Abstract:
A maglev vehicle is provided including a nose and/or tail section ( 1, 1   b ) containing a plurality of guidance magnets (FM 1  to FM 6 ) which are formed of cores ( 15 ) and windings ( 24 ) wound onto said cores and connected to control circuits ( 17 ). The guidance magnets (e.g. FM 1  to FM 3 ) are provided with an at least partially higher number of windings ( 24 ) in a front zone of the nose section ( 1 ) in relation to the direction of travel (v) or in the rear zone of the tail section ( 1   b ) in relation to the direction of travel (v).

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a United States National Phase application of International Application PCT/DE2007/001422 and claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of German Patent Application DE 10 2006 042 138.8 filed Sep. 5, 2006, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a magnetic levitation vehicle (maglev vehicle) with a nose section with a plurality of guiding magnets arranged one behind the other in a direction of travel and a plurality of control circuits assigned to the guiding magnets, wherein the guiding magnets are at least partly provided with cores having two or more winding levels and with several windings arranged in the winding levels, lying one behind the other in the direction of travel and forming magnet poles. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Maglev vehicles of this kind are known from prior art (e.g. DE 10 2004 056 438 A1). Guiding magnet systems of this type serve the purpose of keeping a magnetic levitation vehicle within the track gauge, particularly during curve rides and with lateral load interferences (e.g. due to wind), and for this purpose they are controlled by the aid of control circuits and gap sensors assigned to them in such a manner that a gap hereinafter designated as guiding gap between their magnet pole shanks and a lateral guiding rail is always maintained at a pre-selected value, e.g. 10 mm. With prior art guiding magnet systems, two groups of three guiding magnets each arranged in series and one braking magnet each located between these two groups are provided per vehicle or vehicle section in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle to serve this purpose. Each guiding magnet is formed by a magnet arrangement which has a core extending in the vehicle&#39;s longitudinal direction and two winding levels in which several windings each and gap sensors assigned to them are arranged behind each other. The windings and gap sensors in each guiding magnet are so connected in series in pairs each and so connected to the control circuits that a far-reaching redundancy is obtained. This means that the two windings lying one above each other at those ends of a guiding magnet which border a zone free from guiding magnets, i.e. which for example border a gap formed by a braking facility or the front or rear end of the vehicle are served by two different control circuits. At the same time, a redundant behavior at those ends of the guiding magnets that border another guiding magnet is achieved in that in case of a failure of the windings or control circuits located there the guiding function is taken over by the neighbored guiding magnet by feeding to the adjacent windings thereof a correspondingly higher current. 
     Guiding magnet systems composed of such guiding magnets are of a symmetrical setup throughout. On the one hand this means they are equally set-up regardless of whether they are installed into a nose section, a center section, or a rear section. On the other hand, the symmetry also consists in that the guiding magnets are mirror-symmetrically configured and arranged on both sides of a center level of the sections extending diagonally to the direction of travel, wherein a central area of each section in most cases is a zone free of guiding magnets and provided with a braking facility. The only deviation from an exact mirror-symmetry may consist in that transitional areas between two vehicle sections are also provided with guiding magnets and therefore the guiding magnets bordering them and arranged in the sections involved are provided with a number of windings which is less than the number that would be required on omission of the guiding magnets existing in the transitional areas. 
     The guiding magnet systems of magnetic levitation vehicles of the kind described are generally overdimensioned. Owing to the described symmetrical type of construction, the magnetic and/or guiding forces to be achieved are calculated based upon the heaviest loads occurring in operation. Though this bears the advantage that the entire magnetic levitation vehicle can be equipped with few different guiding magnet types, one has to put up with the fact that too high a reserve of magnetic force is available at some points along the vehicle and therefore more weight than necessary is installed due to the accordingly largely dimensioned iron cores. If this is to be avoided, loads may occur at certain points that are so high that the force of the guiding magnets is insufficient here, which would have an adverse influence on traveling comfort. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Now, therefore, the technical problem underlying the present invention is to equip the magnetic levitation vehicle of the species designated hereinabove with guiding magnets in such a manner that loads occurring during operation are taken into account in a better way than done hitherto on the one hand and that no superfluous weight needs to be installed any longer on the other hand. 
