Personal rapid transit system

In a transportation system having an electrically propelled vehicle, means for controlling the speed and direction of said vehicle and propelling said vehicle comprising in combination:

• a guideway including main line segments as well as ON and OFF ramp segments, which permit stations to be accessed by said vehicle;
• said vehicle has a capacity of approximately 4 to 6 passengers:
• support means comprising air bearings mounted on the bottom of said vehicle;
• lateral support means on sides of said vehicle;
• said means reacting against side walls of said guideway to provide lateral guidance;
• propulsion means comprising a linear synchronous motor having a primary portion of said motor embedded in the surface of said guideway;
• said primary portion of said linear synchronous motor comprising segments having lengths equal to approximately half the longitudinal dimension of said vehicle;
• said linear synchronous motor primary segment ends are placed in juxtaposition with each other minimizing the size of cooperating secondary members;
• said linear synchronous motor having a primary winding which is excited by polyphase electric power in conjunction with an electronic control, which is adapted to apply said polyphase power on said linear synchronous motor primary segment when said vehicle passes into proper position above said segment and triggers a sensor, which detects when said vehicle is in proper position above said linear synchronous motor primary segment;
• said linear synchronous motor also including field structure of the permanent magnet type which is mounted on the bottom of said vehicle;
• linear induction motor secondary segments mounted one on each side near said bottom of said vehicle to perform, in cooperation with primary segments mounted in guideway sides to achieve:
• acceleration of said vehicle to guideway synchronous speed;
• steering direction of said vehicle at points in said guideway where the guideway main line has a break in one wall to form another choice of route of travel;
• dynamically braking vehicles at station stops;
• a means of reducing hunting of said linear synchronous motor;
• a means of generating auxiliary electrical power inside said vehicle by using a portion of the tractive effort which propels said vehicle;
• said means uses only variations in magnetic field intensity;
• said variations in magnetic field intensity caused by changes in reluctance of magnetic circuit produced by linear motion of said vehicle.