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Today on
"Impossible engineering,"
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the Shanghai Maglev...
The fastest passenger train
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on the planet,
with a top operating speed
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of 268 miles per hour.
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The Maglev is faster than
the formula one car.
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It is flying along.
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A train that defies
the most basic laws of motion.
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The thing that's
different and very unique
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about the Maglev is the fact
that it floats.
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It took centuries of innovation
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and experimentation...
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Wow, it looks like something
out of the future.
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To make the impossible possible.
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Captions by vitac
www.Vitac.Com
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captions paid for by
Discovery communications
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China is a country on the rise.
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Its largest and wealthiest city,
Shanghai,
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attracts people
from all over the world
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with its ambition.
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As Shanghai's population
increases,
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so does its demand for space.
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The city faces
heavy traffic jams
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and congestion on a daily basis.
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Shanghai is busy.
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Cars, as well as buildings,
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fight for space on the ground.
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It can be very difficult
to move around.
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By the beginning
of the 21st century,
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Shanghai streets were
at maximum capacity.
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A heavily congested
eight-Lane highway
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was the city's only link
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to the Pudong
international airport.
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To get to the airport by car,
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it takes 45 minutes.
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You really need something
to cut through the city
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to get to the airport
without stopping
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and without encountering
any other vehicles.
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I, like most people
in this city,
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don't have time
to sit in traffic.
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China's solution...
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The Shanghai Maglev,
or transrapid...
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A cutting-edge,
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high-speed train,
the fastest in the world.
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The thing that's
different and very unique
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about the Maglev is the fact
that it floats.
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It hasn't got any wheels.
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It floats across the guideway
all the way to the airport.
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Now the Maglev is just about
to pull out of the station.
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When it's at its top speed,
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it'll be moving
at 431 kilometers an hour.
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That is just beyond belief,
incredible.
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To design a passenger train
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capable of reaching
268 miles per hour,
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the Maglev's engineering team
had to toss out
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many of the design features
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we've come to associate
with trains.
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First, their train
wouldn't have an engine.
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Huh?
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Then they would do away
with one of engineering's
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most fundamental inventions...
The wheel.
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Finally, they would defy
the most basic laws of motion.
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Ow!
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Ooh!
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Wow! Ooh!
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But before engineers
could design
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their futuristic train
with no engine or wheels,
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they had to figure out
a way to fit it
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into the already overcrowded
streets of Shanghai.
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Shanghai is one of
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the most heavily populated
cities in the world,
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and the population
is increasing.
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Now, building the infrastructure
it needs is very challenging
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just because there is no space.
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Like all the buildings
around here,
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the only place really to build
is to go up.
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Chicago is one of
the world's busiest cities.
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The logistical challenge of
moving around its inhabitants
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is a daunting task...
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But the city's early planners
came up with an idea
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over 100 years ago that still
keeps the city moving today.
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In the late 19th century,
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Chicago is one of
the fastest-growing cities,
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if not the fastest-growing city
in the world.
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In the 1840s,
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shortly after the city
was established,
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we had roughly about
4,000 people.
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And by 1900, we've got over
a million and a half.
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Our city is rapidly expanding.
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It's almost the Shanghai
of the late 19th century.
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So, how did engineers
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and planners deal with the need
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to transport the city's
growing population
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without clogging the busy
city streets even further?
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So this is the solution
that was developed,
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to elevate the city's rail lines
above the street traffic.
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Although it's not cheap to do
this type of infrastructure,
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it is cheaper, of course,
than building subways.
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Work began
on Chicago's train in 1892...
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But building tracks
30 feet above
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the city streets was not
welcomed by everybody.
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Third-floor apartment tenants
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now had to keep their curtains
closed if they wanted privacy,
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and young women were
warned to be careful
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of roving,
railborne Peeping Toms.
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Nevertheless, the system
was a big hit for most.
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It was lovingly nicknamed
the "I," short for elevated.
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We're here at Quincy.
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This "I" station
has been restored,
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and it gives us a sense of what
commuters would have seen
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00:07:03,990 --> 00:07:05,523
in the late 1890s.
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And the basic concept of moving
people in and out of the city
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at a different level
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than street level has not
changed since then.
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Elevating the city's train
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was a solution so successful
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that, more than 120 years later,
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the "I" is still transporting
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a half-million passengers
each day.
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The growth of the "I"
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and the growth of Chicago
are synonymous.
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The boom of population
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in the late 19th century
follows right along
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00:07:35,788 --> 00:07:37,922
with the growth of
this transit system.
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And I don't think, without
the "I," we would have had
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this great, vibrant American
city that we have today.
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Engineers of the Shanghai Maglev
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are taking Chicago's idea
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of an elevated
passenger train...
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Ooh!
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That was fast.
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00:08:03,849 --> 00:08:07,151
...And giving it
a 21st century twist.
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Engineers of the Shanghai Maglev
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have taken Chicago's
century-old solution
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of an elevated railroad
and created their own
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19-mile guideway
high above the city streets.
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The advantage
a system like this has
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in already built-up urban spaces
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is it's very easy to install.
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It doesn't interfere
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with underground services.
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It doesn't interfere
with existing
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infrastructure at ground level,
which is really good.
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But building
an elevated guideway
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in this part of the world
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came with some
unique challenges.
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Shanghai sits in an area
of great seismic activity.
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It also has weak Clay soil.
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The risk of liquefaction
is very high.
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Liquefaction is an unusual
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00:09:16,455 --> 00:09:18,122
and dramatic phenomenon
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00:09:18,124 --> 00:09:20,791
that can occur during
an earthquake,
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when solid ground turns to mush.
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Aah!
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Physicist Andrew Steele
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has prepared a simple
demonstration
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to show how liquefaction works.
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So this water represents
the groundwater.
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This ground has got
a very high water table,
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so it's only got a thin layer
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of dry soil on top of
the saturated soil underneath.
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So, imagine you build
on this land,
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you construct
your beautiful city.
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But you built on Sandy soil,
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and you build on a fault line.
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So there's the danger
of an earthquake.
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You can see that,
as you shake it,
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then the groundwater
is forced up
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into the top layer of the soil,
and that changes its state
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from that of a solid to very
much behaving like a liquid,
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and the buildings are just
sinking straight into it.
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Earthquakes are
a constant threat in Shanghai.
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If the ground liquefies,
the Maglev's designers
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had to ensure the tracks
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wouldn't sink
into the soft soil.
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So engineers developed
a technique called piling.
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They built each support pier
on top of a giant concrete cap.
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Underneath the caps are concrete
piles,
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which are driven 200 feet
into the ground.
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If the soil near the surface
liquefies,
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the deep roots will hold
the Maglev's track in place.
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In less than nine months,
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Chinese engineers constructed
over 2,500 concrete columns
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to support the guideway.
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This would be
the fastest train in the world.
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But trying to get
a train up to speeds
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pushing 500 kilometers an hour,
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designers would be faced
with the problem
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of wind resistance or drag.
