The test maglev train accelerated to 700 km/h in two seconds

The test was conducted by a group of experts at China’s National University of Defense Technology (NUDT) and announced on December 25. According to SCMPthis is the fastest superconducting maglev vehicle in the world today.

In the published video, the vehicle shaped like a chassis rushes over a 400-meter-long maglev train track, leaving a trail of dust and smoke behind. It reached extreme acceleration almost immediately and stopped safely at the end of the road.

The new breakthrough is the result of a decade of persistent research, during which the team overcame a series of key technological challenges such as ultrahigh-speed electromagnetic propulsion, suspension and guidance systems, instantaneous high-power energy storage and inversion, and high-field superconducting magnets. It also shows that China has joined the group of leading countries in the world in super high-speed maglev technology. Future improvements and applications of this technology are expected to bring new impetus to the development of the aerospace and rail transport industries.

Li Jie, a professor at NUDT, said that the new test will significantly promote research and development of China’s high-speed maglev transportation system. He said: “In the coming time, we will focus on advanced areas such as high-speed maglev transport in pipelines, aerospace equipment testing and electromagnetic launch technology.”

Magnetic levitation is a transportation technology that uses electromagnets to lift, guide and propel trains without wheels, allowing the train to hover above the tracks. Magnetic propulsion, formed by the interaction between magnets under the rails and magnets on the train, helps the train move forward in a nearly frictionless environment.

In June, the research team at Donghu Laboratory in Hubei province also successfully accelerated a 1.1 ton test vehicle from 0 to 650 km/h in 7 seconds on a 600 m road, using an advanced magnetic levitation support system and electromagnetic propulsion system.