The Hyperloop has been developed using various technologies to reach a maximum speed of 1200 km/h. Such technologies include magnetic levitation technologies that are suitable for subsonic driving. In the Hyperloop, the null-flux electrodynamic suspension (EDS) system and superconducting magnets (SCMs) can perform stable levitation without control during high-speed driving. Although an EDS device can be accurately analyzed using numerical analysis methods, such as the 3D finite element method (FEM) or dynamic circuitry theory, its 3D configurations make it difficult to use in various design analyses. This paper presents a new design model that fast analyzes and compares many designs of null-flux EDS devices for the Hyperloop system. For a fast and effective evaluation of various levitation coil shapes and arrangements, the computational process of the induced electromotive force and the coupling effect were simplified using a 2D rectangular coil loop, and the induced current and force equations were written as closed-form solutions using the Fourier analysis. Also, levitation coils were designed, and their characteristics were analyzed and compared with each other. To validate the proposed model, the analyzed force responses for various driving conditions and the changed performance trend by design variables were compared with analyzed FEM results.

Sub-sonic linear synchronous motors (LSMs) with high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets, which aim to accelerate to a velocity of 1200 km/h in the near-vacuum tubes of 0.001 atm for the Hyperloop, are newly introduced in this paper. By the virtue of the combination of LSMs and electrodynamic suspensions (EDSs) with HTS magnets, a large air-gap of 24 cm, low magnetic resistance forces of below 2 kN, and the efficient as well as practical design of propulsion power supply systems of around 10 MVA could be guaranteed at a sub-sonic velocity. The characteristics of the proposed LSMs with HTS magnets, in addition, are widely analyzed with theories and simulation results. Optimal design methods for LSMs and inverters, which account for more than half of the total construction cost, are introduced with design guidelines and examples for the commercialization version of the Hyperloop. At the end of the paper, in order to verify the proposed design models of the sub-sonic LSMs, two different test-beds—i.e., 6 m long static and 20 m long dynamic propulsion test-beds—are fabricated, and it is found that the experimental results are well matched with proposed design models as well as simulation results; therefore, the design methods constitute guidelines for the design of sub-sonic LSMs for the Hyperloop.

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As a maglev levitates with a small air gap and runs very fast, securing the levitation system's stability is crucial. Thus, the high-performance decoupling control between the propulsion control system and the levitation system is of critical importance. The study described in this paper focuses on a high-performance position estimator that minimizes the dynamic coupling between the levitation system and propulsion system in a maglev's propulsion control system using a long-stator linear synchronous motor. To that end, a position estimator using a Kalman filter was designed. Then the stability of the designed filter and its characteristics and problems that result from the change in the measurement covariance value were identified through a stability analysis of the Kalman filter. Moreover, in an attempt to improve it, a Kalman filter with a data rejection filter was proposed. Afterward, to verify the performance of the proposed position estimator, a maglev train model was fabricated and for each Kalman filter measurement covariance value, the dynamic coupling between the propulsion control system and the levitation system was identified through the test. For the Kalman filter using a data rejection filter, it was confirmed that the propulsion control system could minimize the influence on the levitation system when an inaccurate position of the vehicle is renewed. INDEX TERMS Influence of electromagnetic suspension system, Kalman filter, long stator linear synchronous motor, maglev, position estimation techniques.