Maglev and the newer Hyperloop technologies are advanced transportation systems that eliminate wheel–rail friction using electromagnetic suspension/levitation. The electromagnetic suspension is inherently unstable and requires a control strategy for safe operation, which has been previously studied in the context of Maglev. However, the interaction between electromagnetic instability and another instability mechanism, known as wave-induced instability, occurring at high vehicle velocities, has not been explored. This interaction between two distinct instability mechanisms is the focus of this study. From a practical perspective, this study examines the stability of magnetically suspended vehicles (e.g., Maglev or Hyperloop) in relation to vehicle velocity and control gains. To account for this, this study properly includes the infinite guideway, thus allowing vehicle velocity to influence system stability. The results show that at sub-critical velocities, the guideway's reaction force helps suppress perturbations and stabilize the system, with instability driven solely by improper electromagnetic control. However, at super-critical velocities, wave-induced instability drastically reduces the stable parameter space. This study further proposes a methodology to distinguish the contribution of each instability mechanism to the overall system stability, which is important for efficient mitigation measures. The findings reveal that beyond a certain super-critical velocity, wave-induced instability dominates much of the control-gain plane, with the control strategy effective in only limited regions. In conclusion, the study recommends revising control design strategies, as solely focusing on maximizing energy dissipation through control can trigger wave-induced instability. A more effective approach balances energy dissipation with avoiding the activation of wave-induced instability by steering clear of problematic vibration frequencies. These insights provide guidance for improving control strategies.

In this paper, we study the stability of a simple model of a hyperloop vehicle resulting from the interaction between electromagnetic and aeroelastic forces for both constant and periodically varying coefficients (i.e., parametric excitation). For the constant coefficients, through linear stability analysis, we analytically identify three distinct regions for the physically significant equilibrium point. Further inspection reveals that the system exhibits limit-cycle vibrations in one of these regions. Using the harmonic balance method, we determine the properties of the limit cycle, thereby unraveling the frequency and amplitude that characterize the periodic oscillations of the system's variables. For the varying coefficients case, the stability is studied using Floquet analysis and Hill's determinant method. The part of the stability boundary related to parametric resonance has an elliptical shape, while the remaining part remains unchanged. One of the major findings is that a linear parametric force can suppress or amplify the parametric resonance induced by another parametric force depending on the amplitude of the former. In the context of the hyperloop system, this means that parametric resonance caused by base excitation—in other words by the linearized parametric electromagnetic force—can be suppressed by modulating the coefficient of the aeroelastic force in the same frequency. The effectiveness is also highly dependent on the phase difference between the modulation and the base excitation. The origin of the suppression is attributed to the stabilizing character of the parametric aeroelastic force as revealed through energy analysis. We provide analytical expressions for the stability boundaries and for the stability's dependence on the phase shift of the modulation. Finally, we emphasize that suppressing parametric resonance through an added, linear state-dependent force with the coefficient having the same period as the original force can be achieved in other physical systems too.

The Hyperloop is an innovative transportation system that is currently under development. It minimizes air resistance by enclosing the vehicle in a de-pressurized tube and eliminates wheel-rail contact friction through the use of an electromagnetic suspension/levitation, similar to Maglev trains. This design can potentially achieve much higher velocities compared to traditional railways, positioning the Hyperloop as an environmentally friendly alternative to air transportation.

A potential challenge for Hyperloop is ensuring the dynamic stability at large velocities, where multiple instability sources can be present. An apparent source is the electro-magnetic suspension (adopted by some designs) making a control strategy mandatory to ensure stability even at quasi-static velocities. A less obvious instability mechanism is that the vibration of a vehicle on an elastic guideway can become unstable when surpassing a critical velocity.

The authors have previously investigated the interplay between the electro-magnetic and wave-induced instability mechanisms and showed that the stability space changes significantly above a certain velocity. In other words, the control strategy can ensure the overall system stability only for a very limited range of its gains. The cause for this drastic change was attributed to the wave-induced instability mechanism. Metrikin demonstrated that this instability arises with the radiation of anomalous Doppler waves, which introduce more energy to the vehicle's vibration than normal Doppler waves radiate away from the vehicle. The current study demonstrates that the change of stability domain is indeed caused by the anomalous Doppler waves. While identifying unstable velocity regimes is practical for Hyperloop design, gaining insight into the contribution of individual instability mechanisms can be crucial for efficient mitigation.

The Hyperloop, a developing transportation system, reduces air resistance by housing the vehicle within a depressurized tube and eliminates contact friction through an electro-magnetic suspension/levitation system. Maintaining system stability poses a challenge due to the exceptionally high target velocities. The interplay between electro-magnetic and wave-induced instability has been previously studied by the authors, showing that stability domains drastically change above a certain vehicle velocity. The current study demonstrates that the anomalous Doppler waves (i.e., wave-induced instability) are causing this drastic change. This investigation offers physical insight into the mechanisms that can cause instability in the Hyperloop system.

In this paper, we delve into the dynamics of an electromagnetically suspended mass from a rigid support. The study employs a 1.5-degrees-of-freedom system which serves as a simplified model for a Hyperloop vehicle traveling in a tube. Through linear stability analysis, we analytically uncover three distinct regions for the physically significant equilibrium point. Further inspection reveals that the system exhibits limit-cycle vibrations in one of these regions. Employing the harmonic balance method, we determine the properties of the limit cycle, thus unravelling the frequency and amplitude characterizing the periodic oscillations of system’s variables. We also present preliminary findings regarding the influence of the steady aeroelastic force on the stability of the system.

The Hyperloop, a developing transportation system, reduces air resistance by housing the vehicle within a depressurized tube and eliminates contact friction by using an electro-magnetic suspension/levitation system. Maintaining system stability poses a challenge due to the exceptionally high target velocities. Consequently, it is important to know apriori the velocity regimes in which the system can be unstable. The authors have recently investigated this aspect by, unlike previous studies, properly accounting for the frequency and velocity dependent reaction force provided by the infinite guideway. Furthermore, that study focused on the interplay between two fundamentally different instability sources, namely (i) the electro-magnetic suspension, and (ii) wave-induced instability, showing that stability domains drastically change above a certain vehicle velocity. The current study presents a methodology to distinguish the contribution of each instability mechanism to the overall system stability, and demonstrates that the wave-induced instability mechanism is causing the drastic stability change at large vehicle velocities. This investigation offers physical insight into the mechanisms that can cause instability in the Maglev/Hyperloop systems, and can help engineers that develop this novel transportation system to avoid excessive vibrations and, in extreme cases, derailment.