CCTV: "Successful Test Operation of Electromagnetic Sled"
650 Billion Won Investment, Top Speed Just Below the Speed of Sound
China announced that it has succeeded in accelerating a train to over 1000 km/h using magnetic levitation technology. The photo shows a high-speed train operating in Shanghai, China. [Image source=Pixabay]
[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] China announced that it has succeeded in accelerating a train to over 1000 km/h using magnetic levitation technology.
On the 21st, Hong Kong Ming Pao, citing China Central Television (CCTV), reported that a test operation of an "electromagnetic sled" using magnetic levitation technology was recently successful in Jinan City, Shandong Province.
According to the report, this object weighing over 1 ton achieved a top speed of 1030 km/h. This speed is close to the speed of sound (Mach 1, approximately 1224 km/h). Scientists explained that overcoming significant engineering and technical challenges was essential for an object weighing over 1 ton to reach this record-breaking speed.
It is known that 3.3 billion yuan (approximately 650 billion KRW) was invested in this project. The Institute of Electrical Engineering under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, which manufactured the electromagnetic sled, stated, "This experiment will support research in advanced materials, aerospace, and ultra-high-speed transportation." CCTV predicted that this record-setting "electromagnetic sled" will promote the development of new transportation technologies such as trains and airplanes.
The technology of using electromagnetic fields to levitate an object on a track and move it at high speed is currently commercialized in magnetic levitation trains worldwide. Magnetic levitation trains have the advantage of floating above the rails, resulting in less noise and vibration caused by friction, allowing for higher speeds and providing a more comfortable ride.
China has been steadily developing magnetic levitation train tracks. In July last year, China unveiled a magnetic levitation train system in Qingdao, Shandong Province, designed to reach a world-leading speed of 600 km/h.
According to the state-run Xinhua News Agency, at the magnetic levitation train unveiling event held by the locomotive developer CRRC Sifang, a five-car magnetic levitation train was shown running on test tracks installed at the factory and its surroundings.
This project began in 2016 and reportedly involved about five years of development work. At that time, core systems including brakes and power supply were made with Chinese technology, and the media explained that China holds full intellectual property rights.
The fastest commercial high-speed train currently in operation worldwide runs in Shanghai. This train, which applies German technology, covers the 30 km section between Pudong Airport and the city transfer hub at a top speed of 431 km/h in just 8 minutes.
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