The availability of an LSM propulsion system allows the fulfillment of a transit designers dream: A propulsion system that costs less to build and operate and provides faster and safer travel.
The LSM provides non-contacting propulsion and precise position sensing with much lower vehicle weight and cost. The propulsion and control is entirely on the guide way and does not depend upon communication with a moving vehicle. Energy consumption and maintenance costs are less than for trains with either rotary motors or Linear Induction Motor (LIM) propulsion. But to achieve the full advantage of an LSM one must adopt a new approach to system design: Use small vehicles operating with short headway and automatic control
The alternating-polarity magnets are 80 mm wide and produce a magnetic field with a wavelength of 500 mm in the longitudinal direction. Some magnets are offset laterally in order to allow lateral damping. Each full-size pod is 3.2 meters long and 4 pods can support up to 9 tones (9.9 tons). Control coils wound around the magnets are used to stabilize the suspension at the equilibrium gap where the permanent magnets provide all of the lift. The weight of the magnet structure is less than 15% of the vehicle weight. The suspension power is only a few watts when stationary and about 100 W/tonne when moving.