     According to the invention, a magnetic levitation vehicle is provided comprising a nose section. The nose section is comprised of a plurality of guiding magnets arranged one behind the other in a direction of travel and a plurality of control circuits assigned to the guiding magnets. The guiding magnets are at least partly provided with cores having two or more winding levels and with several windings arranged in the winding levels, lying one behind the other in the direction of travel and forming magnet poles. At least two windings each lying immediately next to each other or above each other are electrically connected in series with one of the control circuits assigned thereto. The guiding magnets in a front portion of the nose section area lying at the front in the direction of travel are at least partly provided with a larger number of windings than a more rearwardly portion in the nose section area lying more rearwardly in the direction of travel. 
     The magnetic levitation vehicle advantageously further comprises a tail section which is comprised of a plurality of guiding magnets arranged one behind the other in the direction of travel and a plurality of control circuits assigned to said guiding magnets. The guiding magnets are provided at least partly with cores having two or more winding levels and with several windings arranged in the winding levels, lying one behind the other in the direction of travel and forming magnet poles. At least two windings each lying immediately next to each other or above each other are electrically connected in series with one of the control circuits assigned thereto. The guiding magnets in a rear portion of the tail section in an area lying at the rear in the direction of travel are at least partly provided with a larger number of windings than in a more forward portion of the tail section in an area lying toward the front in the direction of travel. 
     By way of the present invention, it is for the first time ever that a guiding magnet system is created which on the one hand is “site-orientated”, i.e. it has the required power reserves everywhere in longitudinal direction of the magnetic levitation vehicle, and on the other hand it can nevertheless be largely optimized with regard to weight, number of coils and/or windings as well as redundancy. 
     Other advantageous features of the present invention become evident from the text below. The invention is described and outlined in greater detail as set forth below by way of the attached drawings based on examples of embodiments. The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic lateral view of a part of the nose section of a magnetic levitation vehicle; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view showing the set-up of a guiding magnet system of the nose section according to  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view showing the allocation of windings of the guiding magnets to control circuits with the nose section according to  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic lateral view similar to  FIG. 1 , but relative to a transitional area between a nose section according to  FIG. 1  and a middle section of the magnetic levitation vehicle; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view similar to  FIG. 3 , but relative to a transitional area between a nose section according to  FIG. 1  and a middle section of the magnetic levitation vehicle; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view showing one of various examples of embodiments of guiding magnets applied in an inventive magnetic levitation vehicle; 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic view showing one of various examples of embodiments of guiding magnets applied in an inventive magnetic levitation vehicle; 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic view showing one of various examples of embodiments of guiding magnets applied in an inventive magnetic levitation vehicle; 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic view showing one of various examples of embodiments of guiding magnets applied in an inventive magnetic levitation vehicle; and 
         FIG. 10  is a schematic lateral view showing a magnetic levitation vehicle comprised of one nose, middle, and tail section each and the guiding magnets used therein. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawings in particular,  FIG. 1  schematically shows a front zone of a nose section  1  of a magnetic levitation vehicle in a side view. The usual direction of travel of the nose section  1  is indicatively shown by arrow v. Moreover, reference number  2  designates a zone lying in the front viewed in the direction of travel v, while reference number  3  designates a zone of nose section  1  located downstream thereof in the direction of travel v. The two zones  2  and  3  are generally defined by the position of a braking facility  4  in form of an eddy-current brake or the like, which is arranged downstream of a pre-selected number of guiding magnets FM 1 , FM 2  and FM 3 , i.e. three guiding magnets in this case, in the nose section  1 . 