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The greater the speed,
the greater the resistance.
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And all this air movement has
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the potential effect
of slowing the train down
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and wasting valuable energy.
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To build a train
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that can break
300 miles per hour,
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engineers had to look back
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to the great innovations
of the past for the solution.
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The earliest evidence
of railroads
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can be traced back
to ancient Greece.
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Men and animals pulled wheeled
vehicles in limestone grooves.
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The grooves prevented the wagons
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from leaving
their intended route.
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Railroads were developed as
a way of reducing friction.
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00:12:06,375 --> 00:12:09,409
In 1805, the English discovered
that a good horse
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on an ordinary road could pull
a wagon weighing a ton.
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00:12:16,085 --> 00:12:18,752
But on rails,
that same horse could pull
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00:12:18,754 --> 00:12:22,222
12 wagons each weighing
three tons for six miles
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in just two hours.
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Oh.
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00:12:28,831 --> 00:12:30,898
When steam power was introduced,
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continents could be
crossed with ease,
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00:12:32,801 --> 00:12:34,868
transforming the modern world.
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00:12:41,309 --> 00:12:44,411
Railroads dramatically
changed the way we live.
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00:12:44,413 --> 00:12:47,548
But throughout the 19th
and early 20th century,
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00:12:47,550 --> 00:12:51,919
train design was
at a standstill.
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00:12:51,921 --> 00:12:54,821
Train design fundamentally
hadn't changed for 100 years
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00:12:54,823 --> 00:12:56,490
since this, stephenson's rocket.
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00:12:56,492 --> 00:12:58,325
You can see the classic
cylindrical boiler.
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00:12:58,327 --> 00:13:00,294
We got a smokestack
at the front,
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00:13:00,296 --> 00:13:04,965
and its completely snubbed,
flat, unaerodynamic nose.
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00:13:04,967 --> 00:13:07,868
It would take a radical thinker
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to shake things up.
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00:13:13,708 --> 00:13:17,077
And in the 1930s, england
steam locomotive engineer
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00:13:17,079 --> 00:13:20,647
Nigel Gresley designed a new,
sleek machine that would,
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00:13:20,649 --> 00:13:23,283
at the time, be the fastest
train in the world...
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00:13:25,620 --> 00:13:28,021
The Mallard.
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00:13:28,023 --> 00:13:30,824
Everything about this
locomotive is designed to go
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00:13:30,826 --> 00:13:32,526
as fast as possible.
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00:13:32,528 --> 00:13:35,862
You've got these massive wheels
driving it forward.
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00:13:35,864 --> 00:13:38,232
We've got a double chimney
to suck out the exhaust
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00:13:38,234 --> 00:13:40,067
as quickly as possible
at high speed,
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00:13:40,069 --> 00:13:43,303
and then you've got this
beautiful streamlined shape
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00:13:43,305 --> 00:13:46,206
in stark contrast to the trains
that had come before.
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00:13:46,208 --> 00:13:48,842
Gresley used a wind tunnel
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00:13:48,844 --> 00:13:50,444
to develop the Mallard.
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00:13:50,446 --> 00:13:52,379
Wind tunnels
had been used on planes
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00:13:52,381 --> 00:13:54,414
but never on a train before.
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00:13:54,416 --> 00:13:57,351
He made some interesting
discoveries.
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Andrew Steele is visiting a test
center called the train rig
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to see firsthand the difference
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00:14:06,895 --> 00:14:10,130
a streamlined train design
can create.
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00:14:10,132 --> 00:14:12,899
This is the test track.
It's 150 meters long,
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00:14:12,901 --> 00:14:15,969
and we can accelerate trains
to 75 meters a second,
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00:14:15,971 --> 00:14:20,407
which is over
250 kilometers an hour.
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00:14:20,409 --> 00:14:22,009
Today we've got
two different trains
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00:14:22,011 --> 00:14:23,343
that we're going to be testing.
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00:14:23,345 --> 00:14:24,911
This is a flat-nosed
freight train,
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00:14:24,913 --> 00:14:26,947
which represents sort of
an unaerodynamic train
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00:14:26,949 --> 00:14:28,448
as they were
originally designed.
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00:14:28,450 --> 00:14:30,984
And this one here
is a high-speed train.
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00:14:30,986 --> 00:14:32,219
Got this sloped nose.
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00:14:32,221 --> 00:14:33,687
We're going to see what
difference that makes
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00:14:33,689 --> 00:14:35,022
to the speed the train
can travel at.
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00:14:35,024 --> 00:14:36,490
And this is what
we're going to be using
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00:14:36,492 --> 00:14:37,658
for the actual experiment.
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00:14:37,660 --> 00:14:39,059
These things here
are light gates.
256
00:14:39,061 --> 00:14:40,494
And when the train
goes past this one,
257
00:14:40,496 --> 00:14:42,696
it interrupts the light beam,
and we can detect that time.
258
00:14:42,698 --> 00:14:44,498
Then, a fraction
of a second later,
259
00:14:44,500 --> 00:14:47,034
it'll go past this light gate,
interrupts this beam,
260
00:14:47,036 --> 00:14:49,503
and by measuring the difference
between two times,
261
00:14:49,505 --> 00:14:50,871
we know this distance here,
262
00:14:50,873 --> 00:14:53,640
so we can work out exactly
how fast it's going.
263
00:14:58,446 --> 00:14:59,980
The model trains are fired
264
00:14:59,982 --> 00:15:02,149
using giant rubber catapults.
265
00:15:03,851 --> 00:15:07,020
So I was just applying
some tension to the track now,
266
00:15:07,022 --> 00:15:10,824
and that's pulling the train
back into the firing position.
267
00:15:10,826 --> 00:15:14,227
I'm almost as tense
as the train is.
268
00:15:14,229 --> 00:15:16,730
Okay.
269
00:15:16,732 --> 00:15:19,199
So just...
Here goes.
270
00:15:26,641 --> 00:15:28,275
Ooh!
271
00:15:30,812 --> 00:15:32,913
That was fast.
272
00:15:32,915 --> 00:15:34,514
Ooh!
273
00:15:34,516 --> 00:15:36,216
And believe it or not,
274
00:15:36,218 --> 00:15:38,585
that was a sort of
slow test run.
275
00:15:41,222 --> 00:15:43,123
So now that we've done
that test run,
276
00:15:43,125 --> 00:15:45,225
the key thing is to find out
the readings that we got
277
00:15:45,227 --> 00:15:47,961
from these light meters.
278
00:15:47,963 --> 00:15:49,496
We've got two readings here.
279
00:15:49,498 --> 00:15:50,831
At the first set of light gates,
280
00:15:50,833 --> 00:15:52,566
it was doing about
36 meters per second.
281
00:15:52,568 --> 00:15:55,369
But then, by the time the second
set of light gates,
282
00:15:55,371 --> 00:15:57,371
just a couple of meters later,
it's only doing 34 1/2 meters
283
00:15:57,373 --> 00:15:59,039
a second, so you can see
it's lost some speed,
284
00:15:59,041 --> 00:16:00,774
the aerodynamic drag
has kicked in
285
00:16:00,776 --> 00:16:02,376
and slowed the train down.
