Transportation system employing an electromagnetically suspended, guided and propelled vehicle

Claim 2

An electromagnetic transportation system comprising, in combination: a vehicle having a cylindrical lower surface and carrying a plurality of superconducting coils distributed over a substantial portion of the lower surface, said superconducting coils being positioned within the vehicle adjacent said lower surface and having a contour similar to the contour of that surface, means for maintaining the superconducting coils at a superconducting temperature, individual coils having sufficient area and being energized with sufficient peristent supercurrent to generate a magnetic dipole field having an intensity of 1,000 to 3,000 gauss at a distance of approximately 25 centimeters from the lower surface of the vehicle, adjacent coils being energized so as to produce magnetic fields oriented alternately upward and downward; a trough-liKe, cylindrically-shaped guideway surrounding approximately the lower third of the circumference of the vehicle to support, guide and propel said vehicle, said guideway containing both active, current-carrying conductors and passive conductors forming a substantially continuous surface along the length of the guideway exposed to the magnetic field of the superconducting coils in the vehicle so as to support the vehicle, when the vehicle is moving at a speed above a predetermined minimum value, at a clearance of approximately 25 centimeters by interaction between the magnetic dipoles of the vehicle coils and the eddy currents they induce in the passive conductors, the current-carrying, active conductors being shaped so as to form a series of overlapping current loops strung axially along the guideway and substantially conforming to the cylindrical surface of the guideway so as to generate, when energized, an alternating magnetic field which moves along the axis of the guideway and propels the vehicle at synchronous speed by interaction with the magnetic dipoles of the vehicle coils; a source of multiphase alternating electric current connected to energize the active conductors in correct sequence; and control means operable to connect the source of electric current to any particular active conductor; the moving vehicle being electromagnetically supported resiliently at a clearance of about 25 centimeters from the guideway and being free to rotate about its longitudinal axis so as to establish the correct bank angle when negotiating turns, the guideway being banked at only approximately the correct angle in turns, the center of electromagnetic lift of the vehicle being located above its center of gravity so as to insure stability.

Claim 3

In the electromagnetic transportation system of claim 1 a cycloconverter connected as part of the source of alternating electric current, the cycloconverter being operable to generate frequencies lower than those of the input electric power.

Claim 4

In the system of claim 2, speed control means connected to the cycloconverter to control the frequency output thereof and hence the speed of the vehicle for cruising and for acceleration and deceleration of said vehicle.

Claim 5

A system as claimed in claim 2 comprising two substantially parallel-oriented guideways each of which is made up of a plurality of serial sections of guideway, four sections at each region of the system constituting a block, the active conductors of each section being electrically insulated from all other sections, a transformer associated with each block, a cycloconverter being connected between the secondary of each transformer and the active conductors of each section, and speed control means connected to control the frequency output of each cycloconverter and hence the speed of a vehicle in any particular section.

Claim 6

A system as claimed in claim 4 in which the transformer and cycloconverter units which energize each of the four guideway sections in a block are governed by three control systems: a block control having its primary input by transmission from the vehicle, which serves to energize any of the four guideway sections in the associated block when said section is occupied by a vehicle so as to provide acceleration, deceleration or synchronous propulsion at a desired speed; a regional control derived from several neighboring blocks which serves to over-ride the block control if this is necessary to maintain a predetermined safe vehicle separation; and a central control which monitors operation of the entire system, serves as a backup for the regional control, and which over-rides the block control if this becomes necessary to avoid congestion at any point of the system, or in the event of mechanical failure or accident.

Claim 7

An electromagnetic transportation system according to claim 1 in which the guideway is constructed of bonded aluminum laminations, suitably interleaved with insulation so as to provide both the passive and the active current-carrying conduCtors, and having sufficient mechanical strength and rigidity to support the vehicle and to maintain the required dimensional tolerances without the need for additional re-enforcing structures, and being constructed in such a manner that all exposed surfaces of the guideway are smooth and electrically neutral.

Claim 8

An electromagnetic transportation system according to claim 1 in which the vehicle is circular cylindrical and in which the superconducting coils in the vehicle extend over an appreciable fraction of the underside of the vehicle to distribute the vehicle weight more or less uniformly over the entire guideway beneath the vehicle.

Claim 9

An electromagnetic transportation system according to claim 1 in which wheels are provided on the vehicle to support the vehicle when its speed falls below the minimum speed required for electromagnetic levitation, which is approximately 35 kilometers per hour.

Claim 10

An electromagnetic system as claimed in claim 1 in which wheels are provided on the guideway at station sections thereof to support the vehicle when its speed falls below the minimum speed required for electromagnetic levitation.