     Furthermore,  FIG. 1  coarsely schematically shows some bogie sections  5   a ,  5   b , and  5   c  of a bogie which in longitudinal direction of nose section  1  are arranged behind each other and engaged via not shown pneumatic springs to a wagon box  6  of nose section  1 . The bogie sections  5   a ,  5   b , and  5   c  are comprised of support elements  8 ,  9  in form of frame parts spaced in longitudinal direction and connected through longitudinal beams  7  and provided with one front and one rear support part  10 ,  11 , and/or  12 ,  14  each. Accordingly, in the embodiment example, the guiding magnet FM 1  being the foremost in the direction of travel is so connected to the bogie section  5   a  that its front end is connected to the rear support part  11  of the front support element  8  and its rear end to the front support part  12  of the rear support element  9 , as is clearly shown in  FIG. 1 . The next guiding magnet FM 2  at its front end is pivoted to the rear support part  14  of the rear support element  9  of the bogie section  5   a  and at is rear end to the front support part  10   a  of a front support element  8   a  of the bogie section  5   b  following suit in the direction of travel. The third guiding magnet FM 3  by analogy to the first guiding magnet FM 1  is connected to the bogie section  5   b . The described arrangement can be continued along the entire nose section  1 . Preferably, however, downstream of the guiding magnet FM 3  along a section which corresponds to the length of a guiding magnet, the braking facility  4  is built-in which forms a zone free of guiding magnets and which is pivoted to the upstream and downstream bogie section  5   b  and  5   c  each. Thus, a this point, the engagement of another guiding magnet to the rear support part  14   a  of the support element  9   a  is missing in the same manner as the front support part  10  of the front support element  8  in the nose area is not coupled to a guiding magnet, because a zone free of guiding magnets also lies upstream of the guiding magnet FM 1 —viewed in the direction of travel. As shown in  FIG. 1 , on the side lying on the right side, i.e. in the direction of travel v downstream of the braking facility  4 , the arrangement is configured accordingly, commencing with a guiding magnet FM 4 . Moreover, it is obvious that only an area  2  of the nose section  1  lying at the front in the area of travel is shown in  FIG. 1  and that there may be corresponding guiding magnets and, if any, further braking facilities  4  in the rear area  3  which is only partially visible in  FIG. 1 . In the example of the embodiment, however, the assumption is that three guiding magnets are also arranged in the direction of travel v downstream of the braking facility  4  which is followed by a middle section or a rear section which is engaged to the nose section  1  by way of a usual coupling. 
     In the spaces taken by the guiding magnets FM 1  to FM 3  as shown in FIG.  1 —viewed in the direction of travel v—four magnet poles and/or magnet pole shanks each arranged one behind the other can be accommodated which are comprised of cores and assigned windings.  FIG. 2  exemplarily shows it for a core  15  of a guiding magnet FM. Core  15  comprises three shanks  15   a ,  15   b , and  15   c  whose free forefront areas lie in one plane and which together with a non-shown lateral guiding rail mounted at the guideway of the magnetic levitation vehicle form a guiding gap not shown either between it and the guiding magnet FM. The web parts of core  15  which connect the shanks  15   a  to  15   c  are wrapped in two winding levels arranged above each other with windings  16   a   1  to  16   a   4  and  16   b   1  to  16   b   4  lying behind each other in the direction of travel and/or in longitudinal direction so that the guiding magnet FM may maximally comprise eight windings  16 . The windings  16  are controlled by control circuits  17  in such a manner that the magnitude of the guiding gap during the ride of the magnetic levitation vehicle mainly remains constant. For this purpose, the control circuit  17  schematically indicated in  FIG. 2  for the winding  16   b   1  at least comprises one gap sensor  18 , a comparator  19  connected to it, a control element  20  connected to it and an actuator  21 , e.g. a current actuator, connected to the control element  20  and to the winding  16   b   1 . The gap sensor  18  supplies a signal which corresponds to the actual value of the guide gap and which is compared in comparator  19  with the setpoint signal for the guide gap supplied through a line  22 . From the difference between the actual values and setpoint values, the control element  20  computes an actuator signal supplied to the actuator  21 . Finally, the actuator  21  controls the current through the winding  16   b   1  in such a manner that the part of the guide gap influenced by it steadily corresponds mainly to the setpoint value. