Study to Establish Ride Comfort Criteria for High Speed Magnetically Levitated Transportation Systems

Final Report July 1992 - July 1993PDFTech ReportDOT-VNTSC-FRA-94-1DOT/FRA/NMI-94/1RR494/R4214Ride qualityPassenger comfortHigh speed ground transportationMagnetic levitation vehiclesUnited States. Federal Railroad AdministrationSussman, E. D.Pollard, John K.Mengert, PeterDisario, RobertJohn A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)NTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-SAFETY AND SECURITYNTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-Human FactorsVolpe National Transportation Systems Center, Technical Reference CenterAdvanced high speed fixed guideway transportation systems such as magnetic levitation systems have speed, acceleration,and banking capabilities which present new guideway design issues. This increased performance results in new concernsfor passenger comfort, particularly with regard to vertical and lateral motions. If existing highway and other rightsof way are to be used to the fullest extent at the very high speeds of which these systems are capable, the ride comfortconcerns translate into limitations on changes in grade, curve radii, and the transition spirals used to enter thecurves. This report examines the effect of rolling, banking, and vertical motions on the ride comfort ratings of seatedpassengers. The motions were produced using specific maneuvers in a small executive jet aircraft. The ride comfortratings were transformed to estimates of the probability that the passengers would ride again. Using a conservativerule, the motion environment should be such that 95 percent of passengers would not hesitate to ride again. This 95percent criterion was met when positive vertical accelerations were less than .30 g and negative vertical accelerationswere less than .20 g. In turning maneuvers, this occurred when roll rates were less than 7 degrees per second and bankangles were less than 37 degrees. The data were also used to estimate the percentage of passengers who would nothesitate to ride with roll rates up to 15 degrees per second, bank angles up to 40 degrees, and vertical accelerationsup to .25 g