286
00:16:02,378 --> 00:16:05,178
In the short distance
between gates,
287
00:16:05,180 --> 00:16:09,216
the flat-nosed train loses
around 5% of its speed.
288
00:16:13,087 --> 00:16:16,523
Next to be tested is
the sloping-nosed model.
289
00:16:16,525 --> 00:16:19,693
Ready, aim, and fire.
290
00:16:24,132 --> 00:16:26,566
Phew!
291
00:16:26,568 --> 00:16:29,770
Wow.
292
00:16:29,772 --> 00:16:31,538
Oh.
293
00:16:31,540 --> 00:16:34,741
The sloping-nosed
model's speed reduces by only 2%
294
00:16:34,743 --> 00:16:36,910
between the light gates.
295
00:16:36,912 --> 00:16:38,745
Phew!
296
00:16:38,747 --> 00:16:40,847
So these numbers,
they're quite subtly different.
297
00:16:40,849 --> 00:16:42,816
But when you scale it up
to a full-sized train
298
00:16:42,818 --> 00:16:45,218
and you're looking to propel it
constantly down the track,
299
00:16:45,220 --> 00:16:47,721
this can translate into a big
change of efficiency.
300
00:16:50,024 --> 00:16:51,525
A fact
301
00:16:51,527 --> 00:16:55,061
Nigel Gresley discovered
while designing the Mallard
302
00:16:55,063 --> 00:16:56,396
and exploited brilliantly.
303
00:16:56,398 --> 00:16:58,131
Gresley's engineering really was
304
00:16:58,133 --> 00:16:59,466
a complete step change.
305
00:16:59,468 --> 00:17:01,501
Although we'd used aerodynamics
in planes
306
00:17:01,503 --> 00:17:04,337
and hydrodynamics was known
about in boats,
307
00:17:04,339 --> 00:17:05,539
this was the first time
308
00:17:05,541 --> 00:17:07,374
those principles had been
applied to a train.
309
00:17:07,376 --> 00:17:09,042
And that is what enabled
the Mallard
310
00:17:09,044 --> 00:17:10,410
to travel at 126 miles per hour.
311
00:17:10,412 --> 00:17:14,214
In 1938, the Mallard
set the record
312
00:17:14,216 --> 00:17:17,484
for the fastest
steam train on rails,
313
00:17:17,486 --> 00:17:19,953
a record which
still stands today.
314
00:17:32,500 --> 00:17:34,267
The designers of
the Shanghai Maglev
315
00:17:34,269 --> 00:17:36,436
have learned from
the breakthroughs
316
00:17:36,438 --> 00:17:38,805
made by the Mallard
and created a train
317
00:17:38,807 --> 00:17:42,576
that travels at speeds that
innovator Nigel Gresley
318
00:17:42,578 --> 00:17:44,911
would have thought
to be impossible.
319
00:17:44,913 --> 00:17:49,716
In one test run, it exceeded
300 miles per hour...
320
00:17:51,085 --> 00:17:55,322
Almost three times what
the Mallard was capable of.
321
00:17:55,324 --> 00:17:58,892
You can see it has a very sleek,
322
00:17:58,894 --> 00:18:00,327
streamlined design
323
00:18:00,329 --> 00:18:04,130
with a very smooth,
sloping nose.
324
00:18:04,132 --> 00:18:07,968
Also the train wraps itself
around the guideway
325
00:18:07,970 --> 00:18:11,705
which reduces turbulence that
might otherwise be generated
326
00:18:11,707 --> 00:18:14,140
between the train and the track.
327
00:18:22,483 --> 00:18:23,817
But to build
328
00:18:23,819 --> 00:18:26,319
the fastest passenger train
on the planet,
329
00:18:26,321 --> 00:18:28,989
engineers would need more than
just an aerodynamic design,
330
00:18:28,991 --> 00:18:31,491
so they drew inspiration
331
00:18:31,493 --> 00:18:33,293
from a decades-old
engineering experiment...
332
00:18:33,295 --> 00:18:35,128
They combined the principle
of the hovercraft
333
00:18:35,130 --> 00:18:37,030
and a jet engine,
334
00:18:37,032 --> 00:18:39,266
and they smashed
the rail speed record.
335
00:18:39,268 --> 00:18:43,436
...To create their own
impossible engineering.
336
00:18:55,683 --> 00:18:58,318
The Shanghai Maglev
337
00:18:58,320 --> 00:19:00,754
is the fastest passenger train
on the planet.
338
00:19:03,524 --> 00:19:08,094
It travels at an astonishing
top operating speed
339
00:19:08,096 --> 00:19:10,230
of 268 miles per hour.
340
00:19:19,106 --> 00:19:20,707
The train has transformed travel
341
00:19:20,709 --> 00:19:23,310
between downtown Shanghai
and Pudong airport.
342
00:19:27,081 --> 00:19:29,316
The Maglev runs
343
00:19:29,318 --> 00:19:32,118
all the way from here
to Pudong airport,
344
00:19:32,120 --> 00:19:35,956
which is a 34-kilometer journey
in that direction.
345
00:19:35,958 --> 00:19:38,258
Now if I was to get the Metro,
346
00:19:38,260 --> 00:19:40,293
it would take me over an hour.
347
00:19:40,295 --> 00:19:43,730
If I got a cab, it would take me
40 minutes or so.
348
00:19:43,732 --> 00:19:46,633
But if I got the Maglev,
which I like to do,
349
00:19:46,635 --> 00:19:48,535
it takes me only seven minutes.
350
00:19:50,538 --> 00:19:53,173
But the development
351
00:19:53,175 --> 00:19:56,576
of the futuristic Maglev
took decades of experimentation
352
00:19:56,578 --> 00:20:02,415
before it reached its incredible
21st century performance levels.
353
00:20:02,417 --> 00:20:04,217
Created in Germany,
354
00:20:04,219 --> 00:20:06,820
the first
passenger-carrying prototype,
355
00:20:06,822 --> 00:20:09,689
the transrapid Maglev system,
was unveiled
356
00:20:09,691 --> 00:20:10,924
in 1971.
357
00:20:10,926 --> 00:20:12,492
It traveled at speeds
358
00:20:12,494 --> 00:20:15,695
where little consideration
to aerodynamics was necessary.
359
00:20:17,465 --> 00:20:18,999
But as experiments continued
360
00:20:19,001 --> 00:20:20,567
and speeds rapidly increased,
361
00:20:20,569 --> 00:20:23,770
the train car design
that now graces
362
00:20:23,772 --> 00:20:25,839
Shanghai's elevated track
took shape.
363
00:20:30,678 --> 00:20:32,912
However, increased speed
364
00:20:32,914 --> 00:20:36,616
means increased
engineering challenges.
