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AssigneeMagtube, Inc.
InventorsOrlo James Fiske, Chen Chen, Michael Richard Ricci, Bradley Evan Paden
Estimating the term…
A magnetically levitated transportation system employs permanent magnet rails along a guideway that interact with permanent magnets on a vehicle. The rails are optimized to reduce magnetic mass, while maximizing lift force. In one example, the arrays are composed of arrays of magnets having rotating magnetizations, such as Halbach arrays. In another example, the arrays are cup-shaped to provide stronger magnetic field forces in the central portion of the array, relative to the lateral portion of the array. The vehicle may be stabilized in the lateral and yaw directions with feedback controlled lateral control coils that interact with the permanent magnet rails on the guideway. Vertical, pitch and roll motions may be controlled or damped with eddy-current damper coils or plates or with active feedback control to control the coils.
A transportation system comprising:
A transportation system comprising:
A transportation system comprising:
A transportation system comprising:
A magnetic levitation vehicle for traveling along a length of a guideway of a magnetic levitation transportation system, where the guideway is provided with at least one array of permanent magnets along its length, the vehicle comprising:
A magnetic levitation vehicle for traveling along a length of a guideway of a magnetic levitation transportation system, where the guideway is provided with at least one array of permanent magnets along its length, the vehicle comprising:
A guideway of a magnetic levitation transportation system for interacting with at least one magnet carried on a vehicle, to levitate the vehicle relative to the guideway, the guideway comprising:
A method of levitating a vehicle relative to a guideway, the method comprising:
A method of levitating a vehicle relative to a guideway, the method comprising:
A method of levitating a vehicle relative to a guideway, the method comprising:
A method of levitating a vehicle relative to a guideway, the method comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Electric propulsion for monorail vehicles, suspension vehicles or rack railways; Magnetic suspension or levitation for vehicles: magnetic…
Type of vehicles: rail vehicles
Electric vehicle propulsion
Term ended 7 May 2022 (estimated)
Drawings are temporarily unavailable. Open the PDF at USPTO
The present invention relates, generally, to transportation systems and processes, and in particular embodiments, to ground-based transportation systems and processes employing magnetically levitated vehicles for transportation of freight or passengers. Preferred embodiments are configured for relatively low-cost and energy efficient implementations.
It is widely recognized that transportation of freight and passengers is a necessary component of modern economic societies. In the last century, significant advances have been made with respect to speed and efficiency of transportation systems. Such advances have been driven, at least in part, by economic demand. Indeed, high-speed transportation of freight and passengers has long been recognized as having significant economic value. This is evidenced by the widespread use of air transportation and increasing use of high-speed rail in both freight and passenger markets.
However, there are a number of shortcomings of conventional transportation systems. Traditional high-speed rail systems require mechanical contact between wheels and rail, giving rise to wear, frictional losses of energy and vibrations. In addition, conventional air and rail systems experience significant aerodynamic drag, which increases energy costs. Moreover, modern air transportation requires human pilots, ground control systems, and expensive airports. Past efforts to address some of those shortcomings have included efforts to develop a practical magnetically levitated train system.
These and other aspects and advantages of embodiments of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which various embodiments of the present invention are shown by way of illustrative example.
Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numbers represent corresponding parts throughout:
FIGS. 1a and 1b each show a schematic representation of an arrangement of permanent magnets, to illustrate known principles of magnetic interaction.
The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplated mode of implementing embodiments of the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention. The scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
The present invention relates, generally, to transportation systems and processes, and in particular embodiments, to such systems and processes employing magnetically levitated vehicles for transportation of freight or passengers. A transportation system, according to embodiments of the invention, includes at least one vehicle and a guideway along which the vehicle is capable of traveling. In preferred embodiments, the vehicle is capable of carrying freight or passengers and includes one or more compartments or supports for holding freight or passengers.
As described in further detail below, the vehicle supports one or more magnets (or arrays of magnets) and one or more electromagnets for providing levitation and lateral control functions. The magnets (or magnet arrays) may comprise any suitable permanent magnet or magnetized material having a relatively large intrinsic coercivity, including, but not limited to well known alloys of neodymium-iron-boron, ferrite, samarium-cobalt, or the like. The electromagnets may comprise electromagnetic coils or other suitable structures for creating an electromagnetic field.