Renewable Energy Use Advantages of Maglev-Based Personal Rapid Transit

Abstract

ative that the system move at highway speeds. It is very difficult to achieve this goal with wheeled PRT systems because of their small wheel size and associated frictional losses. The transformational power of MPRT technology results from its unique combination of PRT architecture with ultra energy-efficient, low-cost, passive maglev-based linear synchronous motor (LSM) powertrain.One of the greatest advantages of an MPRT system is its ability to adapt to any given transportation environment. MPRT vehicles can, for instance, run at speeds as low as 20 to 30 mph (32-48 km/h) in airports and business districts, yet move at speeds of up to 150 mph (241 km/h) between cities. This adaptability makes MPRT time competitive with air travel at distances of up to 500 mi (805 km) by avoiding time-consuming airport security and runway delays (1). A single guideway using three-passenger vehicles at 1 ⁄2-s headways, moreover, has the potential to carry 21,600 passengers per h, more than a fourlane freeway. Widespread implementation with this spectrum of benefits could represent a transformational advance in the transportation paradigm, compared with conventional automobile and public transit capabilities. In essence, MPRT takes intelligent transportation systemautomated highway system scenarios involving fully automated automobiles to their logical conclusion by autonomously providing point-to-point transportation for both passengers and freight. By avoiding mixing legacy vehicles with automated transport, MPRT overcomes hurdles that have limited adoption of automated highways.MPRT, then, is essentially an electric-powered transportation system that borrows from the architecture of the automobile in the sense that private, high-speed, point-to-point transport is possible using a traffic plan similar to that of the freeway. With the twin problems of climate change and peak oil usage looming, it is imperative to speed the transition to renewably powered ground transportation. Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) and electric-powered mass transit might achieve this goal, but each has problems that have slowed implementation. Battery technology presents a significant hurdle for mass production of PHEVs in both technological and economic terms. According to the U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium, for instance, current state-of-the-art PHEV-type batteries cost four to five times more than required for commercialization (2). Although mass transit is limited by human factors and high cost, MPRT offers the promise of renewable-powered transport, without the delays and fixed schedule of mass transit. This frees the passenger from traffic congestion and downtime behind the wheel of an automobile. Given historical growth in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) of 1.7% from 1.1 trillion in 1970 to more than 3 trillion in 2008 (3), the United States is facing a need to constantly widen highways. Although PRT was first developed in the 1970s, it never achieved widespread adoption because of an abundance of inexpensive petroleum and a distinct lack of the...

Design and development of a magnetic lead screw propulsion device for general transport system

“…The concept of Sky‐Tran uses electromagnetic technologies that resemble transportation, and the prototypes will be built in Israel and India, respectively. However, the induction transmission system is employed, which is suffering from low thrust force and inefficiency [14, 15]. Recently, the concept of magnetic transmissions has attracted increasing attention due to the high force/torque density and high transmission efficiency [16].…”