The M3 Maglev People Mover: Vehicle Design and System Control

The U.S. DOT Federal Transit Administration (FTA) launched an Urban Maglev initiative in 1999 in order to create designs suitable for urban transit. MagneMotion, EarthTech, TPI Composites and others formed a team and, with cost sharing support from FTA, have developed an urban maglev system called M3 that is suitable for a Maglev People Mover (MPM). This paper discusses vehicle design and system control and is a companion to another paper which discusses suspension, propulsion and guideways. This paper discusses the use of a lightweight composite vehicle and a control system developed to achieve system design goals for a Maglev People Mover (MPM) system called M3. The M3 system design is based on achieving high throughput with many small lightweight vehicles. If the vehicles that the guideway supports can be made lighter, the guideway and propulsion system cost is reduced. The benefits of low vehicle weight are achievable without the throughput limitation one might expect from the use of smaller vehicles. By clustering a number of vehicles together at times of peak demand, the system can achieve throughput associated with larger vehicles or trains. Rider satisfaction is also improved by shortening waiting times, as compared with larger vehicles. Accurate inductive position-sensing and Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM) propulsion technologies allow wayside communication and control that remove the technical and safety hurdles often associated with operating at short headways. This paper will also present strategies which may be used to approach the line capacity of safe-follower headways while maintaining brick-wall headways as required by the ASCE APM Standards.