KENNETH D. BAKER 262-620-1551 kdb3051@genevaonline.com EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The challenge is to incorporate the use of Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) technology into our vehicles and road infrastructure system. This will enhance our existing transportation system, but we have to be planning beyond our current modes of transportation. Our existing transportation system has served us well over the last one hundred years but it is nearing its maturation point in fulfilling our future needs and also because of costs to maintain. We are due for a leap forward in the human endeavor to get from point A to point B. With all of the possibilities being created with new technologies and materials, we can provide for our present and build for our future. The following presentation can provide the starting point for the next generation of commuting. Technology has opened up doors where in the past my design wouldn t be possible. I have concentrated my efforts toward the suburban to city commuter; this area can have the greatest monetary return for the initial investments it will take to construct. This transportation system utilizes our existing road right of ways which eliminates a large cost to start with. It begins with the simple arch and everything is built upon that. I use existing proven technology but with a twist to its application. Magnetic Levitation is used for propulsion, solar power is the engine and computers are the drivers for this system. These three are the main components but not all of the components. We will be utilizing light weight metals, DSRC systems and the next generation of batteries. There is nothing like this
existing so we will be starting from scratch, the beauty of my system is that it goes together like a tinker toy set. Manufacturing the different parts of this transportation system will be completed at the factory and then assembled on site, using a modular concept. The following presentation will need some imagination on the readers part, what I am presenting you have not seen before. I will start with the arch followed by the platform, vehicle, computer systems, parking garage, the benefits and finish with a summation why this transportation system is feasible. Like I mentioned at the beginning, enhancing our existing transportation system is vital but designing for our future is imperative.
THE ARCH The arch has been a staple building component since the Roman times and continues to play a viable part in our transportation systems evolution. Please take a moment to view Exhibit A to get an understanding of what I m presenting. The arch will span from one edge of the right of way to the other edge of the right of way. The land on either side of our road system is just waiting to be utilized and using the outer edges of it makes this system viable. As you can see at the base of the arch is a pad which contains the generators and cooling systems. These will be used to propel the maglev vehicles on the rails that are in the platforms which span the arches. Inside the arch there will be a tube system to carry the electricity and refrigerant to the tracks. The arch can be altered to meet the existing transit systems foot print. When it comes to an overpass it will just go over it and when it comes to an interchange we can build an arched interchange to accommodate whatever is existing. For example we can build roundabouts, exit and entrance ramps all inside the interchange land boundaries. The arches will also support the solar panels that will be the engine of this transportation system. In Exhibit B you will see an example of how the solar panels could be mounted between the arches. There will be power transfer cables that will run the electricity to the batteries stationed in the pad of the arch. In the northern climates the batteries will have cells that will sustain the system for a minimum of thirty days. To supply enough power each arch will have two power plants at the base on each side as shown in Exhibit A.
PLATFORM TRACKS ARCH 12 SHLD 3 LANES @ 12 12 SHLD 12 SHLD 3 LANES @ 12 12 SHLD TYPICAL SECTION FOOTING ARCH SEE FOOTING DETAIL BATTERY BATTERY GENERATOR REFRIGERATION UNIT REFRIGERATION UNIT GENERATOR FOOTING DETAIL (TOP VIEW) FOOTING ARCH TYPICAL SECTION EXHIBIT A
ARCH SOLAR PANEL DETAIL EXHIBIT B
THE PLATFORM The platform that the maglev vehicles travel on can be viewed in Exhibit C. The platform will be made of a similar metal that the arch is made of and will be coated with hard plastic to protect it from the elements like the arch. The body of the platform is undetermined at this time but the honeycomb structure represents the optimum type of design for a lightweight product with strength. The distance between the arches will be determined by the load carrying capacity of the platform. Platforms will be manufactured to contain multiple sets of tracks and configurations of tracks imbedded in them. If the platform will be in a downtown area it will probably have three sets of tracks and parking slots on each side of the platform. If the platform is going to be over the interstates it will have five sets of tracks with merging tracks. The platform itself will have a minor electrical current running through it heating it slightly during the winter months. The tracks themselves will be sized so the pads on the maglev carrier will carry the weight of the car, carrier and four people. As mentioned previously, there will be merging tracks between the rails so maglev vehicles can maneuver from track to track when the necessity arises. Where the platform attaches to the arch there will be mated connections to the tubes running through the arch. The mated connections will be manufactured to stand up against fluctuations in weather and stress from the movement of the arches.
TRACKS PLATFORM TYPICAL MERGING SECTION BUILDING BUILDING TYPICAL CITY PLATFORM SECTION EXHIBIT C
THE MAGLEV VEHICLE The maglev car and carrier are Exhibits D and E. This combination vehicle will transport the commuter from the parking garage to their destination. During the transportation the passenger will be free to do whatever because the maglev vehicle will need no directional input. The maglev vehicle will have the destination already downloaded and the passenger only has to enjoy the ride. The maglev car will be equipped with wireless internet connectivity, movies, office to office and any other need of the passenger. It will be ergonomically upholstered for the passenger(s) so they will be comfortable on the ride to their destination. Egress and ingress will be handled with sliding doors on each side of the car. The maglev car will be made out of a hard plastic with as little metal as possible. The reasoning for that is the weight has to be kept to a minimum. The weight of the maglev car and carrier has to be kept as lightweight as possible. The lower the weight, the smaller the dimensions of the tracks in the platform and the size of the pods on the maglev carrier will need to be. There is no front or back to these cars because they will be able to travel on the tracks in either direction, they will be able to travel sideways into the parking stalls also. On the exterior of the vehicle, on all sides, will be sensors. The sensors will be monitoring the distance between it and other vehicles that are moving on the tracks. The sensors will be operated by programs that will have distance parameters that command the vehicle to stay a certain distance away from other vehicles. The cars will a have a street grid system operating with gps base stations mounted on the platform to deliver their passengers to their destination. In the city, this transportation system will be spaced every other block so the passenger will be delivered to within one block of
their destination. Another big convenience is you can come and go according to your schedule. As long as the boss is okay with your schedule you will never be on some mass transit timetable or rush hour traffic gridlock to get to work. The passenger will be able to order the maglev vehicle to depart down to the minute. The flexibility that provides gives the passenger time to perform all the needed activities at home and not be rushed at having to get to the train station on time or leaving at four in the morning to beat the rush hour traffic. When there is a group of people going downtown they just order more maglev vehicles and they will travel in unison to their destination. The overall impact that this will have on society cannot be measured at this time. This will not eliminate the family car at all, it is still needed, but the overall cost to the family will drop dramatically.
