Re: More on the maglev

["Wollongong Quokka" <quokka@zip.net.au>]

David Bromage wrote in message <6pbtbe$iug$4@news.mel.aone.net.au>...
>I've been going through the maglev web site with a fine tooth comb trying
>to pick holes in their figures.

Having just looked at your more recent post with a Scientific American URL,
I decided to check out this MagLev page for myself.

>They are using some unusual units for power consumption
>(w.g. Wh/km) for comparison with other systems, so it's
>hard to convert.


[snip conversion]

>0.9m/ss is about 0.1g.

Strange.  I found the answer to this almost instantly.

http://www.maglev.com/english/s_komfort-e.html

An extensive quote appears below, but interestingly they give a far higher
figure than you came up with.  Interestingly, they dismiss it using the
figure you did come up with.

Fine... www.maglev.com may not be exactly unbiased... but I think you should
give them a fair go, rather than this odd obsession in proving them wrong,
while not subjecting the TGV to the same scrutiny.

There *are* bad points about the MagLev... but this one remains flimsy.

-----

Do passengers have to wear seat belts or brace themselves during the journey
or when the train accelerates or brakes?

Both the acceleration and the braking of the maglev train (<1.5 m/s2) are
similar to an underground or regional express (S-Bahn) train. For reasons of
comfort, the acceleration and the braking will normally be like that of an
inter-city train (<1.0 m/s2).

However, the main factor influencing comfort is the jolting and jerking
(i.e. sudden changes in acceleration) felt by rail passengers when
traversing points etc. Such jolts and jerks are virtually non-existent with
the maglev system. So passengers can enjoy a journey with the maglev train
in undisturbed comfort and move around inside the vehicle unhindered at all
times.

--
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