Maglev is a train on a magnetic cushion that is propelled and controlled by magnetic forces, and unlike traditional railway transport, it does not touch the surface of the rails.
In perspective, such fast and quiet transport systems look like a fairly attractive option for mobility - however, infrastructure and settings can be quite expensive and complex, so the Italian startup IronLev has taken on the task of solving this problem by using the so-called passive levitation of maglev on conventional railway tracks.
Instead of using a large amount of energy to launch a transport system on a magnetic cushion based on electromagnets, the company used so-called passive magnetic forces to create an “air cushion, which physically separates the vehicle from the track.”
In laboratory conditions, U-shaped passive ferromagnetic levitation was tested even earlier: in 2018, the technology was demonstrated on a 2-ton Tesla electric car, which seemed to move with a push of a hand.
“Thanks to the features of our technology, as well as low and speed-independent friction, we can move a 10-ton wagon with the same force needed to lift a 22-pound backpack,” said company co-founder Luca Chezaretti. “And we aim to reduce infrastructure costs by ten times compared to existing systems.”
The idea is to use more than 1.5 million kilometers of existing railway tracks around the world for maglev technology in the future.
On the first attempt, a prototype was launched on a 2-kilometer section of railway track on the Adriano-Mestre route in collaboration with the Italian region of Veneto. The maglev weighed a ton and was able to reach speeds of up to 70 km/h. The team did not disclose any details on the modernization of the prototype, but emphasized that no modifications were made to the track.
IronLev plans to test a 20-ton transport and increase the speed to 200 km/h.
IronLev was founded in 2017 as a joint venture between the engineering innovation studio Girotto Brevetti and Ales Tech, a startup created by students who developed a suspension system for the SpaceX Hyperloop competition.
Source: New Atlas
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