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , it is not always required to accommodate the maximally eight possible magnet poles within the space provided for each guiding magnet and defining a pre-selected grid dimension. Instead, in the example of the embodiment, all guiding magnets FM 1  to FM 3  comprise less than eight magnet poles and/or windings, each of which being indicatively shown by hatched boxes, with each box intended to represent one magnet pole shank and the assigned winding. In its front half, the guiding magnet FM 1 , in particular, comprises windings  24   a ,  24   b ,  24   c , and  24   d  spread on two levels, while in its rear half it only comprises two windings  24   e  and  24   f , which are arranged in one level one behind the other. In a unique level which preferably corresponds to the level of the windings  24   e  and  24   f , the guiding magnet FM 2  comprises four windings  24   g ,  24   h ,  24   i , and  24   j  arranged one behind the other. The guiding magnet FM 3  is configured mirror-symmetrically to the guiding magnet FM 1  and like this it is provided with six windings. The guiding magnets FM 4  etc. following downstream of the braking facility are configured like the guiding magnets FM 1  to FM 3 , though arranged mirror-symmetrically to these. 
     To economize on control circuits  17  ( FIG. 2 ), the windings  24  each are combined in a series connection and connected to an assigned control circuit  17 . This is schematically shown in  FIG. 3  in which the windings  24   a  to  24   j  etc. shown in  FIG. 1  are represented by single fields occupied with Roman figures. Fields with identical figures indicate that the relevant windings are switched in series and assigned to the same control circuit  17 . For example, a comparison between  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 3  shows that the windings  24   a  and  24  are assigned to a control circuit I, while the windings  24   b  and  24   c  are assigned to a control circuit II, and the windings  24   e ,  24   f  are assigned to a control circuit III. 
     From the described arrangement, it follows that at those points where the guiding magnets border on the zones being free of guiding magnets, two pairs of windings each (e.g.  24   a ,  24   b , and  24   c ,  24   d ) are arranged one behind the other, while only individual windings  24   e  to  24   j  etc. each exist there in between. The main reason for this arrangement is the required redundancy. In the middle areas of nose section  1 , for example, a winding pair (e.g.  24   e ,  24   f ) located at the end of a guiding magnet can be supplied with an increased current through the assigned control circuit III, if one winding couple (e.g.  24   g ,  24   h ) of a neighboring guiding magnet or the control circuit (e.g. IV) assigned to it fails to work. The one guiding magnet can thereby at least partly compensate the failure of the defective guiding magnet. This possibility is not given where the guiding magnets FM 1  or FM 3  border on a zone being free of guiding magnets. Therefore the arrangement taken there is chosen in such a manner that it is inherently redundant. It means that in this case, for example, the windings  24   b ,  24   c  lying diagonally above each other are supplied with increased current from control circuit II, if the winding couple from the windings  24   a  and  24   d  also lying diagonally above each other or if the assigned control circuit I fails to work. 
     In the rear area of nose section I, appropriate guiding magnets FM 4 , FM 5 , and FM 6  are provided for, as is schematically shown in  FIG. 4 . At the right end of nose section  1  shown in  FIG. 1 , in particular, there could be a guiding magnet FM 6  corresponding to the guiding magnet FM 3 . This is expedient in particular in those cases in which the nose section  1  is to be utilized on its own, too. However, if it is constantly used with a coupled middle or tail section, then the arrangement according to  FIGS. 4 and 5  lends itself suitable, in which the conditions at a rear end of nose section  1  viewed in the direction of travel v and at a front end of a middle section  1   a  coupled to it are shown, which comprise among others the guiding magnets FM 7 , FM 8 , and FM 9 . 
