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US 2022/0153317 A1Published application
Combined Pumping / Gas Source Unit Configured For Use in a Tubular Transportation System
AssigneeHyperloop Transportation Technologies, Inc.
InventorsALEXANDRE NEOPHYTOU, MICHAEL SARIN
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Abstract
Disclosed is a combined pumping/gas source unit configured for use in a tubular transportation system for transporting one or more passengers or one or more cargos via a capsule along a predetermined route, where the tubular transportation system comprises a plurality of substantially evacuated tubes arranged along the predetermined route, each tube in the plurality of substantially evacuated tubes maintained at a pressure that is below atmospheric pressure.
Claims20
A combined pumping/gas source unit configured for use in a tubular transportation system for transporting one or more passengers or one or more cargos via a capsule along a predetermined route, the tubular transportation system comprising a plurality of substantially evacuated tubes arranged along the predetermined route, each tube in the plurality of substantially evacuated tubes maintained at a pressure that is below atmospheric pressure, the combined pumping/gas source unit comprising:
- (a) a helium reservoir;
- (b) a helium gas injection valve coupled to the helium reservoir wherein, when the helium gas injection valve is open, the helium reservoir configured to provide helium to be introduced into a given tube;
- (c) a pumping unit;
- (d) a pump isolation valve coupled to the pumping unit wherein, wherein the pump isolation valve is configured to in any of the following conditions:
- open, partially open, or closed, wherein the pumping unit is configured to maintain the pressure in the tube below atmospheric pressure by evacuating gases in the given tube;
- (e) a pump system helium controller wherein, when a helium level in the given tube is not at a desired level as indicated by an Operations Control Center (OCC), the pump system helium controller, based on inputs from one or more multiple sensors and the desired level indicated by the OCC, directs one of the following:
- (1) closing the pump isolation valve and opening one or more helium flow valves to inject the desired level of helium from the helium reservoir into a pump system piping to the given tube, or
- (2) instructing the pump isolation valve to remain open or partially open and instructing the one or more helium flow valves to inject the desired amount of helium from the helium reservoir into one or more tube remote gas injectors, or
- (3) enabling convection flows between the combined pumping/gas source unit and another, adjacent, combined pumping/gas source unit wherein such a convection flow is enabled based on other, adjacent, combined pumping/gas source units that satisfy conditions (e)(1) or (e)(2);
- wherein helium is introduced into the given tube in order to maintain a percentage, x, of helium in the tube, wherein the first percentage, x, of helium is picked based on a predetermined power value and a leak rate associated with each tube.
7 more elements
A system comprising:
- (I) combined pumping/gas source unit configured for use in a tubular transportation system for transporting one or more passengers or one or more cargos via a capsule along a predetermined route, the tubular transportation system comprising a plurality of substantially evacuated tubes arranged along the predetermined route, each tube in the plurality of substantially evacuated tubes maintained at a pressure that is below atmospheric pressure, the combined pumping/gas source unit comprising:
- (a) a helium reservoir;
- (b) a helium gas injection valve coupled to the helium reservoir wherein, when the helium gas injection valve is open, the helium reservoir configured to provide helium to be introduced into a given tube;
- (c) a pumping unit;
- (d) a pump isolation valve coupled to the pumping unit wherein, wherein the pump isolation valve is configured to any of the following conditions:
- open, partially open, or closed, wherein the pumping unit is configured to maintain the pressure in the tube below atmospheric pressure by evacuating gases in the given tube;
- (e) a pump system helium controller wherein, when a helium level in the given tube is not at a desired level as indicated by an Operations Control Center (OCC), the pump system helium controller, based on inputs from one or more multiple sensors and the desired level indicated by the OCC, directs one of the following:
- (1) closing a pump isolation valve and opening one or more helium flow valves to inject the desired level of helium from the helium reservoir into a pump system piping to the given tube, or
- (2) instructing the pump isolation valve to remain open or partially open and instructing the one or more helium flow valves to inject the desired amount of helium from the helium reservoir into one or more tube remote gas control valves, or
- (3) enabling convection flows between the combined pumping/gas source unit and another, adjacent, combined pumping/gas source unit wherein such a convection flow is enabled based on other, adjacent, combined pumping/gas source units that satisfy conditions (I)(e)(1) or (II)(e)(2);
- wherein helium is introduced into the given tube in order to maintain a percentage, x, of helium in the tube, wherein the first percentage, x, of helium is picked based on a predetermined power value and a leak rate associated with each tube;
- and
- (II) a separation system receiving, as input, evacuated gases, wherein the separation system separates helium from the evacuated gases and forwarding separated helium to a valve controlling gas injection amount.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.