12 TECHNOLOGY
Superconducting magnetic levitation railway: linear motor car
In 1962, even before the opening of the Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train services, Japan National Railways launched a project to develop the superconducting magnetic levitation railway system, using Japans original technologies. The development is currently being managed by the Railway Technical Research Institute, with the target of achieving stable operation at 500km per hour. Along the test routes built in Miyazaki Prefecture in 1977, the system achieved unmanned operation at 517km per hour in 1979, and manned operation at 411km per hour in 1995. Test operation began in 1997 at the Yamanashi Linear Motor Car Test Site in Yamanashi Prefecture, where it set a world record of 550km per hour. The superconducting magnetic levitation system uses an extended linear rotary motor. Attraction and reaction forces are generated between the magnetic field of the side wall of the guideway along the ground and the superconducting magnet on the train. These forces levitate and drive the train.
Ultra-large Floating Offshore Structure : Mega Float
This project is commonly called a mega float, meaning a mega (or giant) floating structure. The enormous structure comprises floating steel units measuring several kilometers in length and designed to last over 100 years. The structure serves as the artificial foundation for building various facilities in the effort to pursue advanced utilization of marine space. The system is generating great expectations as a new building method because the structure can be produced simultaneously with its anchoring devices and access facilities, thus shortening the overall construction period. Other advantages include the potential use of the floats internal space, minimal effects from earthquakes, and minimal influence on tidal flow and the ecosystem. Facilities expected to incorporate these advantages include large-scale offshore airports, disaster control facilities, logistics bases, and leisure facilities.
