A ground-effect train is a conceptualized alternative to a
magnetic levitation (maglev) train. In both cases the objective is to prevent the vehicle from making contact with the ground. Whereas a maglev train accomplishes this through the use of
magnetism
Magnetism is the class of physical attributes that occur through a magnetic field, which allows objects to attract or repel each other. Because both electric currents and magnetic moments of elementary particles give rise to a magnetic field, ...
, a
ground-effect train uses an air cushion; either in the manner of a
hovercraft
A hovercraft (: hovercraft), also known as an air-cushion vehicle or ACV, is an amphibious craft capable of travelling over land, water, mud, ice, and various other surfaces.
Hovercraft use blowers to produce a large volume of air below the ...
(as in
hovertrain
A hovertrain is a type of high-speed train that replaces conventional steel wheels with hovercraft lift pads, and the conventional railway bed with a paved road-like surface, known as the ''track'' or ''guideway''. The concept aims to eliminate ...
s) or using the wing–in–ground-effect design.
Details
The advantages of a ground-effect train over a maglev are lower cost due to simpler construction. Disadvantages include either constant input of energy to keep the train hovering (in the case of hovercraft-like vehicles) or the necessity to keep the vehicle moving for it to remain off the ground (in the case of wing–in–ground-effect vehicles). Furthermore, these vehicles may be very drastically affected by wind, air
turbulence
In fluid dynamics, turbulence or turbulent flow is fluid motion characterized by chaotic changes in pressure and flow velocity. It is in contrast to laminar flow, which occurs when a fluid flows in parallel layers with no disruption between ...
, and weather. Whereas the magnetic levitation train can be built to operate in a vacuum to minimise air resistance, the ground-effect train must operate in an atmosphere in order for the air cushion to exist.
Development work has been undertaken in several countries since the middle 20th century. No ground-effect train has entered regular commercial service.
Yusuke Sugahara and his team of researchers at
Tohoku University
is a public research university in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan. It is colloquially referred to as or .
Established in 1907 as the third of the Imperial Universities, after the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University, it initially focused on sc ...
, in Sendai, Japan have developed the Aero-Train that uses wings attached to a fuselage to fly inches off the ground. Dubbed a ''ground-effect vehicle'' the train is designed to be completely powered by wind and solar energymaking this a true zero-carbon transportation system.
See also
*
Aérotrain
The Aérotrain was an experimental Tracked Air Cushion Vehicle
(TACV), or hovertrain, developed in France from 1965 to 1977 under the engineering leadership of Jean Bertin (1917–1975) – and intended to bring the French rail network to the ...
*
Gravity train
*
Ground-effect vehicle
A ground-effect vehicle (GEV), also called a wing-in-ground-effect (WIGE or WIG), ground-effect craft/machine (GEM), wingship, flarecraft, surface effect vehicle or ekranoplan (), is a vehicle that is able to move over the surface by gaining su ...
*
High-speed rail
High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail transport network utilising trains that run significantly faster than those of traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated railway track, tracks. While there is ...
*
Hovercraft
A hovercraft (: hovercraft), also known as an air-cushion vehicle or ACV, is an amphibious craft capable of travelling over land, water, mud, ice, and various other surfaces.
Hovercraft use blowers to produce a large volume of air below the ...
*
Hovertrain
A hovertrain is a type of high-speed train that replaces conventional steel wheels with hovercraft lift pads, and the conventional railway bed with a paved road-like surface, known as the ''track'' or ''guideway''. The concept aims to eliminate ...
*
Hyperloop
Hyperloop is a proposed high-speed transportation system for both passengers and freight. The concept was published by entrepreneur Elon Musk in a 2013 white paper, where the hyperloop was described as a transportation system using capsules supp ...
*
Maglev train
Maglev (derived from ''magnetic levitation'') is a system of rail transport whose rolling stock is levitated by electromagnets rather than rolled on wheels, eliminating rolling resistance.
Compared to conventional railways, maglev trains ha ...
*
Transrapid 03
*
Tracked Hovercraft
Tracked Hovercraft was an experimental high-speed train developed in the United Kingdom during the 1960s. It combined two British inventions, the hovercraft and the linear induction motor, in an effort to produce a train system that would prov ...
References
* Bastien, Stéphane, and Laframboise, M. Jacques (translation/adaptation
Aérotrain - The Aerotrain Story Retrieved 7 January 2011.
* Joseph Georg
Physics-edu (private) website. . Retrieved 7 January 2011.
* Kikuchi Satoshi (Inst. Of Fluid Sci., Tohoku Univ.), Watanabe Hideo (Inst. Of Fluid Sci., Tohoku Univ.), Ota Fukuo (Inst. Of Fluid Sci., Tohoku Univ.), Kawahara Susumu (Inst. Of Fluid Sci., Tohoku Univ.), Kohama Yasuaki (Inst. Of Fluid Sci., Tohoku Univ.)
Dynamic Stability Control of Ground Effect Train Nihon Kikai Gakkai Nenji Taikai Koen Ronbunshu, Japan, 2000, Vol.4, pp. 297–298, Journal Code:X0587B.
(Japanese)
* Shonner websit
Rohr Industries Aérotrain - The Rohr Aerotrain Tracked Air-Cushion Vehicle (TACV) Shonner.com website. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
* Sleath, M
ABC Science website. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
External links
Japanese prototype
Rohr Industries AérotrainAero-Train Video
{{Emerging technologies, transport=yes
Experimental and prototype high-speed trains
Ground-effect vehicles