Claim 11

An electromagnetic railway system according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that the guideway trough is covered by an upper shell so as to provide a sealed tunnel which can be installed underground and/or partially evacuated to reduce aerodynamic drag at speeds above 500 kilometers per hour.

Claim 12

An electromagnetic transportation system according to claim 1 in which said source is a power supply system comprising multi-phase transformers located at suitable intervals along the guideway and in which the control means includes switching elements controlled in part by signals from the vehicle and operable to connect the transformer to the active conductors in a determined sequence, each transformer being capable of energizing any one of four sections in a block of a two-lane guideway system while the section in question is occupied by the vehicle.

Claim 13

An electromagnetic transportation system according to claim 11 in which the power supply system operates at a fixed frequency in constant speed cruising sections of the guideway and in which power supply system utilizes controllable switching elements over accelerating and/or decelerating sections of the guideway so as to provide variable speed synchronization at controllable thrust.

Claim 14

An electromagnetic transportation system according to claim 1 in which the cross-section of the vehicle and/or of the superconducting coils adjacent to its surface are slightly elliptical so that the clearance between the vehicle coils and the cylindrical guideway trough is slightly smaller at the sides of the vehicle than its center, thereby to raise the center of lift of the suspension and increase its lateral stiffness in relation to its vertical stiffness.

Claim 15

An electromagnetic transportation system according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the guideway is provided with vehicle switching sections to permit a vehicle to be routed to one of several sidings at full cruising speed by elastically deflecting a sufficiently long section of the guideway to permit a smooth transition of the vehicle to one of several alternate sidings.

Claim 16

An electromagnetic system as claimed in claim 1 in which the vehicle is provided with a plurality of extendible wheels at each side thereof and in which the guideway is provided with tracks to receive the wheels.

Claim 17

An electromagnetic system as claimed in claim 15 in which the wheels are extendible to two positions outward from the vehicle and in which the guideway has two side-by-side tracks on either side thereof to receive the wheels at the respective positions, one of the tracks on each side of the guideway being inclined at an angle to the other two tracks to allow a vertical change in the direction of movement of the vehicle along the guideway, thereby to effect switching thereof.

Claim 18

A system as claimed in claim 16 in which Means is provided to extend and retract said wheels and in which means is provided for raising and lowering said wheels when in the extended position.

Claim 19

A system as claimed in claim 16 having means for braking the vehicle through interaction between the wheels and the track.

Claim 20

A system as claimed in claim 1 in which said superconducting coils are oriented to produce field lines that are primarily normal to the lower surface of the vehicle at said surface.

Claim 21

A system as claimed in claim 1 in which the vehicle is provided with skids for emergency stops between stations.

Claim 22

A transportation system employing magnetic levitation comprising, in combination, a passive vehicle carrying a series of superconducting coils capable, when energized, of generating magnetic fields of the order of 1,000 to 3,000 gauss at a distance of 25 centimeters from the vehicle lower surface, said coils being disposed substantially over the whole lower surface area of the vehicle, an active guideway in the shape of a trough surrounding about the lower third of the vehicle, said trough containing linear synchronous motor propulsion coils embedded in the middle section and capable of providing enough force for acceleration and cruising of the vehicle, said propulsion coils utilizing the field of the superconducting coils as part of the linear synchronous motor, the portions of the trough on either side of the propulsion coils being constructed of conductive material in which eddy currents are induced by the passage of the energized superconducting coils over the trough, which eddy currents produce through interaction with the field of the superconducting coils a repulsive force that levitates the vehicle and furnishes lateral guidance, a wayside power system comprising multiphase transformers located at approximately 1 to 5 kilometer intervals along the guideway, and electronically switched electric power means to provide acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle, said electronically switched electric power means being connected to effect excitation of the propulsion coils with a variable frequency electric current, said frequency being variable so as to allow smooth acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle, thereby to provide variable speed synchronization at controllable thrust.

Claim 23

A transportation system employing magnetic levitation comprising, in combination, a passive vehicle carrying a series of superconducting coils capable, when energized, of generating magnetic fields of the order of 1,000 to 3,000 gauss at a distance of 25 centimeters from the vehicle lower surface, said coils being disposed substantially over the whole lower surface area of the vehicle, an active guideway in the shape of a trough surrounding about the lower third of the vehicle, said trough containing linear synchronous motor propulsion coils embedded in the middle section and capable of providing enough force for acceleration and cruising of the vehicle, said propulsion coils utilizing the field of the superconducting coils as part of the linear synchronous motor, the portions of the trough on either side of the propulsion coils being constructed of conductive material in which eddy currents are induced by the passage of the energized superconducting coils over the trough, which eddy currents produce through interaction with the field of the superconducting coils a repulsive force that levitates the vehicle and furnishes lateral guidance, a wayside power system comprising multiphase transformers located at approximately 1 to 5 kilometer intervals along the guideway, and electronically switched electric power means to provide acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle, said electronically switched electric power means being connected to effect excitation of the propulsion coils with a variable frequency electric current, said frequency being variable so as to allow smooth acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle, thereby to provide variable speed synchronization at controllable thrust.