365
00:20:36,618 --> 00:20:39,252
The Maglev going to the airport
366
00:20:39,254 --> 00:20:41,154
and the Maglev
coming from the airport
367
00:20:41,156 --> 00:20:44,357
pass each other at
incredible speeds,
368
00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:47,927
potentially
a combined speed of over
369
00:20:47,929 --> 00:20:49,729
860 kilometers per hour.
370
00:20:49,731 --> 00:20:53,800
And this could cause
a potential problem.
371
00:20:53,802 --> 00:20:56,369
However sleek the design,
372
00:20:56,371 --> 00:21:00,040
any object passing
another at speed
373
00:21:00,042 --> 00:21:03,176
creates a change in pressure
between them.
374
00:21:03,178 --> 00:21:07,681
Lower pressure,
as the trains are together,
375
00:21:07,683 --> 00:21:11,317
followed by a return to a higher
pressure once they've passed.
376
00:21:11,319 --> 00:21:14,754
This could potentially cause
stresses to the cabin walls.
377
00:21:14,756 --> 00:21:16,322
So maglevs have been engineered
378
00:21:16,324 --> 00:21:20,160
with an aluminium
composite shell,
379
00:21:20,162 --> 00:21:24,431
light, but at the same time,
strong and stiff enough
380
00:21:24,433 --> 00:21:26,399
to support the pressure
381
00:21:26,401 --> 00:21:29,602
acting on the structure
by high-speed traveling.
382
00:21:34,742 --> 00:21:36,876
But there were
other design elements
383
00:21:36,878 --> 00:21:39,245
that the Maglev's engineers
had to consider
384
00:21:39,247 --> 00:21:42,649
if they wanted their train to
achieve record-breaking speeds.
385
00:21:42,651 --> 00:21:44,551
It's not just the wind
386
00:21:44,553 --> 00:21:46,920
that provides friction
on the train.
387
00:21:46,922 --> 00:21:49,622
One of the biggest
losses of energy
388
00:21:49,624 --> 00:21:52,559
that occurs
in a traditional train
389
00:21:52,561 --> 00:21:54,461
is produced by the friction
390
00:21:54,463 --> 00:21:56,996
between the wheels
and the track.
391
00:21:56,998 --> 00:22:00,567
The more friction there is,
the more power is lost.
392
00:22:00,569 --> 00:22:03,503
In a car like this, for example,
393
00:22:03,505 --> 00:22:08,908
1/3 of the fuel is spent on
overcoming friction.
394
00:22:11,979 --> 00:22:14,447
To limit the negative
effects of friction,
395
00:22:14,449 --> 00:22:16,883
engineers designed
the Maglev in a way
396
00:22:16,885 --> 00:22:20,653
that only some of history's most
daring engineers have attempted.
397
00:22:32,967 --> 00:22:34,901
Physicist Andrew Steele is in
398
00:22:34,903 --> 00:22:38,171
the French countryside looking
for the remains of a system
399
00:22:38,173 --> 00:22:40,507
that could have been
just as revolutionary
400
00:22:40,509 --> 00:22:42,609
as the Maglev.
401
00:22:48,048 --> 00:22:51,518
So here it is, over 50 years old
and covered in moss.
402
00:22:51,520 --> 00:22:54,354
This is what its creators
thought would be
403
00:22:54,356 --> 00:22:56,756
the future of
high-speed mass transit...
404
00:22:56,758 --> 00:22:59,626
A single concrete rail,
straddled by a train,
405
00:22:59,628 --> 00:23:00,960
capable of traveling
406
00:23:00,962 --> 00:23:03,963
at 422 kilometers an hour,
at a time
407
00:23:03,965 --> 00:23:05,899
when the speed record
for a conventional train
408
00:23:05,901 --> 00:23:07,100
was just half that.
409
00:23:07,102 --> 00:23:09,502
So what kind of vehicle
410
00:23:09,504 --> 00:23:13,406
was capable of overcoming
the forces of friction
411
00:23:13,408 --> 00:23:16,176
to travel over
250 miles per hour?
412
00:23:16,178 --> 00:23:20,146
The answer lies in
a closely guarded warehouse.
413
00:23:20,148 --> 00:23:23,283
I've come to
a top-secret location
414
00:23:23,285 --> 00:23:24,651
somewhere outside Paris
415
00:23:24,653 --> 00:23:27,187
to get a rare look
at what could have been
416
00:23:27,189 --> 00:23:29,289
the future of land
transportation.
417
00:23:32,459 --> 00:23:34,694
Hello.
Good morning.
418
00:23:34,696 --> 00:23:35,728
So, where's it kept?
419
00:23:44,171 --> 00:23:46,806
Hidden among
420
00:23:46,808 --> 00:23:48,775
an assortment
of military vehicles
421
00:23:48,777 --> 00:23:53,346
are the last surviving examples
of an extraordinary experiment.
422
00:24:03,791 --> 00:24:05,425
Wow.
423
00:24:05,427 --> 00:24:07,260
So this is the A�rotrain.
Yes.
424
00:24:07,262 --> 00:24:09,462
It looks like something
out of the future.
425
00:24:15,202 --> 00:24:18,805
Designed by engineer
Jean Bertin in the 1960s,
426
00:24:18,807 --> 00:24:23,743
the A�rotrain 01 and 02 are
the only surviving prototypes
427
00:24:23,745 --> 00:24:27,046
of a system that hoped to change
train travel forever.
428
00:24:30,784 --> 00:24:34,520
You can see the A�rotrain
doesn't have any wheels.
429
00:24:34,522 --> 00:24:36,623
Now that might seem strange,
430
00:24:36,625 --> 00:24:38,491
but although the wheels
have been the basis
431
00:24:38,493 --> 00:24:40,326
for land transport
for thousands of years,
432
00:24:40,328 --> 00:24:42,095
they come with a big
disadvantage,
433
00:24:42,097 --> 00:24:44,197
because the wheels
rub against the ground.
434
00:24:44,199 --> 00:24:45,565
They create friction,
435
00:24:45,567 --> 00:24:47,500
and the A�rotrain
tries to get around that.
436
00:24:51,138 --> 00:24:54,173
Engineers and scientists have
been toying with the idea
437
00:24:54,175 --> 00:24:55,842
of frictionless travel
for some time.
438
00:24:55,844 --> 00:24:57,510
The idea is that,
if you can remove
439
00:24:57,512 --> 00:24:59,212
that frictional resistance
to motion,
440
00:24:59,214 --> 00:25:01,381
then you can make things travel
faster and more efficiently.
441
00:25:01,383 --> 00:25:03,683
The simplest way
to do that might be
442
00:25:03,685 --> 00:25:05,451
to levitate it
on a cushion of air,
443
00:25:05,453 --> 00:25:08,054
and that's the principle behind
how a hovercraft works.
444
00:25:08,056 --> 00:25:10,223
We've got our own very simple
model of a hovercraft here.
445
00:25:10,225 --> 00:25:12,225
It's just a cd with the top
of a drinks bottle on it
446
00:25:12,227 --> 00:25:13,793
and then a balloon.
