Freight transportation system and method

• US 7,654,203 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2004
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas A&M University System
• Original Assignee: Texas A&M University System
• Inventors: Morgan, Curtis A., Roco, Craig E., Olson, Leslie E., Roop, Stephen S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morano; S. Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): McCarry, Jr.; Robert J
• Application Number:
  US10/875,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20050279241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,051 Days
• Field of Search: 105/355, 105/359, 105/404, 105/396, 104/281, 104/287, 104/288, 104/290, 104/292
• US Class Current: 104/290
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 13/03 Electric propulsion by linear motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B61B 1/00 General arrangement of stations, platforms, or sidings; Railway networks; Rail vehicle marshalling systems shunting humps and shunting devices B61J; construction of platforms E01F1/00; time-tables G09D
• CPC Class Codes: B61B 13/12 Systems with propulsion devices between or alongside the rails, e.g. pneumatic systems cable traction B61B9/00; car shunting devices B61J
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 30/00 Transportation of goods or passengers via railways, e.g. energy recovery or reducing air resistance

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the invention, a freight transportation system includes a track comprising a pair of rails and a linear motor reaction plate disposed between the rails and a transport vehicle having a universal intermodal container bay configured to accommodate a plurality of containers. The transport vehicle includes one or more suspension systems each having a plurality of steel wheels engaged with the rails. The freight transportation system further includes a linear induction propulsion system coupled to the transport vehicle and operable to work in conjunction with the linear motor reaction plate to move the transport vehicle, and a control system coupled to the linear induction propulsion system and operable to control the movement of the transport vehicle.

Claims

1. A freight transportation system, comprising:

a track comprising a pair of rails and a linear motor reaction plate disposed between the rails;

a transport vehicle having a universal intermodal container bay configured to accommodate a plurality of containers, the transport vehicle comprising one or more suspension systems each having a plurality of steel wheels engaged with the rails;

a linear induction propulsion system coupled to the transport vehicle and operable to work in conjunction with the linear motor reaction plate to move the transport vehicle; and

a control system coupled to the linear induction propulsion system and operable to control the movement of the transport vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein lengths of the containers range from approximately forty to approximately fifty-four feet.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the transport vehicle further comprises aerodynamically-shaped coverings at each of a leading end and a trailing end.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the linear motor reaction plate is vertical, and wherein the linear induction propulsion system comprises a plurality of pairs of opposed linear induction motors disposed on either side of the linear motor reaction plate.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein a spacing of at least one-half inches exists between each of the linear induction motors and the linear motor reaction plate.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the linear motor reaction plate comprises a plurality of inner aluminum plates and a plurality of outer cast iron plates.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the steel wheels and the rails have flat surfaces.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the steel wheels are operable to turn independently of each other.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the linear motor reaction plate is horizontal, and wherein the linear induction propulsion system comprises a plurality of horizontal linear induction motors coupled to an underside of the transport vehicle.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the steel wheels have flanges associated therewith.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is further operable to control speed, acceleration, and deceleration of the transport vehicle.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the control system is further coupled to a regenerative braking system that produces power that feeds back into the control system.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the linear motor reaction plate is vertically disposed between the pair of rails and approximately equidistant from each rail, and wherein the linear motor reaction plate comprises a plurality of plates positioned such that an edge of each of the plurality of plates is disposed on the substrate.

13. A track for a freight transportation system, comprising:

a substrate;

a pair of rails coupled to the substrate; and

a linear motor reaction plate vertically disposed between the rails and approximately equidistant from each rail, the linear motor reaction plate comprising a plurality of plates, each of the plurality of plates positioned such that an edge of each of the plurality of plates is disposed on the substrate, the linear motor reaction plate operable to work in conjunction with a linear induction propulsion system to move a transport vehicle upon the pair of rails.

14. The track of claim 13, wherein the substrate is formed from reinforced concrete.

15. The track of claim 13, wherein the rails are partially embedded within the substrate.

16. The track of claim 13, wherein the rails include flat running surfaces configured to engage one or more flat wheels of a transport vehicle.

17. The track of claim 13, wherein each rail includes tapered sides extending from the flat running surface to the substrate.

18. The track of claim 13, wherein a height of the linear motor reaction plate is at least eighteen inches.

19. The track of claim 13, wherein the linear motor reaction plate is formed from cast iron.

20. The track of claim 13, wherein the linear motor reaction plate comprises a plurality of inner aluminum plates and a plurality of outer cast iron plates.

21. A rail system for a freight transportation system, comprising:

a concrete substrate;

a plurality of flat rail sections coupled to the concrete substrate and arranged in an end-to-end manner;

wherein the junction of adjacent rail sections comprise at least one protrusion coupled to a first end of one of the rail sections and at least one recess formed in a second end of the other rail section; and

wherein the protrusion is disposed within the recess in such a manner that a spacing exists between a free end of the protrusion and a bottom of the recess to allow the rail sections to expand and contract as the temperature of the rail sections change.

22. The rail system of claim 21, wherein the rail sections are embedded within the concrete substrate.

23. The rail system of claim 21, wherein the first and second ends of the rail sections are tapered.

24. The rail system of claim 21, wherein the spacing is approximately one-quarter inches.