. It was found that the maglev model on the Halbach-type PMG has higher resonant frequency and higher vertical stiffness compared with the normal PMG. However, the low lateral stiffness of the model on the Halbach-type PMG indicates poor lateral stability. Besides, the Halbach-type PMG has better loading capacity than the normal PMG. These results are helpful to design a suitable PMG for the HTS system in practical applications.