447
00:25:13,795 --> 00:25:15,695
Before we inject
that cushion of air,
448
00:25:15,697 --> 00:25:18,364
the cd only moves a very small
distance across the table
449
00:25:18,366 --> 00:25:19,699
when I tap it.
450
00:25:19,701 --> 00:25:21,034
However, what we can do
451
00:25:21,036 --> 00:25:22,969
is attach a balloon
to this drinks bottle top
452
00:25:22,971 --> 00:25:25,138
and see if that makes
any difference
453
00:25:25,140 --> 00:25:26,973
to the way that the cd moves.
454
00:25:26,975 --> 00:25:29,575
So here we go.
455
00:25:29,577 --> 00:25:31,611
You can see that now,
with a tiny tap,
456
00:25:31,613 --> 00:25:33,279
the cd moves a long way.
457
00:25:33,281 --> 00:25:35,682
And just as long as the balloon
has got some pressure
458
00:25:35,684 --> 00:25:37,617
to force that air down
underneath the cd,
459
00:25:37,619 --> 00:25:39,519
then it'll keep on
moving around freely.
460
00:25:39,521 --> 00:25:41,120
But when the balloon runs out,
of course,
461
00:25:41,122 --> 00:25:43,156
the cushion of air vanishes
and the cd is just as hard
462
00:25:43,158 --> 00:25:45,625
to move across the table
as it was before.
463
00:25:47,761 --> 00:25:50,763
In here, we've got the guts
of the A�rotrain.
464
00:25:50,765 --> 00:25:52,598
And incredibly,
there were just two regular
465
00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:54,634
car engines
which power massive fans.
466
00:25:54,636 --> 00:25:56,302
And that blasts air downwards
467
00:25:56,304 --> 00:25:59,105
to lift the train up off
the ground and then inwards
468
00:25:59,107 --> 00:26:00,773
to keep it centered
on the track.
469
00:26:00,775 --> 00:26:02,709
That means the train isn't
in contact with the ground
470
00:26:02,711 --> 00:26:04,744
or the track, and so that source
of friction is removed,
471
00:26:04,746 --> 00:26:06,346
and that means that
more of the energy
472
00:26:06,348 --> 00:26:07,680
from this engine up here,
473
00:26:07,682 --> 00:26:10,116
the propeller, can be used
to power the train
474
00:26:10,118 --> 00:26:12,085
to move forwards.
475
00:26:12,087 --> 00:26:15,722
It's 11 meters long,
weighs 2.6 tons,
476
00:26:15,724 --> 00:26:18,291
and yet the air gushing
out of these nozzles
477
00:26:18,293 --> 00:26:20,626
is enough to keep it floating
two or three millimeters
478
00:26:20,628 --> 00:26:22,895
above the track.
479
00:26:27,067 --> 00:26:28,868
By 1967,
480
00:26:28,870 --> 00:26:31,237
the A�rotrain was proving
its potential
481
00:26:31,239 --> 00:26:33,072
on the test track
as the next generation
482
00:26:33,074 --> 00:26:34,340
of passenger transport.
483
00:26:34,342 --> 00:26:37,076
A plan to build a track
484
00:26:37,078 --> 00:26:39,479
for the A�rotrain between
Paris and Orl�ans...
485
00:26:39,481 --> 00:26:40,880
65 miles in 35 minutes.
486
00:26:44,319 --> 00:26:47,086
For A�rotrain mark 02,
487
00:26:47,088 --> 00:26:49,922
Jean Bertin went
all out for speed.
488
00:26:52,526 --> 00:26:54,027
The A�rotrain 02
489
00:26:54,029 --> 00:26:57,463
was a futuristic combo
of fighter jet, race car,
490
00:26:57,465 --> 00:27:00,233
train, and hovercraft.
491
00:27:01,635 --> 00:27:04,103
It looks like something
out of a Sci-Fi movie,
492
00:27:04,105 --> 00:27:06,806
but the technology itself
is actually pretty simple.
493
00:27:06,808 --> 00:27:08,875
I think my favorite control
494
00:27:08,877 --> 00:27:10,877
is this one that goes march�
and arret.
495
00:27:10,879 --> 00:27:13,579
So it's basically stop and go
just by flicking a switch.
496
00:27:13,581 --> 00:27:16,716
Nevertheless,
it was the combination
497
00:27:16,718 --> 00:27:18,117
of engineering ideas
498
00:27:18,119 --> 00:27:21,421
that made Jean Bertin's
A�rotrain groundbreaking.
499
00:27:21,423 --> 00:27:24,624
Bertin's ideas
really were revolutionary.
500
00:27:24,626 --> 00:27:27,493
They combined the principle of
the hovercraft and a jet engine.
501
00:27:27,495 --> 00:27:29,862
This was the first time
it had ever been done.
502
00:27:29,864 --> 00:27:32,198
Combined, they smashed
the rail speed record.
503
00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:34,333
An aircraft jet engine
gives initial thrust
504
00:27:34,335 --> 00:27:37,804
up to speeds of around
185 miles per hour.
505
00:27:37,806 --> 00:27:42,008
An additional rocket motor
boosts the mph to 235.
506
00:27:50,084 --> 00:27:51,851
Sadly,
507
00:27:51,853 --> 00:27:53,986
Jean Bertin's dream
of friction-free travel
508
00:27:53,988 --> 00:27:56,422
died in the 1970s
509
00:27:56,424 --> 00:27:58,958
when the French government
abandoned the experiment.
510
00:28:03,363 --> 00:28:05,598
But almost a half century later,
511
00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:09,402
the A�rotrain has
a familiar-looking cousin
512
00:28:09,404 --> 00:28:12,371
over 3,000 miles away in China.
513
00:28:22,816 --> 00:28:24,317
The Shanghai Maglev...
514
00:28:24,319 --> 00:28:27,386
The world's fastest
passenger train,
515
00:28:27,388 --> 00:28:29,689
a unique engineering feat
516
00:28:29,691 --> 00:28:33,459
situated in one of China's
most ambitious cities.
517
00:28:36,330 --> 00:28:38,064
This Maglev here is the only
518
00:28:38,066 --> 00:28:41,067
high-speed Maglev in the world,
and that kind of
519
00:28:41,069 --> 00:28:43,169
chimes in with
the ambition of Shanghai.
520
00:28:43,171 --> 00:28:47,240
People come here to design
daring buildings
521
00:28:47,242 --> 00:28:48,908
and daring systems.
522
00:28:48,910 --> 00:28:51,444
And one of
the most daring of them all
523
00:28:51,446 --> 00:28:52,678
is the Maglev...
524
00:28:54,248 --> 00:28:58,117
Traveling at a staggering
268 miles per hour,
525
00:28:58,119 --> 00:29:01,921
appearing to defy physics.
526
00:29:21,475 --> 00:29:24,644
The first time I
traveled in the Maglev,
527
00:29:24,646 --> 00:29:27,446
we hit 400, and I thought,
"oh, my goodness."