FRONT VIEW SENSORS SIDE VIEW MAGLEV CAR EXHIBIT D
FRONT VIEW SENSORS SIDE VIEW MAGLEV CARRIER EXHIBIT E
THE PROGRAMMING There will be five controlling computer programs and many sub-routine programs that shall be used to operate this transportation system. One program will monitor the whole system. The second will handle all incoming requests from passengers. The next program will deliver each order to the proper garage. The garage will receive the request and allocate the amount of maglev vehicles needed for the customers. The computer onboard the maglev car will receive the request and be waiting for the passenger in the parking garage. The passenger just has to confirm the proper code and they will be delivered to their destination. The computer in the maglev car will be working jointly with the computer in the maglev carrier. Both of these computers will be monitoring the maglev vehicle while in transit. The maglev car computer will be handling requests from the passenger(s) such as climate control, external connections or audio and video requests. The maglev carrier will be monitoring the operating parameters and condition of both the car and carrier. Other programs will be charged with maintenance of the transportation system. One program will be controlling a small robot for monitoring debris in the rails. Another program will be controlling a maintenance robot that will be getting instruction from the monitoring robot where there is debris in the tracks. This robot will go to the site and vacuum up the debris and dispose of it. These are just examples of subroutines that need to be established with this new transportation system.
THE GARAGES The parking garages will be located at interchanges. As shown on Exhibit F, the garages will be located in the unused area in the middle of the exit and entrance ramps or wherever convenient at the interchange. Each interchange is different but there will always be space to build parking garages. With the parking garages located in this area it makes it easier for the passenger to get onto the rail system. New entrance and exit ramps will have to be built for the parking garages so the passengers can get access to the garage and have exits to the connecting road. The parking garages will be designed to match the interchange configuration. Each garage will be a hub of activity, the maglev cars and carriers will be stored here. The parking garage will extend many floors below the existing grade and the maglev vehicles will be stored in the lower levels. The maintenance of the maglev vehicle will be performed on these lower floors also. The passengers will reserve the car and the car will be transported by an elevator system to the boarding floor to wait for the passenger. The boarding floor will be several floors above ground to be level with the platform to have access to the rail system. The parking garages will be power generating sources also. There will be solar panels on the roof and the same units as at the base of each arch but with greater generating capabilities in each garage.
EXHIBIT F
SOME OF THE BENEFITS The benefits of this new transportation system are multiple and some are listed below: Lives With the separation of traffic there is the benefit of saving many lives annually. With all local commuters traveling above the existing roads, this creates the opportunity to separate the truck traffic from the cross country travelers to save more lives. Environment Using this transportation system, millions of tons of CO2 will be eliminated from the atmosphere by the reduction in our consumption of oil. Standardization of solar panel production with expansion into commercial and residential use. There will be a greater need for recycling of plastics, which is used on everything in this design. Society Creation of millions of jobs to build this system and then operate it. It is unknown on how many ancillary jobs will be created. Living standards will rise due to a decrease in cost of every day living. Stress on commuters will diminish greatly creating a more family orientated and productive person. The increase in flex time capability, this gives us the option to leave home and arrive at work on our schedule. Technology This transportation system will actually be an Intelligent Transportation System. It will enhance the development of computers for vehicle operations, solar power as a renewable energy source in a networkable system, sensors used for safe travel and many more innovations that will be attributable to this new transportation system.
There are many enhancements that can be made to our present transportation systems and there are new transportation possibilities being designed. I have reviewed many and came away wondering if they will meet our future needs. As I mentioned at the beginning we have to take that next leap forward in getting from point A to point B. The existing road infrastructure system cannot be sustained due to age and costs with lower revenues. The inconvenience of commuting like we do every day cannot be sustained either. What I have presented is completely new but very achievable. As you have seen in my illustrations not everything is finished because I have not had the chance to complete all of the tasks, that is why I am reaching out. Exhibit G represents an illustration of what the final transportation system might look like when finished. The benefits that were mentioned earlier are just the tip of the iceberg. Once this system is instituted for the commuter, the infrastructure can be expanded to the main arteries off of the interchanges. Another expansion can be toward cross country travel, we already have the infrastructure for it. Mayors of large cities can finally charge people a fee for driving their cars downtown. We have to take control of our future because we have been complacent for to long. This design can be built and meet many of our needs that we have been struggling with for so many years. I would like to thank Challenge.org for giving me the chance to present my design. I look forward to hear from you soon. Kenneth D. Baker
EXHIBIT G