U.S. patent application number 13/125288 was filed with the patent office on 2012-04-12 for superconducting power and transport system.
This patent application is currently assigned to Metadigm LLC. Invention is credited to Melvin J. Bulman, Victor B. Kley.
Application Number | 20120089525 13/125288 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42119941 |
Filed Date | 2012-04-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120089525 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kley; Victor B. ; et
al. |
April 12, 2012 |
Superconducting Power and Transport System
Abstract
A transport and power system having a plurality of tubes or
tunnels, a magnetic levitation and linear motor train, and a
superconducting power cable. One of the tubes can be an escape,
power distribution, and maintenance tunnel. These tubes can be
above ground, below ground, at ground, or under water.
Inventors: |
Kley; Victor B.; (Berkeley,
CA) ; Bulman; Melvin J.; (Fair Oaks, CA) |
Assignee: |
Metadigm LLC
Berkeley
CA
|
Family ID: |
42119941 |
Appl. No.: |
13/125288 |
Filed: |
October 20, 2009 |
PCT Filed: |
October 20, 2009 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US09/61340 |
371 Date: |
December 6, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61106970 |
Oct 20, 2008 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
705/315 ;
104/281; 277/431 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60L 13/10 20130101;
B61K 13/00 20130101; Y02T 30/00 20130101; B60L 2200/26 20130101;
B61B 1/00 20130101; B61C 3/00 20130101; Y02T 30/30 20130101; B61B
13/10 20130101; G06Q 50/165 20130101; B61B 13/08 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/315 ;
104/281; 277/431 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 50/00 20120101
G06Q050/00; F16J 15/40 20060101 F16J015/40; B60L 13/10 20060101
B60L013/10 |
Claims
1. A system combining magnetic levitation train car(s) with a
superconducting wire assembly and electric power distribution
system so that the basic infrastructure of each system may be
shared and used by the other.
2. The system of claim 1 in which the shared elements include
magnetic fields associated with the transmission of large amounts
of electrical power.
3. The system of claim 1 in which train car(s) store energy in the
form of kinetic energy.
4. The system of claim 1 or 3 in which the kinetic energy is
returned to the power system as electrical energy in a process of
regenerative braking using the linear motor system.
5. The system of claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 in which train car(s) is
operational in a closed tunnel or tube.
6. The system of claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 in which the air is
removed from the tunnel or tube and the electrical transmission
lines to obtain a low air pressure and reduce or eliminate air
friction, improve the electrical isolation of electrically charged
system elements, and provide thermal isolation to maintain a
constant temperature around the superconducting transmission system
and any other superconducting elements.
7. The system of claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 in which the
reintroduction of air into the system can by itself without any
other active component cause the train car(s) of 1 and 3 to come to
a near complete stop.
8. The system of claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 in which passive
sealing members cause the motion of the train car to move and
compress gas and/or air in the direction of the motion, and create
a partial vacuum in the opposite direction.
9. The system of claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 in which active
sealing members cause the motion of the train car to move and
compress gas and/or air in the direction of the motion, and create
a partial vacuum in the opposite direction.
10. The system of claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 in which active
and passive sealing members cause the motion of the train car to
move and compress gas and/or air in the direction of the motion,
and create a partial vacuum in the opposite direction.
11. The system of claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 in which active
and passive sealing members seal against the tube or tunnel on one
or more train cars and provide a region in the tube or tunnel in
which air may be introduced and loading/unloading operations take
place without permitting air to enter the tube/tunnel regions
beyond the at rest sealing cars.
12. The system of claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 in which one or
more train cars are kept at rest and/or in motion in order to store
and absorb electrical power by conversion of their kinetic energy
to electrical energy via the linear motor used as a generator
(decelerator) and/or the immediate storage of excess electrical
energy by acceleration via the linear motor.
13. An active seal system in which a gas such as air is introduced
at varying pressures to obtain close sealing or contact and
compliant sealing with adjacent walls.
14. An active seal system of seal structures disposed on the
outside of train cars in tunnels or tubes are not in contact with
the tube or tunnel walls when the seal interior is at less than
local ambient air pressure, are in contact when the seal interior
is at ambient air pressure, and are in closer compliant contact
when the seal interior is above ambient air pressure.