     In  FIGS. 4 and 5 , it has been taken into account that a transitional area  26  between the coupled sections  1  and  1   a  of a magnetic levitation vehicle like transitions to the already described zones being free of guiding magnets entail undesired load changes. Therefore, the exemplary embodiment according to  FIGS. 4 and 5  provides for configuring the last guiding magnet FM 6  at the rear end of the nose section  1  and the first guiding magnet FM 7  at the beginning of the middle section  1   a  each not like the guiding magnet FM 4  and/or FM 1  but like the guiding magnets FM 2 . Moreover, in the transitional area  26  between the guiding magnets FM 6  and FM 7 , another guiding magnet FM 10  is arranged which is also configured like the guiding magnet FM 2  and which comprises four windings  24   k ,  24   l ,  24   m , and  24   n  which expediently lie in the same plane as the windings of the guiding magnets FM 6  and FM 7 . The allocations of control circuits IX to XIV result from  FIG. 6 , according to which two windings each lying one behind the other in the direction of travel v (e.g.  24   k ,  24   l , or  24   m ,  24   n ) are connected in series circuitry with an assigned control circuit (e.g. XI and XII). 
     A corresponding arrangement can be provided in all transitional areas between the nose, tail and middle sections existing in an individual case. 
     An advantage of the configuration of guiding magnets FM 6 , FM 7 , and FM 10  that becomes evident from  FIGS. 4 and 5  lies in that a band of windings and/or magnetic poles is obtained through them, i.e. a continuous magnetic flow band, which runs through uninterruptedly between two zones being free of guiding magnets, e.g. in form of braking facilities  4  and  4   a  in  FIG. 4 . In this band, the windings lie individually one behind the other with the consequence that a continuous rupture and rebuilding of the magnetic flow is avoided and that load changes as well as moments to be observed can occur only where zones being free of guiding magnets are unavoidable in the way as valid for the beginning or the end of a magnetic levitation vehicle or for the braking facilities  4 ,  4   a . It is obvious that the arrangement described in  FIGS. 1 to 5  for the nose section  1  and a middle section  1   a  may also be provided for in a tail section, more particularly if the magnetic levitation vehicle is configured symmetrically towards the vehicle center and for movement in two opposite directions, i.e. comprised of nose and tail sections of an identical setup though arranged mirror-symmetrically to a center plane. 
     Guiding magnet systems of this kind are known in particular from the document DE 10 2004 056 438 A which is hereby made by reference an object of the present disclosure to avoid repetition (corresponding US application publication US2008257197 is also incorporated herein by reference). 
     The guiding magnet systems described therein have not proved to be absolutely ideal. In particular it became evident that different loads occur at individual pivot points of the bogie formed by support parts  14 ,  10   a ,  14   a , etc. For example, the first guiding magnet FM 1  in the direction of travel v must not only pull the nose section  1  more strongly into the curves provided along the guideway, but in general it also has to compensate for stronger wind loads and/or incline drift-down forces than those valid for guiding magnet systems in middle areas of nose section  1  and for middle and tail sections coupled to them. According to the present invention it is therefore proposed to provide the guiding magnets in an area of nose section  1  lying at the front in the direction of travel v with a larger number of windings than in an area lying at the rear in the direction of travel. For this purpose, another three embodiments for the magnet arrangements of the guiding magnets are provided according to  FIGS. 6 to 8 . A fourth embodiment according to  FIG. 9  may alternatively be applied to the variants as per  FIGS. 6 and 7 . 
     In  FIGS. 6 to 9 , those windings which already exist in the magnet arrangements as per  FIG. 1  are designated with the same reference numbers. A difference versus  FIG. 1  consists in that for example in  FIG. 6  the windings  24   a ,  24   b ,  24   e , and  24   f  are represented in the lower rather than in the upper winding level and vice-versa the windings  24   c ,  24   d  are represented in the upper rather than in the lower winding level. But this does not imply a difference in principle, because the desired function of the guiding magnets can be obtained regardless of whether the mentioned windings are arranged in the upper or in the lower winding level. 
