China testing super-maglev train that runs at 1,000 km/h

BEIJING, March 11 (APP):Chinese scientists have built the world’s first prototype testing platform for an ultra-high-speed vacuum magnetic levitation (maglev) train that can travel at a whopping 1,000 kilometers per hour under ideal conditions.
Developed by Sichuan-based Southwest Jiaotong University, it is the first high-temperature superconducting maglev test loop in China.
The 45-meter loop, with a designed load capacity of 300 kilograms and a maximum load of 1,000 kilograms, can levitate the train to over 20 millimetres above the track.
It is a superconducting maglev system that has the smallest cross-section and uses the smallest amount of permanent magnet materials. The loop is capable of conducting dynamic tests ranging from 0 to 50 kilometres per hour.
According to team leader Deng Zigang, also a professor from the Sichuan-based university, the actual load capacity of 1,000 kilograms is the core competence of the technology.
The cross-section of the track is the smallest in the world, Deng said, adding that the consumption of permanent magnet materials also stands at a very low figure thanks to the 120-millimeter width and 25-millimeter thickness of the track.
The technology developed by Chinese scientists has amazed the world. The US-headquartered Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the world’s largest association of technical professionals, covered the findings with a two-page report.
China Aerospace Science & Industry Corporation claimed in August that it was developing a “flying train” capable of travelling up to 4,000 kilometres per hour, 10 times faster than the high-speed trains running between Beijing and Shanghai.