15. A seal system such that the seal interior must be maintained
below ambient air pressure to be out of contact with the
tunnel/tube walls.
16. An emergency support and braking system employing high
temperature brake pads that contact the low-speed rail to support
and decelerate the vehicle in the event of failure of the
levitation system.
17. A method of capitalizing a system that requires the excavation
of tunnels comprising: setting aside by legal mandate a limited
volume of subterranean real estate as an inducement and reward for
the formation and use of the capital required to build and operate
a system.
18. The method of claim 17 in which the no mineral, water or
surface rights are retained by the subterranean real estate.
19. The method of claim 17 or 18 in which a large surface area for
access stations is provided as further inducement and reward for
the formation and use of the capital required to build and operate
the system.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent
Application No. 61/106,970 filed Oct. 20, 2008 for "Terraspan--a
Superconducting Power and Transport System including Emergency
Safety and Recovery Techniques" (inventor Victor B. Kley), the
entire disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference for
all purposes.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to techniques,
devices, processes, and methods for creating a superconducting
power distribution system for the transmission of electrical power
in which the available power is used to provide a levitating and
translation field for the purpose of supporting one or more
magnetically levitated and accelerated transport structures or
train cars.
[0003] Heretofore there have been superconducting power
distribution systems and vacuum based magnetically levitated
systems for transporting, equipment, goods and people but all have
suffered from a number of serious issues including the difficulty
and cost of implementation and maintenance and the issue of safety
with regard to high speed transit in a vacuum environment.
[0004] In an aspect of the invention, a system includes one or more
tubes in which the air has been removed, thereby aiding cooling
systems for superconducting power and eliminating air friction,
which is the main source of energy loss in transport systems. The
tubes can be located underground and/or underwater and/or at the
surface and/or above ground. Underground tubes will sometimes be
referred to as tunnels, but unless the context dictates otherwise,
the terms "tunnel" and "tube" will be used somewhat
interchangeably, and are intended to cover any of the above
locations. The tubes can be level or sloped as dictated by the
terrain or other functional requirements.
[0005] In another aspect of the invention, a safe transition
mechanism is provided in the event of a loss of vacuum or power to
a train in motion so that people and animals may safely leave the
train and tunnels and reach or be rescued to the surface and
ambient air.
[0006] In another aspect of the invention, air or other gases are
pumped out of the tube by the motion of the train car which has had
one or more close fitting sealing elements sealing against passage
of air in the direction of its motion. The sealing elements can be
passive or active in their action to seal against the walls of the
tube. End sealing elements can be provided on train cars in tube
sections set up to load and unload cars wherein the sealing
elements create an air lock to the system.
[0007] In another aspect of the invention, the kinetic energy of
the train is used to store and transfer electrical energy and
simultaneously provide a constant store of goods and materials
which have minimal access time to localities along the route of the
train.
[0008] In another aspect of the invention, implementation costs are
reduced by sharing the construction of the tubes, and integrating
their respective infrastructures.
[0009] In another aspect of the invention, a subterranean right of
way is established, for example by use of a limited eminent domain
in order to provide incentive for formation of large capital pools
to provide the deep and ongoing financing needed to construct the
system. The parties providing capital obtain only the legal title
to a particular subterranean volume while leaving the mineral,
water, and surface rights unchanged, thus overcoming a major
political hurdle of such a capitalization scheme. Some surface
rights would also be granted to provide necessary infrastructure
that by its nature needs to be above ground.
[0010] A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the
present invention may be realized by reference to the remaining
portions of the specification and the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1A is a cross section of the tunnels, train, and power
cable in an embodiment of the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 1B provides cross-sectional views of a tunnel tube, an
above ground tube, a partially submerged tube, and an underwater
tube;
[0013] FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C are side, top, and end views of the
train with the breakaway lifting body air remnant sweeps in
place.
[0014] FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C are cross-sectional, front, and side
views of the lifting body showing the ablative surfaces of the
train in tunnel;
[0015] FIG. 4A is a side view showing a relief tunnel for automatic
response to power out;
[0016] FIG. 4B is a is a cross section view of the emergency
stopping system that uses aircraft grade braking material attached
to the underside of the car in rubbing contact with an abrasion
rail built into or depending from the tube or tunnel floor or lower
wall.