       FIG. 6  schematically shows a magnet arrangement  28  for a guiding magnet which like in  FIG. 1  comprises the four windings  24   a ,  2   b ,  24   e , and  24   f  in a first winding level and the two windings  24   c ,  24   d  in a second winding level, while an additional winding  24   o  is accommodated in the second winding level at the end of magnet arrangement  28  which is provided with winding  24   f . A gap  29  having the size of one winding remains between this winding  24   o  and the winding  24   d  existing in the same winding level, so that this guiding magnet on the whole comprises an odd number of seven magnet pole shanks and/or windings. The different hatching in  FIG. 6  indicate that on the one hand the front (left) winding couples comprised of windings  24   a ,  24   b , and  24   c ,  24   d  lying side by side are connected in series circuitry with one of the first and/or second assigned control circuit each, while on the other hand in the rear (right) area, the three windings  24   e ,  4   f  and  24   o  are connected in series circuitry to a third control circuit (e.g. to control circuit III in  FIG. 3 ). Alternatively, however, it is also possible to allocate the winding couples from the windings  24   a ,  24   d  and  24   b ,  24   c  lying diagonally above each other by analogy to  FIGS. 1 and 3  to control circuit I and/or II ( FIG. 3 ) each. 
       FIG. 7  shows another magnet arrangement  30  for a guiding magnet. In a first winding level, this magnet arrangement  30  is comprised of four windings  24   a ′,  24   b ′,  24   e ′,  24   f ′ arranged one behind the other and in a second winding level it is comprised of two windings  24   c ′ and  24   d ′ in the rear (right) part on the one hand and of an additional winding  24   o  at the front end. Therefore, this magnet arrangement  30  exactly corresponds to the magnet arrangement  28 , with the exception that it is turned by 180° about an axis  31  indicated in  FIG. 7 . A gap  29   a , therefore, comes to rest at a point which in comparison to  FIG. 6  is staggered by one winding. Moreover, like in case of  FIG. 6 , the windings  24   a ′,  24   b ′, and  24   c ′,  24   d ′ can for example be assigned to one control circuit each and the three windings  24   e ′,  24   f  and  24   o ′ can be connected to a third control circuit. Besides,  FIG. 7  shows that the magnet arrangement  30  like the magnet arrangement  28  ( FIG. 6 ) is comprised of seven windings and except for the winding  24   o ′ it corresponds to that of guiding magnet FM 3  in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 8  shows another magnet arrangement  32  which in a first winding level comprises the four windings  24   g  to  24   j  arranged one behind the other like in guiding magnet FM 2  in  FIG. 1 , but which at both ends additionally comprises a further winding  24   p  and  24   q  each arranged in a second winding level. Accordingly, three windings (e.g.  24   g ,  24   h , and  24   p  and/or  24   i ,  24   j , and  24   q  each lying immediately above each other and next to each other are connected in a series circuitry to one control circuit each, as indicated by the two different hatchings in  FIG. 8 . The magnet arrangement  32 , therefore, comprises six windings distributed to two winding levels, wherein the two windings  24   p  and  24   q  are separated by a gap  29   b  which corresponds to the length of two windings. 
     By way of the additional magnet arrangements  28 ,  30 , and  32 , in combination with the three magnet arrangements which form the guiding magnets FM 1 , FM 2 , and FM 3  in  FIG. 1 , six different magnet arrangements in total are obtained which form a modular box from which not only all the guiding magnets to be configured along a magnetic levitation vehicle but also the different loads can be considered that may occur at different sites of a magnetic levitation vehicle. 
     Another magnet arrangement  33  that can be utilized for the same purpose is shown in  FIG. 9 . In two winding levels, it comprises four windings each which are allocated according to the different hatchings in  FIG. 9  to three different control circuits. The magnet arrangement  33 , for example, originates from the magnet arrangement  28  according to  FIG. 6  by filling its gap  29  with another winding  24   r  so that all the eight possible windings exist here. 
