Increased levitation force in a stable hybrid superconducting magnetic levitation set-up

Abstract We present results obtained with an original hybrid set-up permitting to increase strongly the levitation force of Superconducting Magnetic Levitating (SML) systems. We compare levitation force measurements carried out with this set-up to measurements carried out with a conventional one. We investigate the stability of the proposed system by measuring the lateral (or restoring) force. We show how to calculate the measured levitation and lateral forces from: (i) those measured in the conventional configuration and (ii) the repulsive force between the magnets included in the system. We discuss the conditions of stability of the proposed system as well as the consequences that its introduction could have on the future of SML MAGLEV trains.