[0017] FIGS. 5A and 5B are side and cross-sectional views of the
sealing structures on the train;
[0018] FIGS. 6A and 6B are side and front views of active sealing
structures on the train;
[0019] FIG. 7 is a top schematic view of the energy storage and
warehouse trains in the complete system;
[0020] FIGS. 8A and 8B are side views of side and front loading
train car with another auxiliary car sealing the main tube/tunnel;
and
[0021] FIG. 9 is a is an overview of the right of way allocated to
the capital entities funding the project along with a detail of a
station and above-ground 1-square-kilometer reserve associated with
the right of way.
DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS
Overview of System Components
[0022] FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of a transport and power
system having three tunnels 100, a magnetic levitation and linear
motor train 110 (shown in the left tunnel as a heavy dark outline),
and a superconducting power cable in an embodiment of the present
invention. Different embodiments can have fewer or more (preferably
parallel) tunnels. The center tunnel is shown as being an escape,
power distribution, and maintenance tunnel. These tunnels are shown
as below ground level 130, but other locations are possible.
[0023] For example, FIG. 1B provides cross-sectional views of a
tunnel tube 100, an above ground tube 804, a tube 810 partially
submerged in water 820, and an underwater tube 808. Unless the
context dictates otherwise, the terms "tunnel" and "tube" will be
used interchangeably regardless of whether the tube is above
ground, below ground, at ground, or under water. Underground tubes
will often be referred to as tunnels.
[0024] The train or train cars follow the general design used in
various locations around the world. Goddard's basic vacuum train
U.S. Pat. No. 2,488,287, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,336,732, 3,738,281,
4,075,948, and 6,374,746 on related technology are incorporated by
reference. The train cars have airflow surfaces along the long axis
of the car such that at high speeds in air the car will be lifted
within the tube and kept from direct contact with the tube walls.
As will be described below, the cars can be provided with one or
more sweeps or seals. In operation, introduction of air into the
vacuum tube when the car is at high speed causes the sweep(s) or
seal(s) to disintegrate in the lifting body areas and cause the car
to behave as an airfoil in a tube.
[0025] The superconducting power line and support equipment are
well known in the electrical power art. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,947,622,
4,947,007, 6,262,375, and 6,576,843 on related technology are
incorporated by reference. The tubes are vacuum capable enclosures
for the trains/cars/power cables, and preferably are
transcontinental east to west and north to south but may be
oriented in any direction. Underground tunnels are formed by
automatic earth boring machines and extend long distances. Since
the tubes can be below ground, on or above ground, underwater, or
partially above water, the system of FIG. 1A can connect any and
all electrical generator sources along its route with all users
along the same route. By interconnection between multiple systems
most of the continents and peoples of the world may be
interconnected for power distribution and transportation.
[0026] FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C are side, top, and end views of the
train showing continuous removable and breakaway debris and/or air
sweeps 210 which act to provide lift to the train car bodies 110
under low air pressure. However, they break away and decelerate
(brake) the train under the force and thermal impact of near
atmospheric pressure at high train speeds in the event of some
interruption of the power which levitates the train cars or the
rapid loss of vacuum for any reason in which the magnetic
regenerative braking (deceleration) is unable to adequately slow
the train.
[0027] FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C are cross-section, front, and side
views of the lifting body showing the ablative surfaces of the
train in tunnel. In addition, the replaceable edges of the train
car body 320 are designed to contact with the tunnel low-speed
track to provide controlled deceleration as the train comes to a
complete stop. This will be described in additional detail below
with reference to FIG. 4B.
[0028] FIG. 4A is a side view showing a relief tunnel 400 for
automatic response to power out. Tunnels 400 automatically unseal
providing safe foot and wheelchair passage on ramps from the
passenger compartments 420 to the surface within a few thousand
meters of the train stop location (except in certain mountainous
terrain). The sweeps and lifting body aerodynamic shape of the
train car 320 in conjunction with air and escape tunnels 400 act to
provide passengers a safe recovery from emergencies occurring when
the train is at speed.
