Vibration Characteristics of the Transrapid TR08 Maglev System

As part of the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Magnetic Levitation Transportation Technology Deployment Program, this technical report has been prepared to characterize the vibration associated with the operation of the Transrapid International (TRI) TR08 Maglev System. The TRI TR08 Maglev System is an advanced transportation technology in which magnetic forces levitate, propel, and guide a vehicle over a specially-designed guideway. The TR08 Maglev System is the technology that is being considered for deployment in the U.S., and potential vibration impacts of the technology were not known. This document presents vibration data collected during measurements of the TRI TR08 Maglev System in August 2001 at the TRI Test Facility in the Emsland region of Germany. Vibration data presented for the TR08 include generic force spectra for various guideway types, as well as speed- and distance-based vibration relationships.