Ironlev: Levitating Rail Transport Into The Future
Welcome to the future of passenger and goods transport, IronLev's recent levitation tests on existing tracks will path a new way of thinking about magnetic levitation. Accessible, scalable, sustainable.
In recent news, IronLev are proud to announce the successful achievement of the world's first magnetic levitation test on an existing route. In cooperation with the Veneto Region, Italy, ironLev were able to successfully test the Ironlev technology on the Adria-Mestre route. The test demonstrated, for the first time ever, the possibility of applying magnetic levitation on rails of railway lines already in use, with significant advantages in terms of efficiency, as well as noise and vibration reduction thanks to the absence of friction, confirmed by the measurements taken.
IronLev comment, "In particular, during the test, the prototype vehicle weighing 1 ton successfully traversed the reference track at a self-limited speed of 70 km/h, without the need to make any modifications to the 2-km-long test track or to supplement it with additional elements. Thanks to this technology, which is why it is technically called 'passive ferromagnetic levitation', the magnetic skids actually suspend the vehicle by interacting directly with the conventional railway tracks."
Continuing, "...Magnetic levitation is not a new thing: while the ground transportation industry is moving towards high performance and high efficiency systems, new levitation systems were born in the recent past in order to meet these requirements. The principle is to create a cushion of air that physically separates the vehicle from the track, with strong advantages in terms of friction, efficiency, noise and vibrations. The problem is that the current solutions are too technically complex and too expensive to be adopted on a mass scale. This explains their extremely limited adoption in the last 40 years, with scarce commercial success where they have been implemented. IronLev is designed to overcome these limitations."
What is IronLev levitation technology?
Their patented solution is based on simple ferromagnetic material properties. This means that their technology can work on any iron rail, without requiring ad-hoc infrastructures to be built. It is also passive in its nature, based on a special configuration of permanent magnets. Thus, IronLev allows objects to levitate without the need for external electrical power.
Benefits of IronLev levitation technology
- Perfect compatibility with existing infrastructure: thanks to Ironlev's Italian levitation technology, the magnetic skids suspend the vehicle by interacting directly with traditional railway rails.
- High energy efficiency: even at high speeds, system friction is extremely low, representing the best solution best solution for rail transport systems.
- Noise and vibration reduction: the absence of rolling noise and vibration makes Ironlev the ideal solution for urban transport applications urban areas, making it possible to enhance the urban surrounding areas.
- Reducing maintenance costs: the absence of friction and component abrasion makes it possible to drastically reduce maintenance costs for both the vehicle and the infrastructure.
Going forward, IronLev's next objectives include "...the development of an additional motorised trolley to arrive at a test of a complete vehicle, weighing up to 20 tonnes and with speeds of up to 200 km/h. [If successful], the first commercial applications will be people-mover transport systems for sustainable and sustainable and low-noise mobility solutions in urban environment.
This is a huge step forward for transport technology, with the very real potential to really change the way people move. Levitating the future, one BIG step.