Middle School Maglev Contest at Brookhaven Lab, April 1

March 25, 2009

EVENT: Model Maglev vehicles built by Long Island middle school students will be judged on speed, efficiency, and appearance at the 19th Annual Middle School Magnetic Levitation Contest. Maglev — the suspension, guidance, and propulsion of vehicles by magnetic forces — was invented and patented in 1968 by Brookhaven National Laboratory scientists Gordon Danby and James Powell.

Media are invited to the contest. The event is closed to the general public because of space limitations. All visitors age 16 and older must bring a photo ID to be allowed on site.

WHEN: 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, April 1

WHERE: Brookhaven Center, Brookhaven National Laboratory. The Lab is located on William Floyd Parkway (County Road 46), one-and-a-half miles north of Exit 68 of the Long Island Expressway.

DETAILS: Nearly 180 middle school students from Nassau and Suffolk Counties have entered the 2009 Maglev contest. (See list of participating schools.) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory sponsors the event.

Maglev may one day solve today’s traffic congestion problems. Maglev vehicles float over a fixed track, supported and driven by magnetic fields. While barely leaving the ground, a Maglev vehicle may go as fast as an airplane. Students were required to design and construct model Maglev vehicles according to engineering specifications. Students recorded their planning process in “design briefs,” which also count in the judging. Scores of handmade vehicles zooming down Maglev tracks, cheered on by dozens of students, will provide excellent visuals.

Call Diane Greenberg at 631 344-2347 if you plan to attend the contest.

2009 Middle School MagLev Contest Participating Schools

  • Albert G. Prodell Middle School, Shoreham
  • Alfred G. Berner Middle School, Massapequa
  • Center Moriches Middle School, Center Moriches
  • East Northport Middle School, East Northport
  • Great Neck South Middle School, Great Neck
  • Hicksville Middle School, Hicksville
  • Longwood Junior High School, Middle Island
  • Longwood Middle School, Middle Island
  • Mineola Middle School, Mineola
  • Northport Middle School, Northport
  • Robert Moses Middle School, North Babylon
  • Roslyn Middle School, Roslyn

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