528
00:29:27,448 --> 00:29:30,583
And then it continued
to travel even faster.
529
00:29:30,585 --> 00:29:33,786
I could not believe what I was
seeing and experiencing.
530
00:29:33,788 --> 00:29:37,190
And it is currently doing
a top speed,
531
00:29:37,192 --> 00:29:41,894
flying pretty much at
431 kilometers an hour.
532
00:29:41,896 --> 00:29:44,997
And it still feels
very comfortable
533
00:29:44,999 --> 00:29:46,866
for the speed at which
it's traveling.
534
00:29:46,868 --> 00:29:49,702
The Maglev is faster
than the formula one car.
535
00:29:49,704 --> 00:29:51,437
It is flying along.
536
00:29:52,773 --> 00:29:56,042
The Maglev's record-
breaking speed is possible
537
00:29:56,044 --> 00:29:57,677
because it's levitated
above the track
538
00:29:57,679 --> 00:29:59,078
by powerful electromagnets
539
00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:02,882
instead of a hovercraft design
like the French A�rotrain.
540
00:30:08,555 --> 00:30:10,723
But levitating
a train with magnets
541
00:30:10,725 --> 00:30:14,527
would be impossible without one
of science's great innovators.
542
00:30:25,372 --> 00:30:27,506
Born in 1791,
543
00:30:27,508 --> 00:30:29,842
Michael Faraday was the son
of a blacksmith
544
00:30:29,844 --> 00:30:32,078
and received little
formal education,
545
00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:34,180
but he would go on
to revolutionize
546
00:30:34,182 --> 00:30:35,681
the engineering world.
547
00:30:37,684 --> 00:30:39,518
His original laboratory
548
00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:43,456
still exists at London's
royal institution...
549
00:30:43,458 --> 00:30:45,224
I'm going to give it
a little push.
550
00:30:45,226 --> 00:30:46,559
Where physicist Andrew Steele
551
00:30:46,561 --> 00:30:49,629
is exploring how Faraday's
discoveries
552
00:30:49,631 --> 00:30:52,431
made magnetic levitation
possible.
553
00:30:52,433 --> 00:30:54,267
Faraday's discoveries
revolutionized
554
00:30:54,269 --> 00:30:56,035
our understanding
of the interplay
555
00:30:56,037 --> 00:30:57,803
between electricity
and magnetism.
556
00:30:57,805 --> 00:31:00,139
And one of the things that this
understanding allows us to make
557
00:31:00,141 --> 00:31:01,474
is an electromagnet.
558
00:31:01,476 --> 00:31:04,043
So an electromagnet is made
of a coil of wire.
559
00:31:04,045 --> 00:31:06,045
You then need to get the ends
of those pieces of wire
560
00:31:06,047 --> 00:31:07,713
and plug them into
a power supply.
561
00:31:07,715 --> 00:31:10,049
And, finally, to magnify
the magnetic effect,
562
00:31:10,051 --> 00:31:12,385
you often place a core
of a material like iron
563
00:31:12,387 --> 00:31:13,719
in the middle of the magnet.
564
00:31:13,721 --> 00:31:16,689
Let's connect this up.
565
00:31:16,691 --> 00:31:20,393
And to prove to you that
that's magnetic,
566
00:31:20,395 --> 00:31:21,627
you can see...
567
00:31:21,629 --> 00:31:23,829
That even with this extremely
simple setup,
568
00:31:23,831 --> 00:31:26,232
we can actually get a piece
of metal to stick to it.
569
00:31:26,234 --> 00:31:28,134
Another crucial factor
about electromagnets,
570
00:31:28,136 --> 00:31:30,303
if you want to use them
for levitation,
571
00:31:30,305 --> 00:31:32,371
is that we can change
their strength,
572
00:31:32,373 --> 00:31:33,973
and we can do that very easily.
573
00:31:33,975 --> 00:31:35,641
Just by changing
the electric current
574
00:31:35,643 --> 00:31:37,076
passing through this magnet,
575
00:31:37,078 --> 00:31:38,444
I can turn the current down
576
00:31:38,446 --> 00:31:40,112
and make the attraction
much weaker.
577
00:31:40,114 --> 00:31:42,448
Or I can turn the current up
and make that attraction
578
00:31:42,450 --> 00:31:44,517
get stronger again.
579
00:31:44,519 --> 00:31:47,053
Not only can
electromagnets be adjusted
580
00:31:47,055 --> 00:31:48,721
and turned on or off at will,
581
00:31:48,723 --> 00:31:54,560
but they're also significantly
stronger than ordinary magnets.
582
00:31:54,562 --> 00:31:56,228
If you want to suspend
an entire train,
583
00:31:56,230 --> 00:31:58,230
you're going to need a pretty
powerful electromagnet.
584
00:31:58,232 --> 00:32:00,066
And actually, electromagnets
are pretty strong.
585
00:32:00,068 --> 00:32:03,703
This little one is enough to
suspend my entire body weight.
586
00:32:03,705 --> 00:32:05,905
And actually,
587
00:32:05,907 --> 00:32:08,607
this thing needs surprisingly
little electric current.
588
00:32:08,609 --> 00:32:11,210
There's less electricity
flowing through this device
589
00:32:11,212 --> 00:32:14,213
than there is through your hair
dryer or your kettle at home.
590
00:32:14,215 --> 00:32:15,681
We've got an electrical current
591
00:32:15,683 --> 00:32:17,483
flowing through this
electromagnet.
592
00:32:17,485 --> 00:32:20,453
If we connect it to the piece
of metal on my back,
593
00:32:20,455 --> 00:32:24,023
then, hopefully, there should be
enough strength
594
00:32:24,025 --> 00:32:26,092
to hold me above the floor.
595
00:32:29,296 --> 00:32:30,796
And there you have it.
596
00:32:47,080 --> 00:32:48,881
On the Shanghai Maglev,
597
00:32:48,883 --> 00:32:50,216
powerful electromagnets
598
00:32:50,218 --> 00:32:53,853
are installed into the underside
of the train cars,
599
00:32:53,855 --> 00:32:56,555
allowing them to float.
600
00:32:56,557 --> 00:32:59,759
Guidance magnets
keep the train centered,
601
00:32:59,761 --> 00:33:01,927
and support magnets pull
the unit
602
00:33:01,929 --> 00:33:06,599
to the underside of the track,
lifting the train above.
603
00:33:06,601 --> 00:33:08,701
The entire train floats,
604
00:33:08,703 --> 00:33:11,837
suspended 10 millimeters
below the track.
605
00:33:15,776 --> 00:33:17,610
Not only does this reduce
wear and tear,
606
00:33:17,612 --> 00:33:19,812
but it also makes for
607
00:33:19,814 --> 00:33:23,015
extremely fast,
friction-free travel.
