Passengers can watch ultra-high-definition videos or play online games on their smartphones while traveling at 1,000 km/h by high-speed train in the future.
Simulation image of China’s 1,000 km/h maglev train. Image: New Atlas
The world’s largest research facility for maglev trains running in vacuum tubes begins high-speed propulsion testing with a full-size prototype vehicle. Although still under development, China’s new generation of high-speed trains can run at speeds faster than any commercial airliner through near-vacuum tubes, using magnetic levitation, according to Interesting Engineering.
Currently, high-speed trains in China operate at 350 km/h, can connect to 5G services provided by telecommunications units, maintaining connection even in long tunnels. However, maintaining high-speed communication between a mobile phone and a base station becomes extremely challenging at speeds approaching the speed of sound. That’s because as the phone quickly approaches or moves away from the base station, the signal frequency it receives changes. High-speed data transmission depends heavily on stable high-frequency signals. Installing and maintaining a base station in a near-vacuum pipeline is also very difficult. If an antenna falls off due to vibration, it can become a serious threat to a fast-moving train.
The research team, led by Professor Song Tiecheng of the National Mobile Connection Laboratory at Southeast University, found that placing two parallel cables on the inner wall of the pipe can solve the problem of base station installation. . These special cables can emit electromagnetic signals and establish a constant, stable connection between the smartphone and the mobile service provider.
By using efficient encoding techniques and adjusting several key signal parameters, disturbances caused by frequency changes can be overcome. Computer simulations initially tested the method and demonstrated that this solution can maintain stable communication quality throughout the data exchange period according to popular 5G standards.
A team of engineers from the magnetic levitation and electromagnetic propulsion department of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation also participated in the research. The group has built the world’s largest research base for vacuum-tube maglev trains in Datong, Shanxi province, and begun high-speed propulsion testing with full-scale prototype vehicles Real.
Currently, many Chinese cities are asking the government for permission to build the world’s first commercial vacuum tube maglev train. This revolutionary method of transportation was proposed by Elon Musk. Similar technologies could also be used to propel spacecraft into space at a lower cost. However, Musk shelved the project last year due to technical and financial difficulties.