Air Cushion Vehicle (ACV): History Development and Maglev Comparison

Abstract

This paper will present the ACV working principle and a review of the past research developments of high-speed ACV trains and their efforts in countries like, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, and United States, and the low-speed ACV trains, revealing why the former did not match the expectations and failed, while the latter have been prospered and purchase a well-established market niche in short distance paths. Finally, this study will promote a direct comparison between the two technologies, ACV and MagLev, with advantages and disadvantages of each one. The ACV development will bring important insights to the research of MagLev trains from a technical and economic perspective, learning with errors of the ACV, that did not enable any high-speed projects to flourish, and, on other hand, the comparative success of the urban ACV, as a complete commercial solution, like the MagLev trains.