608
00:33:23,017 --> 00:33:25,885
Because there's no contact
609
00:33:25,887 --> 00:33:28,687
between the train
and the guideway,
610
00:33:28,689 --> 00:33:31,757
there is no friction,
and this means that the train
611
00:33:31,759 --> 00:33:34,126
can have a lifetime
of up to 50 years
612
00:33:34,128 --> 00:33:36,162
with minimum maintenance
required.
613
00:33:40,434 --> 00:33:41,767
But while designing
614
00:33:41,769 --> 00:33:43,502
China's futuristic
passenger train,
615
00:33:43,504 --> 00:33:46,472
developers couldn't just
focus on speed.
616
00:33:46,474 --> 00:33:48,641
They had to ensure the Maglev
617
00:33:48,643 --> 00:33:50,910
was environmentally
friendly, too.
618
00:33:50,912 --> 00:33:54,814
China,
like all modern economies,
619
00:33:54,816 --> 00:33:57,683
is worried about
its carbon emission quota.
620
00:33:57,685 --> 00:33:59,618
As development continues,
621
00:33:59,620 --> 00:34:03,756
the demand for oil
will also likely increase,
622
00:34:03,758 --> 00:34:07,660
but China has a limited
domestic oil supply.
623
00:34:07,662 --> 00:34:12,498
With its current gas-guzzling
congestion problems,
624
00:34:12,500 --> 00:34:15,634
greener transport initiatives
are drastically needed.
625
00:34:15,636 --> 00:34:18,471
Otherwise, the city will choke.
626
00:34:18,473 --> 00:34:21,106
Their environmentally
friendly solution
627
00:34:21,108 --> 00:34:24,844
came from one of history's
great engineering innovators.
628
00:34:31,418 --> 00:34:32,985
In the late 1940s,
629
00:34:32,987 --> 00:34:35,754
a British engineer's
groundbreaking experiment
630
00:34:35,756 --> 00:34:37,389
would earn him the nickname
631
00:34:37,391 --> 00:34:41,260
"the father of the Maglev."
632
00:34:41,262 --> 00:34:44,363
This is a sheet of aluminium.
633
00:34:44,365 --> 00:34:48,200
When I put it on the motor
and switch on the magnets,
634
00:34:48,202 --> 00:34:51,303
something pretty
dramatic occurs.
635
00:34:51,305 --> 00:34:54,573
Electrical genius
Eric laithwaite
636
00:34:54,575 --> 00:34:58,377
developed the first practical
linear electric motor,
637
00:34:58,379 --> 00:35:02,915
creating an effect he later
dubbed the magnetic river.
638
00:35:02,917 --> 00:35:05,284
First of all, it will levitate,
639
00:35:05,286 --> 00:35:08,087
or support, an aluminium plate.
640
00:35:08,089 --> 00:35:10,589
It will guide it sideways,
641
00:35:10,591 --> 00:35:13,092
and it will also
propel it along.
642
00:35:13,094 --> 00:35:15,694
The linear motor
643
00:35:15,696 --> 00:35:20,299
takes a traditional coiled
electric motor and unrolls it.
644
00:35:20,301 --> 00:35:24,270
Instead of spinning a rotor,
what was the coil, or stator,
645
00:35:24,272 --> 00:35:28,040
provides a bed that drives
the object along its length.
646
00:35:32,045 --> 00:35:35,447
And there you have your modern
647
00:35:35,449 --> 00:35:40,052
vehicle being guided,
lifted, and propelled,
648
00:35:40,054 --> 00:35:42,488
all by means of
the same set of coils.
649
00:35:42,490 --> 00:35:45,257
Laithwaite's experiments
650
00:35:45,259 --> 00:35:49,094
provided the key that unlocked
the potential of the Maglev.
651
00:35:59,539 --> 00:36:02,107
The builders of
the transrapid Maglev system
652
00:36:02,109 --> 00:36:05,544
constructed a series
of stator blocks.
653
00:36:05,546 --> 00:36:07,713
They are the main component
of the linear motor
654
00:36:07,715 --> 00:36:09,882
and act as the propulsion system
for the train.
655
00:36:13,019 --> 00:36:15,220
Once installed,
they were tested in Germany,
656
00:36:15,222 --> 00:36:17,723
and in combination
with the support
657
00:36:17,725 --> 00:36:22,528
and guidance magnets, enabled
the Shanghai Maglev to levitate.
658
00:36:29,970 --> 00:36:34,974
The train can travel
over 300 miles an hour
659
00:36:34,976 --> 00:36:37,443
without an on board engine.
660
00:36:39,646 --> 00:36:43,849
A linear motor
is embedded into the guideways.
661
00:36:43,851 --> 00:36:47,152
But don't be fooled
662
00:36:47,154 --> 00:36:51,824
into thinking this whole track
is electrified all the time.
663
00:36:51,826 --> 00:36:54,727
What is so brilliant
about this system
664
00:36:54,729 --> 00:36:57,830
is that only the sections
of the track
665
00:36:57,832 --> 00:36:59,865
on which the vehicle moves
666
00:36:59,867 --> 00:37:02,201
is powered at any time.
667
00:37:05,839 --> 00:37:11,343
So as it sets off, the track
ahead of it is dormant,
668
00:37:11,345 --> 00:37:14,780
and only the section in front
of the Maglev turns on.
669
00:37:14,782 --> 00:37:19,318
As soon as the Maglev has passed
over the short section of track,
670
00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:21,954
it turns off again,
671
00:37:21,956 --> 00:37:25,624
as the job of pushing
the Maglev along is taken up
672
00:37:25,626 --> 00:37:28,661
by the next section of track.
673
00:37:28,663 --> 00:37:32,564
And so on and so on,
all the way to its destination.
674
00:37:38,872 --> 00:37:41,473
But with less than six inches
675
00:37:41,475 --> 00:37:43,575
between the Maglev
and its guideway,
676
00:37:43,577 --> 00:37:46,445
even the slightest malfunction
could be catastrophic.
677
00:37:46,447 --> 00:37:48,814
It is critical to maintain
678
00:37:48,816 --> 00:37:52,751
an even gap between
the train and the track,
679
00:37:52,753 --> 00:37:55,654
no matter how many
passengers are on board.
680
00:37:55,656 --> 00:37:57,489
To do this,
the Maglev's builders
681
00:37:57,491 --> 00:38:01,527
had to create one last piece
of impossible engineering.
682
00:38:13,506 --> 00:38:15,908
Traveling at an astonishing
683
00:38:15,910 --> 00:38:17,743
268 miles per hour
684
00:38:17,745 --> 00:38:21,680
while floating on
a magnetic field,
685
00:38:21,682 --> 00:38:24,750
the Shanghai Maglev is the only
high-speed train of its kind
686
00:38:24,752 --> 00:38:27,252
operating commercially
in the world.
687
00:38:31,458 --> 00:38:34,326
But having a levitating train
fly through Shanghai
688
00:38:34,328 --> 00:38:37,763
at such high speeds comes with
several engineering challenges.
