Experimental aerodynamic comparison of two magnetically levitated (MagLev) vehicle designs

An experimental investigation was conducted to better understand the aerodynamics of magnetically levitated (MagLev) high speed vehicles operating in ground effect. A high speed moving track system was designed and developed to be used in the Virginia Tech Stability wind tunnel. Flowfield surveys confirmed the system was providing proper flow simulation. Aerodynamic tests were conducted on two vehicle geometries, Mag950 and Magl002. Tests included force and moment measurements, surface pressure measurements, vehicle wake flowfield survey, and flow visualization using tufts. The results showed a higher drag coefficient when the vehicle is operating InGround- Effect (IGE) versus Out-of-Ground-Effect (OGE), with the Magl002 displaying a slightly less drag than the Mag950 vehicle geometry. The experimental values showed higher drag compared with the available computational results by Grumman. The brief chart below shows the summary of force and moment results. Contrary to expectation, higher positive lift was observed with the vehicles operating IOE. The computational results also showed a positive lift at IGE versus OGE. The hot-wire wake data and tuft photos gave results consistent with Grumman's computational calculations. Overall, the Mag 1 002 vehicle geometry seems to be a better candidate for further development.