[0029] The train car includes passenger compartments 420, freight
compartments 430, a power switching, cooling, levitation control
and acceleration control system 460 connected by connection system
470 to the magnetic levitation and acceleration in tunnel modules
450. These magnetic levitation modules in the tunnel interact with
the magnetic levitation system on each side of the train car itself
440. The train cars may be interconnected, may operate very close
to each other but unconnected, or may operate with any amount of
headroom or spacing between the cars. Actual operation is dynamic
and changes according to load, power, and other issues.
[0030] FIG. 4B is a is a cross section view of the emergency
stopping system that uses aircraft grade braking material attached
to the underside of the car in rubbing contact with an abrasion
rail built into or depending from the tube or tunnel floor or lower
wall. When the levitation forces are removed, the pads on the
undersurface of the train and act as aircraft brake pads to
dissipate the kinetic energy of the train through friction with the
low-speed track. Due to the high kinetic energy involved, aircraft
style brake pads are preferred to deal with the extreme
temperatures generated by friction. The pads can be sized to
survive the most severe cases anticipated. After each emergency
stop these pads will require inspection and replacement as
necessary.
Sealing Structures for Sweeping the Tube ("Roughing Pump")
[0031] FIGS. 5A and 5B are side and cross-sectional views of
passive sealing structures 500 on the train in an embodiment of the
present invention. FIGS. 6A and 6B are side and front views of
active sealing structures 600 on the train. Sweeps such as these
have advantages in their ability to be used to clear gas from the
tube and their design in ability to provide a true seal when
exposed to normal atmospheric pressure, and generally represent the
preferred embodiment. Suitable materials include high-temperature
urethane rubber and stiff silicone rubber.
[0032] Preferred embodiments dispose sealing structures 500 or 600
on the front and rear of each car 110; these sealing structures act
when there is a gas such as air in the tube to prevent the passage
of such a gas around the car and permit the car's motion to sweep
the gas in the direction of its motion. By moving slowly at full
gas pressure and by the use of multiple such cars all possessing
the structures 500 or 600, the entire tunnel or any portion thereof
may be swept free of this gas or "roughed out." Thus these cars
with seal serve as roughing pump elements in an overall vacuum
system. As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the sealing elements 502 are
passive in their relation with the gap between the car and wall
fixed and necessary so as to permit the operation of the car at its
maximal design speed without destructively interacting with the
tube wall or magnetic levitation structure.
[0033] In FIGS. 6A and 6B, the sealing elements 602 are active and
can be made to come very close or even contact the tube and
magnetic levitation structure walls. A car may have both sealing
elements 502 and 602 along its length. Furthermore it is well
understood that by using groups of cars the effective sealing is
the sum of the sealing by each car. In particular in the preferred
embodiment, sealing element 602 is inflatable from the car air
supply and air/vacuum pump system 604 so that at less than local
ambient air pressure, element 602a conforms to the dimensions of
passive element 502 and does not contact the wall, at ambient air
pressure, 602b is in sealing contact with the tube wall and at
pressures up to two atmospheres additional compliance to wall and
resistance to displacement or motion is obtained.
[0034] Seals can be used to position the car off the floor of the
tube and any direct contact with the linear motor and levitation
structures. Furthermore variable seal structure thicknesses and
materials across the seal can accommodate special tube requirements
or the very small separation between the magnetic levitation and
acceleration elements of the car and tunnel/tube.
Energy Storage and Exchange
[0035] FIG. 7 is a top schematic view of the energy storage and
warehouse train cars in the complete system that can take advantage
of great velocity and mass of the train cars to store electrical
energy and to transport it, exchange it or transfer it from one
electrical system to another. As shown in FIG. 7, the system
consists of one or more tube/tunnel configurations such that cars
704 can be kept in motion at all times. Each car with its load and
given velocity has the following kinetic energy Ke=(mv.sup.2)/2,
where Ke is the kinetic energy in joules (watt-seconds), m is the
mass in kg, v is the velocity in meters/sec.
[0036] At 1000 kph an empty car (20.times.10.times.100 meters) at
1000 metric tons has a Ke=10.sup.9 joules or 10.sup.3
megawatt-seconds, which is the energy that is output by an entire
major power plant for one second and of course multiple such cars
can be so discharged (so to speak) or charged (accelerated up to
speed).
