US 8,261,668 B2 · Propulsion vehicle which travels along a soft, porous track

Abstract

A vehicle track including a soft porous material and a vehicle which rides on the track by skiing cm the soft porous material. The vehicle has a large ski surface that rides on the soft porous material, supporting the weight of the vehicle at high speeds. Air within the soft porous material supplies most of the lift needed to support the train, Only a small amount of the support is provided by the structure of the porous material itself when the vehicle is in motion. As a result, the friction between the soft porous material and the ski surface may also be exceedingly small. To increase the amount of lift provided by the soft porous material it can be contained within a channel having impermeable sides and bottom. If the ski surface is substantially the same width as the channel, the impermeable sides prevent the air from escaping on either side of die ski surface. Accordingly, the trapped air contributes to greatly enhanced lift force. At lower speeds the vehicle can use wheels to support some or all of its weight. These wheels can ride on rails that are part of the track. The vehicle includes a propulsion system that is independent of the wheels so that it may travel over the soft porous material without running on the wheels.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A vehicle system comprising:

a vehicle including:
a train,
a ski surface disposed below the train, and
a propulsion system attached to the train to provide thrust to propel the train;
and
a track including:
a channel having a first impermeable side, a second impermeable side opposite the first impermeable side, and a bottom, and
a porous material including a plurality of fibers of substantially uniform radius, the porous material being disposed within the channel above the bottom and extending from the first impermeable side to the second impermeable side, the porous material having air disposed therein and configured such that the air substantially supports the weight of the vehicle when the vehicle travels above a predetermined velocity,
wherein the ski surface has a front end and a trailing edge and is configured to have a downward tilt angle toward the trailing edge with respect to the top surface of the porous material when the vehicle is propelled along the track by propulsion system such that air within the porous material provides a lift force on the ski surface.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Propulsion vehicle which travels along a soft, porous track

Life of this patent

Propulsion vehicle which travels along a soft, porous track

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20