You don't need traditional coal, gas, electricity to provide power, the train speed can reach 400~500 kilometers, do you believe it? Recently, the reporter saw such a "high-speed pneumatic suspension train" model at the School of Vehicle Engineering of Chongqing University of Technology. Do you know a bird named 鹈鹕? The inspiration for the high-speed pneumatic suspension train comes from it. Experts say the train is expected to change the world's transportation system.

The bullet head looks like a high-speed rail, and the body has a ring-shaped wing like an airplane.

The reporter saw that the model of this high-speed pneumatic suspension train is more than one meter long. The head of the bullet is like a high-speed train. The body has a ring wing and an air propeller, which is similar to the aircraft.

“The first-generation and second-generation style trials and real-time tests of high-speed pneumatic suspension trains have been completed in Japan.” Lai Chenguang, a professor at Chongqing University of Technology who is involved in the development of high-speed aerodynamic suspension trains, said that such high-speed pneumatic suspension trains are completely natural. Energy-driven, low-cost, and very fast. “If the speed is 500 km/h, the energy consumption of the pneumatic suspension train is 1/3 of that of the high-speed train and 1/6 of the maglev train.”

Lai Chenguang said that he was exposed to this project in 2004. “At that time, I participated in this project as a teacher at Jilin University.”

In 2007, Lai Chenguang came to Japan and participated in the research of the project more deeply. "Mainly responsible for aerodynamics."

I have not been out of the lab for two months and proposed a ring wing design.

From 2007 to 2011, Lai Chenguang conducted four years of research in Japan. In the past four years, he stayed in the wind tunnel laboratory every day, used the smoke method to observe the flow of air, and even caused poisoning and hospitalization. "With two months, I couldn't leave the lab, and the rice was sent in." In a test, Lai Chenguang was poisoned and fell down and stayed for several days.

In 2011, Lai Chenguang came to Chongqing University of Technology. He led 4 teachers and more than 20 graduate students to continue to tackle high-speed pneumatic suspension trains.

After in-depth research and analysis, the automobile aerodynamics team of Chongqing University of Technology put forward the theory and method of driving stability control of high-speed aerodynamic suspension trains, which provided key theoretical guidance and basis for its in-depth research and development. At the same time, the team also proposed the design concept of the ring wing and verified it, which further improved the aerodynamic performance of the train. "In short, it is mainly to study the stability of train travel, and proposed the design of the ring wing." Lai Chenguang said.

New design to improve transportation capacity, the commercial pace of the car is accelerating

Lai Chenguang told reporters that in the previous design, the wing (wing) of the high-speed pneumatic suspension train was similar to the plane. It was a pair of horizontal wings with vertical winglets attached to the tail end, but such "wings" were on the train. When driving, unstable airflow is generated behind the wing, which affects the smoothness of the train during driving.

“And we designed the ring wing to form a frame on a three-dimensional surface, and the top and bottom of the frame are not on a vertical line, but on the back. This design makes the airflow much more stable than before, which will greatly improve The stability of the train," Lai Chenguang explained.

In addition, the design of the ring wing can also improve the transport capacity. “With the design of the ring wing, the lift-to-drag ratio (lift force divided by the resistance) is increased by 30%-40%, and the transportation efficiency is improved.” Lai Chenguang introduced that the high-speed aerodynamic suspension train should have high operating efficiency and strong carrying capacity. It must be designed long. "But the consequence is that the track area is large and the construction cost is much increased. We propose that this ring wing can increase the transportation by 30%-40% when the width of the track is constant. ability."

The increase in stability and operational capability has accelerated the commercial pace of high-speed aerodynamic suspension trains.

The first high-speed pneumatic suspension train line is expected to open in Japan in 2025

According to the results of aerodynamic research, combined with industrial design and aesthetics, culture and other factors, the automotive aerodynamics team of Chongqing University of Technology designed the third generation train model "LOOP", making this "flying train" closer to people's lives. One step. Next, the Sino-Japanese team will be equipped with a flame retardant magnesium alloy body based on the newly designed “LOOP” model and conduct more in-depth experimental research and verification.

According to the plan, Japan will open the first high-speed aerodynamic suspension train line in 2025. "We plan to go from Narita Airport in Japan to Haneda Yang, all underground tunnels, with a design speed of 400 kilometers per hour. It can realize the intercommunication between the two airports in more than 10 minutes. Now, it takes more than an hour to walk from the ground. The second from Tokyo to Osaka, with a speed of 500 kilometers per hour, can realize the intercommunication between the two places within an hour, and now it takes two hours."

“Tokyo to Osaka is full of natural energy. We have tested the climate and wind along the track. Solar panels are installed according to the sun exposure time in this area, and the windmills are installed according to the natural conditions of the wind.” Lai Chenguang said, “ The solar energy and wind energy collected and converted along the way of the prior art can drive the system to make a round trip every 12 minutes. According to the calculation of three cars and 120 cars per car, 360 people can be transported at a time."

Lai Chenguang said that this project, which only uses natural energy and is driven by zero pollution, seems unlikely to be completed, but is actually very close to the lives of ordinary people.

Developed body materials and accidentally discovered magnesium air batteries

In the study of high-speed pneumatic suspension train materials, the R&D team also "accidentally" discovered a highly efficient magnesium air battery.

At the time of material research and development, Professor Takahama Tatsuo of Tohoku University in Japan proposed the use of magnesium alloys as body materials because magnesium alloys are light and strong. In the process of researching the processing of magnesium alloys, Xiaobin Taizhao discovered that “the reaction between magnesium alloy and air will discharge, so Xiaobin Taizhao began research on magnesium air battery and made great progress.”

"The emergence of high-efficiency and controllable magnesium air batteries will greatly promote the development of new energy vehicles. Several companies have invested billions of dollars to promote the industrialization of the magnesium air battery." Introduction, the emergence of high-efficiency and controllable magnesium air batteries has great benefits for China. "China's magnesium reserves are very large and the quality is very good. According to Xiaobin Taizhao's estimate, magnesium is enough for humans to use for hundreds of millions of years. The magnesia produced can also be reduced by the sun. It can be said to be inexhaustible. It uses magnesium to generate electricity. The energy generated by magnesium oxidation is higher than the energy efficiency. It is much higher than the current battery. ”

At present, Xiaobin Taizhao has entrusted Lai Chenguang as a Chinese agent to find a partner.

Inspired by research and development, a bird called cockroach

Surprisingly, the research on high-speed pneumatic suspension trains is related to a bird. Professor Takahama Tatsuo of Tohoku University in Japan discovered that a bird called 鹈鹕 (Albatross) can fly more than 900 kilometers per meal when it migrates, with an amazing “fuel efficiency ratio”. Why is its "fuel efficiency ratio" so high, after in-depth research, "discover that they are taking advantage of the natural phenomenon of WIG."

Lai Chenguang explained that the so-called WIG phenomenon is that when the wing shape (bird's wings) is close to the ground, the lift will increase sharply and the resistance will decrease. "If the bird is flying in the sky, it often flaps its wings to generate lift, but close to the ground, as long as the wings are opened, the resulting lift is much larger than the high altitude. This lift is related to the height of the wings from the ground, when the bird's flight is controlled At a certain height, you can support the weight of the body without flapping your wings. We have found that the closer to the ground, the greater the lift."

In fact, before the development of high-speed aerodynamic suspension trains, former Soviet scientists used this principle to develop the "Caspian Monster" - a plane that floats in the air, its fuselage is similar in size to the Boeing 747, and the speed of the sea cruise is about It is 500 kilometers per hour.