Transport System Bögl (TSB) Presented in Chengdu
At the Chengdu Rail Transit Expo, new TSB information was presented alongside many other railways. Images and videos of the line appear for the first time, including from the control center and the stations.
Lower costs
According to the Chinese partner Xinzhu, the TSB’s maintenance, operating and construction costs are a good 30% lower than those of comparable wheel-on-rail systems. These advantages are made possible by the electromagnetic levitation system; the lack of contact with the guideway (in propulsion) brings many benefits. The vehicle draws power through mechanical contact with power rails, using 750V direct current.
The power rails also serve as an emergency running gear. In an emergency and during routine setting-down maneuvers, the skids built into the vehicle come to rest on the power rails.
Technical advantages
Besides economic advantages such as lower costs, the TSB also benefits from technical advantages thanks to its maglev technology with a 7 mm air gap. As many reporters in Chengdu report, the TSB is almost silent, even inside the vehicle. Ride comfort is also unmatched; there is in fact a video showing that not even a bottle of water vibrates or tips over.
Further technical advantages of the TSB are:
- – higher gradient capability
- – faster acceleration
- – less land use
- – tighter curve radii
- – low wear
- – less fine particulate matter (a general maglev advantage)
Future prospects
“The trial operation of the TSB has proven that the TSB is safer, more adaptable to harsh climates, more environmentally friendly, more economical and smarter. The TSB can become a revolutionary technology in the field of future infrastructure such as 5G and cloud computing. The TSB could also point the way for conventional railways in the future,” says the chief engineer of Xinzhu Road and Bridge Machinery Co. Ltd.
Sources used: Baidu
Video recommendation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk10RcXU5Q0