[0037] A half full car (some material about the mass and weight of
water like frozen food) has a mass of 20,000 metric tons or
2.times.10.sup.4 megawatt-seconds (divide by 3600 for
megawatt-hours) so 180 such cars represent the full output of a
major power plant for one hour. Thus the system can provide and
deliver via its distribution network an instantaneous supply equal
to that of a full 1000-megawatt power plant filling an
instantaneous power role presently not available. Without any
passengers such storage cars can be accelerated and decelerated
very rapidly perhaps at more then 10 g's, thus only short
acceleration/deceleration tube/tunnel segments 706 are required and
can double as stations.
[0038] Furthermore each such energy storage car is also a potential
warehouse car carrying goods and/or materials whose availability is
time critical at localities all along the route for instance
emergency supplies in time of war or specific material for a
dispersed manufacturing sector all able to save substantial money
by not warehousing material but leveraging extremely short delivery
to gain manufacturing cost advantages.
[0039] Thus even in a world where the system described herein was
readily available as the low cost and most rapid shipper, a car
full of goods nearby could easily beat the system by many minutes
if not hours. So taking off a car for delivery in Los Angeles might
mean simultaneously launching another moving warehouse on a nearly
straight energy exchange. The cars also represent a means for
exchanging energy across superconducting power systems. As an
example a car can be transferred from an east/west system 702e to a
north/south system 702n or between any independent system and the
power represented by the car in motion on the system to which it
was transferred thus adding and subtracting stored power from one
grid to another.
Sealing Structures for Sealing the Tube
[0040] FIGS. 8A and 8B are side views of side and front loading
train car with another auxiliary car sealing the main tube/tunnel.
Groups of cars and in particular cars with active sealing elements
may be situated anywhere in the tunnels and be stopped (being
either levitated or completely stopped and resting on the tunnel)
and their seals deployed to seal off a section of tunnel which may
then be filled with a gas such as air. Further this method as in
FIGS. 8A and 8B of sealing is well suited to creating a loading
zone in which one or more cars are loaded by dropping their end
doors 814 to permit ingress and egress of cargo, people and
vehicles.
[0041] Such tube stations 802 are very desirable since they can be
readily made by the same tunnel boring machines that create the
vacuum tunnel or (for above ground 804, underwater 808, on water
810 regions shown in FIG. 1B) the tube forming method for such
prefab tube components. Special cars 812 can act to use the linear
motor and seal system, perform at very large accelerations for
power storage, special materials storage and transfer, and act as
airlock doors with common components and controls.
Capitalization via Right of Way
[0042] FIG. 9 provides an overview of a mechanism for funding the
development of a system as shown and described above. Undertaking
the implementation of the technology described herein would likely
be the largest capital project ever undertaken. Set forth here is a
framework for providing long-term and short-term incentives.
[0043] A block 900 represents schematically a legal mandate (e.g.,
statute, judicial decision, executive order, or a combination) to
implement a form of restricted eminent domain for limited
subterranean rights, preferably without impeding any existing
mineral, water, or surface rights in the overlying land. It is
believed that such a mechanism can provide incentives for investors
to fund such a massive undertaking.
[0044] Entities willing to spend the many billions of dollars
needed to build the tunnels would be granted rights to a
subterranean volume 902 adjacent the tunnel. The grant would
include provision for multiple additional tunnels or tunnel
enlargements 904. The grant could also include grants of surface
plots (e.g., a square kilometer surface station plot every 100-200
miles) to provide surface access stations 906. These station areas
will benefit from the subsequent growth of transport hubs,
manufacturing, and cities around these "stations" 906. This grant
provides the long term incentive, akin to that offered to the
railroad companies in the 1870's to build the transcontinental
railroad, which was extensive ownership of the land around the
railroad. In that case, a successful railroad project added
tremendous value to the land provided with each mile of road
completed.
[0045] In order to encourage the investors in such a project, short
term advantages (e.g., tax and carbon trading incentives stemming
from the non-polluting nature of the technology and its
compatibility with alternative energy sources) would likely also be
provided.
CONCLUSION
[0046] While the above is a complete description of specific
embodiments of the invention, the above description should not be
taken as limiting the scope of the invention as defined by the
claims.
* * * * *