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US Patent 6374746 - Magnetic levitation transportation system and method

US Patent Issued on April 23, 2002
Estimated Patent Expiration Date: Icon_subject February 7, 2020Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.
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Abstract

A ground-based capsule pipeline with greatly improved speed, energy efficiency, and cost for transportation of freight and/or people. Passive magnetic levitation is used to suspend inert, rugged capsules within an air-evacuated pipeline, where they are propelled by a linear motor. Permanent magnet pole arrays incorporated in the capsules interact with inductively-enhanced conductive loops on the interior of the pipeline to produce a low "take-off" speed, high lift, and a high lift-drag ratio.

Other References

  • Heller, Arnie, "A New Approach for Magnetically Levitating Trains--and Rockets", Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Science & Technology Review, Jun. 1998
  • Gourley, Scott R., "Track to the Future", Popular Mechanics, May 1998
  • Zhao, Yiyuan and Lundgren, Thomas S., "Characteristics of a Freight Pipeline Transportation System", International Conference on Personal Rapid Transit and Other Emerging Transportation Technologies, Nov., 1996
  • Suppes, Galen J., "A Perspective on Maglev Transit and Introduction of the PRT Maglev", Transportation Research Record, No. 1496, 1995, pp103-111
  • Vance, Lawrence and Mills, Milton K., "Tube Freight Transportation", Public Roads On-Line, Autumn 1994
  • Society for Automotive Engineers, "Magnetic Levitation Technology for Advanced Transit Systems", SP-792, 1989
  • Post, Richard F., "Maglev: A New Approach", Scientific America, Jan. 2000
  • Kolm, Henry H. and Thornton, Richard D., "Electromagnetic Flight", Scientific American, Oct. 1973
  • Reitz, John R., "Forces on Moving Magnets due to Eddy Currents", Journal of Applied Physics, Apr. 197

Inventor

Application

No. 499604 filed on 02/07/2000

US Classes:

104/138.1, TUBULAR WAY104/27, TERMINALS AND STATIONS104/28, Passenger104/139, TRUCK IN CONDUIT104/282, Propulsion means employed to suspend car104/283By permanent magnets only

Field of Search

104/290, Linear motor104/292, Propulsion by active guideway; e.g., linear synchronous motor, etc.104/288, Electric104/281, MAGNETICALLY SUSPENDED CAR104/282, Propulsion means employed to suspend car104/283, By permanent magnets only104/138.1, TUBULAR WAY104/139, TRUCK IN CONDUIT104/138.2, Internal service device104/284, Including means to sense or control car position or attitude with respect to guideway198/619Load propelled as the reactive means in a linear motor or moving magnetic field

Examiners

Primary: Morano, S. Joseph
Assistant: Jules, Frantz F.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

US Patent References

2488287, 3724690, 3724691, 3738281, 3763788, 3951074, Secondary lift for magnetically levitated vehicles
Issued on: 04/20/1976
Inventor: Cooper
4015540, Electromagnetic transportation system
Issued on: 04/05/1977
Inventor: Roxberry
4023500, High-speed ground transportation system
Issued on: 05/17/1977
Inventor: Diggs
4075948, Rapid transit system
Issued on: 02/28/1978
Inventor: Minovitch
4795113, Electromagnetic transportation system for manned space travel
Issued on: 01/03/1989
Inventor: Minovitch
5146853, Compact magnetic levitation transportation system
Issued on: 09/15/1992
Inventor: Suppes
5241912, Transferring apparatus having a magnetically floating carrier member with the floating magnets acting through a reduced thickness portion of a wall
Issued on: 09/07/1993
Inventor: Oshima, et al.
5253591, High speed maglev design
Issued on: 10/19/1993
Inventor: Rote, et al.
5253592, Magnetic levitation configuration incorporating levitation, guidance and linear synchronous motor
Issued on: 10/19/1993
Inventor: Coffey
5270593, Air cored, linear induction motor for magnetically levitated systems
Issued on: 12/14/1993
Inventor: Levi, et al.
5282424, High speed transport system
Issued on: 02/01/1994
Inventor: O'Neill
5388527, Multiple magnet positioning apparatus for magnetic levitation vehicles
Issued on: 02/14/1995
Inventor: Thornton
5433155, High speed transport system
Issued on: 07/18/1995
Inventor: O'Neill, deceased, et al.
5460098, Air-cushion vehicle transportation system
Issued on: 10/24/1995
Inventor: Jackson, et al.
5517924, Double row loop-coil configuration for high-speed electrodynamic maglev suspension, guidance, propulsion and guideway directional switching
Issued on: 05/21/1996
Inventor: He, et al.
5566620, Levitated rail system
Issued on: 10/22/1996
Inventor: Siewert
5641054, Magnetic levitation conveyor apparatus
Issued on: 06/24/1997
Inventor: Mori, et al.
5652472, Magnetodynamic levitation and stabilizing selfregulating system
Issued on: 07/29/1997
Inventor: Tozoni
5653175, Vacuum highway vehicle
Issued on: 08/05/1997
Inventor: Milligan
5722326, Magnetic levitation system for moving objects
Issued on: 03/03/1998
Inventor: Post
5865123, Electromagnetic induction suspension and horizontal switching system for a vehicle on a planar guideway
Issued on: 02/02/1999
Inventor: Powell, et al.
5950543, Evacuated tube transport
Issued on: 09/14/1999
Inventor: Oster
6044770Integrated high speed MAGLEV system
Issued on: 04/04/2000
Inventor: Davey, et al.

International Class

B61B 013/00

Comments

Flag comment
as inappropriate
by Thomas B. Albright on 08/24/2008 10:17 PM
This approach was described in my book "21st Century Blueprint" which was published in 1994 and is listed for sale on Cleareducation.com
 
 
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