Improved Analytical Model for the Magnetic Drag of a Dual-Conductor Plate Parallel Electric Suspension and Guiding Mechanism

The Maglev launch assist system (MLAS) has been adopted as part of a reusable launch vehicle system to lower launch costs. In this article, a dual-conductor plate parallel electric suspension and guiding mechanism (DPESGM) serving the suspension and guidance function of the MLAS is proposed. First, the MLAS and the structure of the DPESGM are introduced. Then, a DPESGM magnetic drag analysis model is established based on the multilayer theory for the fast calculation of the magnetic drag. However, its accuracy is poor at high speed. To solve this problem, an improved analytical model suitable for the full speed range is developed, which takes the equivalent conductivity replacement approach to consider the skin effect. Finally, the improved analysis model is verified by the finite element method (FEM) and prototype experiments. The results show that the improved analytical model is highly accurate in the evaluation of the DPESGM magnetic drag from low speed to high speed. As the improved analytical model takes less computational time than 3D FEM, it is an efficient tool for the DPESGM magnetic drag calculations to complete the preliminary design of the propulsion and braking systems.