This train can run at 3,000 km an hour!

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This train can run at 3,000 km an hour!

How about travelling in a train that can touch the speeds up to 3,000 km per hour? It may sound far fetched but this is what a researcher in China has planned for our future.

• Photo by Image for illustrative purposes only/(AFP Images)

London, May 8 (IANS) How about travelling in a train that can touch the speeds up to 3,000 km per hour? It may sound far fetched but this is what a researcher in China has planned for our future.

Dr Deng Zigang, an associate professor at Southwest Jiaotong University in Chengdu city at Sichuan province has unveiled the first-ever manned megathermal superconducting magnetic levitation (maglev) loop.

Maglev trains have been a big hit in Asia owing to their capacity to reach speeds of up to hundreds of km per hour.

At the moment, the speed is limited to 400 km per hour due to the excessive air resistance encountered at such speeds.

"If the running speed exceeds 400 km per hour, more than 83 percent of traction (grip) energy will wastefully dissipate in air resistance," explained Zigang.

By reducing the air pressure up to 10 times less than normal atmospheric pressure at sea level in a vacuum tube train line, it can travel up to seven times faster in the future, he added.

The world's fastest passenger train at present is the the Shanghai Maglev Train that can reach a maximum speed of 431 km per hour.

This train can run at 3,000 km an hour! - Yahoo India Finance

 

[kbd-raaf]

The concept isn't new. The technology remains unfeasible.

 

[cirr]

China's Maglev Train Prototype Could Reach Speeds of 1,800 MPH
O
Robert Sorokanich

5/09/14 12:20pm Yesterday 12:20pm

• 

A research team in China just successfully tested a blisteringly fast transportation concept: super-maglev, a high speed train that could theoretically hit speeds of up to 1,800 miles per hour. That's three times the speed of a passenger jet.

Enclosed tube maglev system capable of 1,800 mph tested in China pic.twitter.com/moxDumJOY1

Enclosed tube maglev system tested in China

— Michael (@_cypherpunks_) May 9, 2014

The concept, put forth by the Applied Superconductivity Laboratory of Southwest Jiaotong University, uses the same technique proposed for Elon Musk's Hyperloop: run the train inside a vacuum tube, removing air resistance and enabling super high speeds uninhibited by wind resistance. Research shows that, for vehicles traveling faster than 250 MPH, up to 83 percent of the energy used goes toward fighting aerodynamic resistance.

But with a (highly theoretical) top speed of 1,800 MPH, super-maglev would blow the doors off of Musk's 300 MPH trains. That's because the train inside the Evacuated Tube Transport loop only encounters one tenth of the air resistance of the outside environment.

Dr. Deng Zigang, who led the project, envisions applications beyond land-based transportation. He proposes similar vacuum tube technology could be used to launch vehicles into outer space, or enable super high speeds for military weapons.

Of course, this is all pie-in-the-sky imagination talk right now—Dr. Zigang's test vehicle, running inside a 20-foot diameter vacuum loop, tops out at a very pedestrian 30 MPH. But as research continues at the university's high-temperature superconducting maglev ring, Dr. Zigang and his team hope to push that top speed way, way higher.

It sounds like, theoretically at least, the race is on. [The Daily Mail via PhysOrg]

Image: Shutterstock /06photo

China's Maglev Train Prototype Could Reach Speeds of 1,800 MPH

 

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It may look like a toy track but this is the future of train travel, says China. SUPER-MAGLEV could one day go up to 1,800MPH

• A researcher in China has unveiled his super-maglev loop line
• Dr Zigang says the project is the next phase in developing faster trains
• Using a vacuum tube design he says it could one day reach 1,800 mph
• This could be used for military purposes or space launch systems
• Magnetic levitation (maglev) trains are lifted by magnets above the track
• This allows them to reach much higher speeds than conventional trains

By JONATHAN O'CALLAGHAN

PUBLISHED: 16:22 GMT, 7 May 2014 | UPDATED: 07:28 GMT, 8 May 2014
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...LEV-says-China-one-day-1-800MPH.html#comments
Magnetic levitation trains, or maglev for short, have been a big hit in Asia thanks to their incredible speed and capacity.

But a new development called super-maglev could be set to push the limits even higher.

China’s first manned megathermal superconducting maglev loop has been tested successfully by the Applied Superconductivity Laboratory of Southwest Jiaotong University.

A super-maglev enclosed tube vehicle has been unveiled at Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu city, Sichuan province, China. It was tested successfully by the Applied Superconductivity Laboratory, and could further increase the speeds of commercial high-speed trains. Pictured is a student going for a test ride

The lead on the project is Dr Deng Zigang, who has been developing the technology for a number of years.

WHAT IS MAGLEV?
Maglev trains use magnets to lift the carriages above the track.

This elimates the need for wheels and therefore any incidence of friction, providing a faster and quieter service.

Acceleration and deceleration far exceeds that of conventional trains.

And maglev also makes for much smoother journeys.

Right now speeds are limited at up to 400 kilometres (250 miles) per hour due to the excessive air resistance encountered at these speeds.

But vacuum tube designs could allow them to travel over seven times faster in the future.

In March 2013 they completed the first high-temperature superconducting maglev ring test, which was similar to the one you can see here but without the enclosed tube.

But now the new ‘loop line’ could be set to usher in a new wave of faster trains than ever before.

Maglev was first proposed as a method to propel trains as far back as the mid 20th century.

The first commercial maglev train to come into operation was a relatively low-speed shuttle at Birmingham International Airport in 1984.

This travelled at a rather mundane 26 miles (42 kilometres) per hour.

It was not until the turn of the century, though, that high-speed maglev would come into commercial operation, mostly in Japan and China.

