VEHICLE GUIDEWAY INTERACTION FOR HIGH-SPEED VEHICLES ON A FLEXIBLE GUIDEWAY

Dynamic interactions between the vehicle and guideway of a high speed ground transportation system based on magnetically levitated (maglev) vehicles were studied, with an emphasis on the effects of vehicle and guideway parameters. Two dynamic models for the vehicle are presented. In one model, the vehicle is considered a moving force travelling at various speeds on a simply supported single- or two-span beam(s). In the second model, the vehicle is considered to be one-dimensional, with two degrees of freedom, representing the primary and secondary suspensions of the vehicle with lumped masses, linear springs, and dampings. The Bernoulli-Euler beam equation is used to model the characteristics of a flexible guideway, and the guideway synthesis is based on a modal analysis method. Analyses have been performed to understand response characteristics under various loading conditions, and provide some benchmark data for verification of existing comprehensive computer programs and some basic design guidelines for maglev systems.