689
00:38:37,765 --> 00:38:43,001
There is a carriage
hurtling along
690
00:38:43,003 --> 00:38:45,971
at over 430 kilometers per hour.
691
00:38:45,973 --> 00:38:49,141
So it is critical to control
692
00:38:49,143 --> 00:38:51,744
fluctuations in
the magnetic field
693
00:38:51,746 --> 00:38:53,779
and maintain an even gap
694
00:38:53,781 --> 00:38:56,381
between the train and the track,
695
00:38:56,383 --> 00:38:59,852
no matter how many passengers
are on board
696
00:38:59,854 --> 00:39:02,688
or what variations there are
in the load it's carrying.
697
00:39:02,690 --> 00:39:05,524
With just six inches between
698
00:39:05,526 --> 00:39:09,661
the Maglev and its guideway,
any errors could see the train
699
00:39:09,663 --> 00:39:11,430
crunch into the track.
700
00:39:16,970 --> 00:39:19,071
The engineering team's solution,
701
00:39:19,073 --> 00:39:20,906
as physicist Andrew Steele
demonstrates,
702
00:39:20,908 --> 00:39:22,674
relies on sensors
constantly regulating
703
00:39:22,676 --> 00:39:25,911
the current flowing through
the electromagnets.
704
00:39:25,913 --> 00:39:27,246
There we go.
705
00:39:27,248 --> 00:39:29,481
You can see this
permanent magnet
706
00:39:29,483 --> 00:39:32,251
is suspended underneath
this electromagnet.
707
00:39:32,253 --> 00:39:33,919
Whenever
the permanent magnet moves
708
00:39:33,921 --> 00:39:35,420
slightly imperceptibly closer,
709
00:39:35,422 --> 00:39:37,756
this little sensor on
the bottom here detects that,
710
00:39:37,758 --> 00:39:39,691
sends a message down
to these electronics,
711
00:39:39,693 --> 00:39:42,027
and tells the electromagnet
to become a little bit weaker.
712
00:39:42,029 --> 00:39:43,529
It turns down the current.
713
00:39:43,531 --> 00:39:45,798
That allows the ball to fall
away a little bit.
714
00:39:45,800 --> 00:39:48,066
As it falls away,
the sensor detects that again
715
00:39:48,068 --> 00:39:50,335
and increases the strength
of the electromagnet
716
00:39:50,337 --> 00:39:52,104
and pulls the ball
back towards it.
717
00:39:52,106 --> 00:39:53,772
So one complication
of this system
718
00:39:53,774 --> 00:39:56,308
is that your feedback system
always needs to be working,
719
00:39:56,310 --> 00:39:58,110
and it needs to be
working very fast.
720
00:39:58,112 --> 00:39:59,211
You can see this ball
721
00:39:59,213 --> 00:40:00,712
is spinning and wobbling
a tiny bit,
722
00:40:00,714 --> 00:40:02,381
and that's fine for a little
demonstration like this.
723
00:40:02,383 --> 00:40:03,582
But if you got a train traveling
724
00:40:03,584 --> 00:40:05,083
at hundreds of kilometers
an hour along the track,
725
00:40:05,085 --> 00:40:06,552
you're going to need
a very, very sensitive
726
00:40:06,554 --> 00:40:09,354
and accurate feedback system.
727
00:40:17,664 --> 00:40:19,798
The Shanghai Maglev
728
00:40:19,800 --> 00:40:24,603
takes this simple concept
to a whole new level.
729
00:40:24,605 --> 00:40:30,542
There are 128 sensors in each
section of the Maglev vehicle.
730
00:40:30,544 --> 00:40:33,412
They feed back the distance
between magnets and track
731
00:40:33,414 --> 00:40:35,581
thousands of times a second.
732
00:40:37,784 --> 00:40:40,519
Powerful computers adjust
the electromagnet's current
733
00:40:40,521 --> 00:40:44,756
constantly
with microscopic accuracy.
734
00:40:44,758 --> 00:40:46,959
This is the guideway,
735
00:40:46,961 --> 00:40:52,030
and the train floats one
centimeter from the guideway.
736
00:40:52,032 --> 00:40:53,966
Now, that is incredible
precision.
737
00:40:53,968 --> 00:40:56,435
Now, there's a computer system
that makes sure
738
00:40:56,437 --> 00:40:58,570
that, all of the time,
the train floats
739
00:40:58,572 --> 00:41:02,040
at one centimeter
from the guideway.
740
00:41:06,045 --> 00:41:07,946
An advanced computer system
741
00:41:07,948 --> 00:41:10,182
regulates the operation
of the train service.
742
00:41:10,184 --> 00:41:13,518
Each journey's travel time
is predictable to the second.
743
00:41:13,520 --> 00:41:16,622
Now, this is
the ambition of the Maglev,
744
00:41:16,624 --> 00:41:18,290
with computer systems
745
00:41:18,292 --> 00:41:23,161
able to achieve
an extremely precise service.
746
00:41:35,675 --> 00:41:37,876
It's taken decades of planning,
747
00:41:37,878 --> 00:41:40,212
design, and testing to create
748
00:41:40,214 --> 00:41:44,516
the world's only commercially
operating high-speed Maglev.
749
00:41:48,988 --> 00:41:51,857
It's a unique concept that
throws away the rule book
750
00:41:51,859 --> 00:41:53,525
for traditional train travel
751
00:41:53,527 --> 00:41:58,463
and makes high-speed journeys
possible in engineless vehicles.
752
00:41:58,465 --> 00:42:01,900
A system like the Maglev
753
00:42:01,902 --> 00:42:05,237
points to the future of
transport in our world,
754
00:42:05,239 --> 00:42:07,806
incredible things
to be achieved.
755
00:42:07,808 --> 00:42:10,509
This shows us that
we can get people moving
756
00:42:10,511 --> 00:42:13,445
from "a" to "b" in short
periods of time,
757
00:42:13,447 --> 00:42:16,782
which is great.
758
00:42:18,851 --> 00:42:21,486
By drawing on
the innovations of the past,
759
00:42:21,488 --> 00:42:24,623
adapting, improving them,
760
00:42:24,625 --> 00:42:26,825
and making breakthroughs
of their own,
761
00:42:26,827 --> 00:42:28,493
the designers and engineers
762
00:42:28,495 --> 00:42:30,395
of the Shanghai Maglev
763
00:42:30,397 --> 00:42:33,398
have realized the dream
of a super-fast train
764
00:42:33,400 --> 00:42:35,233
that flies without wings
765
00:42:35,235 --> 00:42:39,738
and have succeeded in making
the impossible...
766
00:42:41,774 --> 00:42:44,710
Possible.
767
00:42:44,712 --> 00:42:47,713
It's kind of unbelievable
768
00:42:47,715 --> 00:42:52,050
that there's a train that goes
over 400 kilometers an hour.
769
00:42:52,052 --> 00:42:55,220
It is a vision of the future,
770
00:42:55,222 --> 00:42:56,955
and it's here right now.
771
00:42:57,005 --> 00:43:01,555
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