Claim 24

An electromagnetic transportation system comprising, in combination: a vehicle having a cylindrical lower surface and carrying a plurality of superconducting coils distributed over a substantial portion of that lower surface, said superconducting coils being positioned within the vehicle adjacent said lower surface and having a contour similar to the contour of that surface, means for maintaining the superconducting coils at a superconducting temperature, individual coils having sufficient area and being adapted, when energized with sufficient persistent supercurrent, to generate a magnetic dipole field having an intensity of 1,000 to 3,000 gauss at a distance of approximately 25 centimeters from the lower surface of the vehicle, adjacent coils being energized so as to produce magnetic fields oriented alternately upward and downward; a trough-like, cylindrically-shaped guideway surrounding approximately the lower third of the circumference of the vehicle to support, guide and propel said vehicle, said guideway containing both active, current-carrying conductors and at least one passive conductor distributed therealong, the passive conductor providing substantially continuously electrically conductive means along the length of the guideway exposed to the magnetic field of the superconducting coils in the vehicle so as to support the vehicle, when the vehicle is moving at a speed above a predetermined minimum value, by interaction between the magnetic dipoles of the vehicle coils and the eddy currents they induce in the passive conductor, the current-carrying, active conductors being positioned to form a series of overlapping current loops strung axiaLly along the guideway and substantially conforming to the cylindrical surface of the guideway so as to generate, when energized, a traveling magnetic field which moves along the axis of the guideway and propels the vehicle at synchronous speed by interaction with the magnetic dipoles the vehicle coils; a source of multiphase alternating electric current connected to energize the active conductors in correct sequence; and control means operable to connect the source of electric current to any particular active conductor; the moving vehicle being supported resiliently at a clearance of about twenty-five centimeters from the guideway and being free to rotate about its longitudinal axis so as to establish the correct bank angle when negotiating turns, the guideway being banked at only approximately the correct angle in turns, the center of electromagnetic lift of the vehicle being located above its center of gravity so as to insure stability.

Claim 25

An electromagnetic transportation system comprising, in combination: a vehicle having a cylindrical lower surface and carrying a plurality of superconducting coils distributed over a substantial portion of that lower surface, said superconducting coils being positioned within the vehicle adjacent said lower surface and having a contour similar to the contour of that surface, means for maintaining the superconducting coils at a superconducting temperature, individual coils having sufficient area and being adapted, when energized with sufficient persistent supercurrent, to generate a magnetic dipole field having an intensity of 1,000 to 3,000 gauss at a distance of approximately 25 centimeters from the lower surface of the vehicle, adjacent coils being energized so as to produce magnetic fields oriented alternately upward and downward; a trough-like, cylindrically-shaped guideway surrounding approximately the lower third of the circumference of the vehicle to support, guide and propel said vehicle, said guideway containing both active, current-carrying conductors and at least one passive conductor distributed therealong, the passive conductor providing substantially continuously electrically conductive means along the length of the guideway exposed to the magnetic field of the superconducting coils in the vehicle so as to support the vehicle, when the vehicle is moving at a speed above a predetermined minimum value, by interaction between the magnetic dipoles of the vehicle coils and the eddy currents they induce in the passive conductor, the current-carrying, active conductors being positioned to form a series of overlapping current loops strung axiaLly along the guideway and substantially conforming to the cylindrical surface of the guideway so as to generate, when energized, a traveling magnetic field which moves along the axis of the guideway and propels the vehicle at synchronous speed by interaction with the magnetic dipoles the vehicle coils; a source of multiphase alternating electric current connected to energize the active conductors in correct sequence; and control means operable to connect the source of electric current to any particular active conductor; the moving vehicle being supported resiliently at a clearance of about twenty-five centimeters from the guideway and being free to rotate about its longitudinal axis so as to establish the correct bank angle when negotiating turns, the guideway being banked at only approximately the correct angle in turns, the center of electromagnetic lift of the vehicle being located above its center of gravity so as to insure stability.