The world’s fastest passenger-carrying train is currently the Shanghai Maglev Train, opened in April 2004, which can reach 268 miles (431 kilometres) per hour.

Super-maglev, however, could allow for even higher speeds.

This is because, by using a vacuum tube, they decrease the speed limitations imposed by air resistance on regular maglev trains.

In a paper on the subject, Dr Zigang says: 'If the running speed exceeds 400 kilometres (250 miles) per hour, more than 83 per ceny of traction energy will wastefully dissipate in air resistance.'

And, he adds, 'Aerodynamic noise will break through 90 decibels (the environmental standard is 75 decibels).'

The only way to break this barrier is to reduce the air pressure in the running environment, which he has done in his tube by lowering it to 10 times less than normal atmospheric pressure at sea level.

'Some systems (notably the Swiss metro system) have proposed the use of vacuum trains - Maglev train technology used in evacuated (airless) tubes,' he continues, 'which removes air drag and pushes the speed higher and higher.'

'ETT (Evacuated Tube Transport) systems might allow HTS Maglev trains to attain speeds in a new order of magnitude, such as super-high 3,000 kilometres (1,800 miles) per hour, which could be applied to some military or space launch systems.

Dr Deng Zigang, associate professor of the Applied Superconductivity Laboratory at Southwest Jiaotong University, poses with the track where the super-maglev vehicle runs. The circle, China's first manned megathermal superconducting maglev loop line, is 12 metres (40 feet) in diameter

Super-maglev (pink) has the potential to improve travel times, as shown in this graph. Modern maglev (blue) still eclipses other forms of transport but cannot compete with planes over large distances

To further develop the project, Dr Zigang there are two phases that must be reached.

‘The first was to develop a ring line of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) maglev vehicle that can accelerate to a certain speed, 25 km (15 miles) per hour,’ he tells MailOnline.

This target was achieved in February 2013, leading the researchers to move onto the next phase.

'The second phase is to cover the ring line with an evacuation tube (ET), which is called the ET HTS Maglev,’ continues Dr Zigang.

‘The vehicle was designed to accelerate to a maximum speed of 50 kilometres (30 miles) per hour without passengers.

‘This speed is limited by the small radius of the ring guideway, which is only six metres (20 feet).’

‘The meaning of the project is that it will be the first one to realize the prototype of the future evacuation tube transportation (ETT).

‘At this moment, we are conducting evacuation tests on the new system. We will release our achievements after the successful running in the near future.'

Dr Zigang operates a super-maglev vehicle by remote control during the trial run. In a paper he claims such enclosed tube maglev systems could reach speeds as high as 1,800 miles (3,000 kilometres) per hour, which 'could be applied to some military or space launch systems'



Read more: The future of train travel is the SUPER-MAGLEV, says China | Mail Online
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[Pakistanisage]

Has there been any studies on effects on Human Body at such high Speeds...

 

[Kompromat]

These supersonic trains may seem like the solution for the future though studies on its impacts on human biology need to be carried out. We don't want to jump in those trains with G-Suits on

Lastly, high speed trains are the perfect solution for densely populated nations of Asia.

 

[Skull and Bones]

Has there been any studies on effects on Human Body at such high Speeds...

Human body reacts to acceleration, not speed.

 

[Pakistanisage]

Human body reacts to acceleration, not speed.

Not necessarily.

When you travel that fast from west to East or vice versa spanning many time zones it affects our body's natural rhythm as in Jet lag. Read about Jet Lag phenomenon :



Jet lag is also known as time zone change syndrome or desynchronosis. Jet lag can occur when people travel rapidly from east to west, or west to east on a jet plane. It is a physiological condition which upsets our body's circadian rhythms - hence, it is classified as a circadian rhythm disorder. Jet lag symptoms tend to be more severe when the person travels from westward compared to eastward.

Circadian rhythm - this is the 24-hour cycle in the biochemical, physiological and behavioral process of our bodies. In layman's terms, it means our body clock. The word circadian comes from the Latin word circa meaning "about", and the Latin word diem or dies meaning "day". Our circadian rhythms are driven by an internal time-keeping system. This biological clock is entrained by external environmental occurrences, such as the light-dark cycle of night and day. Put simply, our circadian rhythm regulates our daily activities, such as sleep, waking, eating and body temperature regulation. Problems readjusting our internal biological clock causes jet lag, as do problems with shift work, and some sleeping disorders.

People with jet lag have their sleep-wake patterns disturbed. They may feel drowsy, tired, irritable, lethargic and slightly disoriented. The more time zones that are crossed rapidly, the more severe jet lag symptoms are likely to be.

Researchers from the University of Washington revealed that the disruption occurs in two separate but linked groups of neurons in a structure called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, below the hypothalamus at the base of the brain. One group is synchronized with deep sleep that results from physical fatigue and the other controls the dream state of rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep

The term "jet lag" is a relatively new one, because up to about 80 years ago nobody travelled across many time zones rapidly - there were no jets or any other kind of rapid transportation. For this reason, many languages, such as Spanish or German also use the English term "jet lag" or "jetlag" in their own languages. In French it can be called le décalage horaire.

The older a human is, the more severe are their jet lag symptoms, and the longer they will take to get their body clocks back into synch. If a 60 year-old adult travels with a child from San Francisco to London by plane, the child's symptoms will usually be much milder, and he/she will recover faster.
What are the causes of jet lag?
If we travel across a number of time zones and experience daylight and darkness contrary to the rhythms we are used to, our body clock will be out of synch (synchronization). Our natural circadian rhythm, our sleep-wake pattern will be upset, as will our rhythms for eating and working times. Our hormone regulation may be out of synch with what is going on around us, as perhaps might be our body temperature control. Until all these factors are able to respond properly to our new environment we are jet-lagged.