Beyond planes, trains, and automobiles; Why the U. S. needs a Maglev system
- Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
A new mode of transport based on magnetic levitation can ease traffic, speed travel, and save energy. But the federal government and major companies need to take a stronger lead in getting the technology off the ground. Maglev travel would be fast. Not only would the vehicles operate at 150 to 300 mph, but they would load and unload off the guideway to keep traffic moving, and they would be small enough to allow point-to-point travel with infrequent stops. Accordingly, maglev vehicles could provide half the travel time of high-speed rail. Their travel time would be less than that of jet aircraft for distances as great at 1,000 miles, and less than that of automobiles for distances as short as 100 miles. In the more remote future, magnetically levitated vehicles traveling in evacuated tubes could be even faster, zooming from New York to Chicago or Chicago to Los Angeles in an hour or two. Maglev can improve over both highway and air travel in energy efficiency, environmental impact, energy source flexibility, safety, and - most important-cost.
- OSTI ID:
- 6082583
- Journal Information:
- Technology Review; (United States), Journal Name: Technology Review; (United States) Vol. 94:3; ISSN 0040-1692; ISSN TEREA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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