Claim 26

An electromagnetic transportation system comprising, in combination: a vehicle having a cylindrical lower surface and carrying a plurality of magnetic means for creating a plurality of radial magnetic dipole fields distributed over a substantial portion of that lower surface, said magnetic means being positioned within the vehicle adjacent said lower surface, the magnetic means having sufficient area to generate a magnetic dipole field having an intensity adequate to levitate the vehicle ten to fifty centimeters above the guideway, adjacent dipole fields so created being oriented alternately upward and downward; a trough-like, cylindrical-shaped guideway surrounding a portion of the lower circumference of the vehicle to support, guide and propel said vehicle, said guideway containing both active, current-carrying conductors and passive conductive means distributed therealong, the passive conductive means providing electrically conductive means along the length of the guideway exposed to the magnetic dipole fields of the magnetic means in the vehicle so as to support the vehicle, when the vehicle is moving at a speed above a predetermined minimum value, by interaction between the magnetic dipoles of the vehicle magnetic means and the eddy currents they induce in the passive conductive means, the current-carrying, active conductors being shaped so as to form a series of overlapping current loops along the axis of the guideway and substantially conforming to the cylindrical-shaped surface of the guideway so as to generate, when energized, a magnetic field which moves along the axis of the guideway and propels the vehicle at synchronous speed by interaction with the magnetic dipoles of the vehicle magnetic means; a source of multiphase alternating electric current connected to energize the active conductors in correct sequence; and control means operable to connect the source of electric current to any particular active conductor; the moving vehicle being thereby supported resiliently above the guideway and being free to pivot about its longitudinal axis so as to establish the correct bank angle when negotiating turns, the guideway being banked at only approximately the correct angle in turns, the center of electromagnetic lift of the vehicle being located above its center of gravity so as to insure stability.

Claim 27

An electromagnetic transportation system comprising, in combination: a vehicle having a cylindrical lower surface and carrying a plurality of magnetic means for creating a plurality of radial magnetic dipole fields distributed over a substantial portion of that lower surface, said magnetic means being positioned within the vehicle adjacent said lower surface, the magnetic means having sufficient area to generate a magnetic dipole field having an intensity adequate to levitate the vehicle ten to fifty centimeters above the guideway, adjacent dipole fields so created being oriented alternately upward and downward; a trough-like, cylindrical-shaped guideway surrounding a portion of the lower circumference of the vehicle to support, guide and propel said vehicle, said guideway containing both active, current-carrying conductors and passive conductive means distributed therealong, the passive conductive means providing electrically conductive means along the length of the guideway exposed to the magnetic dipole fields of the magnetic means in the vehicle so as to support the vehicle, when the vehicle is moving at a speed above a predetermined minimum value, by interaction between the magnetic dipoles of the vehicle magnetic means and the eddy currents they induce in the passive conductive means, the current-carrying, active conductors being shaped so as to form a series of overlapping current loops along the axis of the guideway and substantially conforming to the cylindrical-shaped surface of the guideway so as to generate, when energized, a magnetic field which moves along the axis of the guideway and propels the vehicle at synchronous speed by interaction with the magnetic dipoles of the vehicle magnetic means; a source of multiphase alternating electric current connected to energize the active conductors in correct sequence; and control means operable to connect the source of electric current to any particular active conductor; the moving vehicle being thereby supported resiliently above the guideway and being free to pivot about its longitudinal axis so as to establish the correct bank angle when negotiating turns, the guideway being banked at only approximately the correct angle in turns, the center of electromagnetic lift of the vehicle being located above its center of gravity so as to insure stability.

Claim 28

A transportation system as claimed in claim 21 in which the superconducting coils and the conductive material at each side of the trough-shaped guideway in an operating system act to provide both levitation and lateral guidance.

Claim 29

A transportation system as claimed in claim 24 in which the electronically switched power means comprises one or more cycloconverters electrically connected between each multiphase transformer and the propulsion coils and in which a communication link is provided between the vehicle and the electronically switched power means to effect and maintain synchronous electromagnetic interaction between the superconducting field and the field of the propulsion coils.

Claim 30

A transportation syStem as claimed in claim 25 in which the communication link is a short range radio link.

Claim 31

A transportation system as claimed in claim 25 in which the communication link comprises conducting means in the guideway and electrically coupled to the electronically switched power means.

Claim 32

A transportation system as claimed in claim 21 in which the conductive material is substantially continuously conductive.

Claim 33

A transportation system as claimed in claim 21 in which each of the superconducting coils with its liquid helium system is surrounded by a radiation shield, the radiation shields being cooled by liquified gas which also serves to provide on-board auxiliary power.