     A possible equipment of a magnetic levitation vehicle by applying the windings described by way of  FIGS. 1 and 6  to  8  is shown in  FIG. 10  by an exemplary embodiment currently considered to be the best. In  FIG. 10 , the three sections, i.e. the nose section  1 , the middle section  1   a  and a tail section  1   b  configured mirror-symmetrically to the nose section  1  are indicatively shown with their outer peripheral contours only and for space related consideration they are shown in an arrangement one below the other, although in fact they are of course coupled one behind the other in conformity with  FIG. 4  in the direction of travel v. Moreover, the guiding magnets accommodated in the individual sections  1 ,  1   a , and  1   b  each are schematically shown underneath the relevant peripheral contour similarly as in  FIGS. 1 ,  4  and  6  to  8 . 
     By analogy to  FIG. 1 , each section  1 ,  1   a , and  1   b  in a middle area comprises a braking facility  4  and upstream and/or downstream thereof viewed in the direction of travel v it contains three guiding magnets each. In a foremost area of the nose section  1 , the guiding magnet FM 1  is formed by a magnet arrangement  28  according to  FIG. 5 . It is followed by the guiding magnet FM 2  with a magnet arrangement  32  according to  FIG. 8 , and arranged between the magnet arrangement  32  and the braking facility  4  is a magnet arrangement  30  according to  FIG. 7  of the guiding magnet FM 3 . According to the present invention, the three magnet arrangements  28 ,  30 , and  32  supersede the three magnet arrangements of guiding magnets FM 1  to FM 3  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     In the area located downstream of the braking facility  4 —viewed in the direction of travel v, the three guiding magnets FM 4 , FM 5 , and FM 6  of the nose section  1  are configured exactly as shown in  FIG. 4 , in addition there also being the windings  24   k  to  24   n  of the guiding magnet FM 10  in the transitional area between nose section  1  and middle section  1   a . Besides,  FIG. 10  shows that except for the points bordering on the braking facility  4  there are only magnet arrangements in the middle section  1   a  which correspond to the guiding magnets FM 5  to FM 8  in  FIG. 4 , whereas in those areas bordering on the braking facilities  4 , there are guiding magnets provided which correspond to the guiding magnets FM 9  and/or FM 4  in  FIG. 4 . 
     Finally, it becomes evident from  FIG. 10  that the tail section  1   b  is configured mirror-symmetrically to a central level  34  of the magnetic levitation vehicle which is perpendicular to the direction of travel v. Therefore, the tail section  1   b  has a magnet arrangement  30  as per  FIG. 7  at the rear right-hand end shown in  FIG. 10 , and a magnet arrangement  28  as per  FIG. 6  in an area bordering from the right-hand side on the braking facility  4 , and a magnet arrangement  32  as per  FIG. 8  between both of them. The rear area—viewed in the direction of travel—of the tail section  1   b , therefore, is configured mirror-symmetrically, but besides exactly as the front-end area of the nose section  1 . Accordingly this applies to the front-end area of the tail section  1   b , which is configured mirror-symmetrically to the rear area of the nose section  1 , because magnet arrangements  35 ,  36 , and  37  are provided here which correspond to the magnet arrangements of the guiding magnets FM 4  to FM 6 , with the magnet arrangement  35  being configured mirror-symmetrically to that of guiding magnet FM 4 . Moreover, in between of both sections  1   a  and  1   b , there is a magnet arrangement  38  which corresponds to the magnet arrangement of guiding magnet FM 10  existing between both sections  1  and  1   a.    
