Global rapid transit infrastructure using linear induction drive
OwnerRonald H. Smithinventor
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Abstract
Transportation infrastructure comprises linear induction drives wherein a roadway surface is induced to simultaneously exert forward, lateral, levitation and three axis angular alignment forces on a vehicle and wherein a vehicle is capable of inducing roadway surface currents that produce said forces in said roadway surface. Comprehensive system sustains continuous traffic flow from the point of entering the infrastructure to the moment of disembarking in a parking facility. Transportation infrastructure comprises integration of air and space travel with substantially reduced cost and transit time.
Claims10
A roadway comprising a conductive surface disposed on a weight-bearing structure, said conductive surface operative to urge, in a primary direction of travel, a powered vehicle (a) disposed above said conductive surface and (b) having linear induction drive element arrays on a lower surface substantially parallel to and in close proximity to said conductive surface, said conductive surface having a nested pattern of regularly spaced non-conductive voids defining first and second current loop pathways in portions of said conductive surface surrounding said voids,
- wherein said nested pattern of voids includes:
- (i) a coarse pattern defined by an array of coarse conductive strips, each coarse strip having a long dimension transverse to said primary direction of travel, in combination with coarse conductive borders disposed transversely with respect to the long dimension of the coarse strips, so that adjacent pairs of coarse strips have a coarse void therebetween,
- (ii) a plurality of fine patterns, each fine pattern defined by an array of fine conductive strips in combination with fine conductive borders and disposed in one of the coarse voids and;
- (iii) an array of fine voids in each of said coarse conductive strips where each of said fine voids is rectangular and said array of fine voids is disposed transverse to said primary direction of travel,
- said linear induction drive element arrays on said powered vehicle said lower surface being further characterized in that a) at least one array of coarse linear induction drive elements is parallel to said array of coarse conductive strips and induces first currents in first conductive loops defined by said coarse conductive strips and first borders at edges of said coarse conductive strips, said first currents in said coarse conductive strips imparting forward or reverse forces on said coarse linear induction drive elements, said forward or reverse forces having vector amplitude with horizontal and vertical components and b) at least one array of fine linear induction drive elements is parallel to said array of fine voids and induces second currents in second current loop pathways defined by fine conductive strips and second borders surrounding each of said fine void array elements, said second currents in said fine conductive strips imparting lateral forces on said fine linear induction drive elements, said lateral forces having vector amplitude with horizontal and vertical components.
A dual mode vehicle comprising:
- a) linear induction drive element arrays on a lower surface of a lower structural member of said dual mode vehicle that is substantially parallel to and in close proximity to said roadway conductive surface, said linear induction drive element arrays on said dual mode vehicle lower surface being further characterized in that i) at least one array of coarse linear induction drive elements is parallel to said array of coarse conductive strips and induces first currents in first conductive loops defined by said coarse conductive strips and first borders at edges of said coarse conductive strips, said first currents in said coarse conductive strips imparting forward or reverse forces on said coarse linear induction drive elements, said forward or reverse forces having vector amplitude with horizontal and vertical components and ii) at least one array of fine linear induction drive elements is parallel to said array of fine voids and induces second currents in second current loop pathways defined by fine conductive strips and second borders surrounding each of said fine void array elements, said second currents in said fine conductive strips imparting lateral forces on said fine linear induction drive elements, said lateral forces having vector amplitude with horizontal and vertical components, b) retractable wheels that hold said linear induction drive element arrays above ordinary streets and bring said linear induction drive element arrays into close proximity with said roadway conductive surface when said dual mode vehicle passes onto said roadway.
A method for designing a municipal area transportation infrastructure according to the invention wherein said municipal area transportation infrastructure is modeled in software residing in a computer, the computer model of said municipal area transportation infrastructure being designated model infrastructure and computer models of vehicles operating in cooperation with said municipal area transportation infrastructure being designated vehicle representations, comprising steps selected from the group consisting of:
- a) devising traffic rules that sustain aggregate traffic flow at near constant levels along the entire length of typical trips within a given model infrastructure;
- b) performing modeling and simulation runs that permit prediction of any need for traffic re-routing in all reasonably anticipated traffic conditions, along with sensitivity of total travel time to changes in said model infrastructure design parameters such as roadway segment lengths, lane counts and velocity profiles;
- c) defining a model infrastructure figure of merit that embodies said municipal area transportation infrastructure cost and travel time;
- d) writing a set of linear equations relating travel time to said model infrastructure design parameters;
- e) using continuous optimization to minimize said model infrastructure figure of merit, whereby all said design parameters used in said linear equations are calculated;
- f) running simulations to determine a model infrastructure mean time between failure, said failure being defined as a single root cause event where one or more vehicle representations experiences more than double the trip time that was projected on entry into said model infrastructure;
- g) continuing iteration with said design parameters adjusted until said mean time between failure greater than one thousand hours is achieved for a defined set of said design parameters in said model infrastructure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.