     The configuration of guiding magnets in various sections as described by way of  FIG. 10  bears the advantage that the sections are provided with the strongest magnet arrangements at those points where the highest loads occur, and therefore, they can be subjected to high guiding forces. In particular, in the nose and tail section  1 ,  1   b  in an area where the magnet arrangements  28 ,  32  face each other and/or border on each other, two winding couples and/or magnet pole couples (e.g.  24   f ,  24   o  an  24   g ,  24   p ) instead of hitherto only two single windings and/or magnet pole shanks (e.g.  24   f  and  24   g ) face each other as becomes evident by comparing  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 10 . By the aid of windings  24   o ,  24   p ,  24   q , and  24   o ′ which are additionally provided as compared with  FIG. 1 , substantially higher loads than in the other areas can be compensated which is particularly important in the pivoting points of the bogie. On the other hand, the arrangement has nevertheless been so chosen that in case of a failure of windings  24   e ,  24   f ,  24   o  or  24   e ′,  24   f ,  24   o ′, for example, or in case of a failure of the assigned control circuits, the windings  24   g ,  24   h ,  24   p  and/or  24   i ,  24   j ,  24   q  can compensate this failure with an appropriate increase in current. In the rear area of nose section  1  and in the following sections  1   a ,  1   b , such an increase in magnetic force generally is not required, which is the reason why the hitherto chosen arrangement ( FIG. 1  and  FIG. 4 ) are is maintained. Conversely, the tail section  1   b  is expediently configured mirror-symmetrically to nose section  1  whenever it is to form a nose section in reversed direction of travel. Unless required, the tail section  1   b  could also be configured mirror-symmetrically to the nose section as per  FIG. 1  as done hitherto. 
     Besides, a comparison of  FIGS. 1 and 10  shows that the front part of the nose section  1  according to  FIG. 10  comprises twenty windings in total as compared with sixteen windings in  FIG. 1 , which corresponds to an increase in magnetic force by 25%. 
     For magnetic levitation vehicles which are exposed to extreme loads in the nose and tail section, the magnet arrangements  28  and/or  30  ( FIGS. 6 and 7 ) provided in  FIG. 10  can also be superseded by the magnet arrangement  33  ( FIG. 9 ). Thereby another winding  24   r  would be available to generate an increased guiding force. 
     Apart from the advantage of making it possible to generate guiding forces along the magnetic levitation vehicle depending on the site and load, the invention moreover bears another advantage in that as compared with the conventional arrangement as per  FIGS. 1 and 4  it is not required to create additional space for magnet poles and/or magnet pole shanks and that no additional control circuits are needed. Furthermore, viewed across the entire length of the magnetic levitation vehicle—it is possible to provide the smallest number of magnet poles (cores and windings) each that is feasible depending on the load occurring in a given case, thus also taking a positive influence on the overall weight of the magnetic levitation vehicle. And as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 4 , it is possible to configure a continuous magnet flow band between the zones being free of guiding magnets and thus to keep the number of load changes along the magnetic levitation vehicle small. 
     The present invention is not restricted to the described example of the embodiments which could be varied in a plurality of ways. In particular this applies to the described form of cores and windings of the magnet arrangements and to the configuration of the guiding magnets in all other respects. Moreover, further and/or differently configured magnet arrangements can be provided in addition to the described magnet arrangements, provided they do not substantially affect the described functions of the guiding magnet system. For this purpose, it is in principle sufficient for each magnet arrangement to be provided only with the windings described. The length of magnet arrangements measured in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and the configuration of the magnet poles expediently are equal everywhere according to a defined grid length. Furthermore, the invention is not restricted to the described numbers of guiding magnets, i.e. upstream and downstream of the braking facilities  4 ,  4   a , it is possible to provide only two or more than two guiding magnets. Moreover, there may be more than two braking facilities  4  per section, in between of which further guiding magnets are arranged. The number of control circuits, too, can be chosen to be different, with it being possible to assign one control circuit of its own to each individual winding. Though it would increase the cost, the setting-up of the redundancy would be simplified. Furthermore, it is clear and obvious that the guiding magnets can be equipped in an actually known manner with gap sensors which are arranged in the gaps between various windings as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 4 , for example. Besides, it is self-evident that the various features can be applied in combinations other than those described and illustrated. 
     While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.