Solar railway system and related methods

• US 9,738,291 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2013
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Reily Quinn Corporation
• Original Assignee: Reily Quinn Corporation
• Inventors: Diebel, Peter H., Soper, Jeffrey Gordon
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jason C
• Application Number:
  US14/102,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20140158013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 13/00 Electric propulsion for monorail vehicles, suspension vehicles or rack railways; Magnetic suspension or levitation for vehicles tracks for Maglev-type trains E01B25/30; electromagnets per se H01F7/06; linear motors per se H02K41/00
• CPC Class Codes: B61B 13/04 Monorail systems
• CPC Class Codes: E01B 25/08 Tracks for mono-rails with centre of gravity of vehicle above the load-bearing rail
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 30/00 Transportation of goods or passengers via railways, e.g. energy recovery or reducing air resistance
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A solar railway system includes a monorail guideway structure elevated above ground and extending along a rail travel direction. The guideway structure has a hollow body extending in the rail travel direction and containing utility infrastructure. A walkable thoroughfare is within the hollow body for allowing worker access to the utility infrastructure. A solar energy collector is positioned on the guideway structure and is in electrical communication with the utility infrastructure.

Claims

1. A solar railway system comprising:

a longitudinally extending elevated monorail track member;

a guideway structure elevating the monorail track member and having a longitudinally extending hollow body defining an interior space containing utility infrastructure;

a thoroughfare within the interior space for allowing worker access to the utility infrastructure;

a solar energy collector positioned on the guideway structure and in electrical communication with the utility infrastructure.

2. The solar railway system of claim 1, wherein the utility infrastructure comprises one or more of power lines, communication lines, gas lines, and water lines.

3. The solar railway system of claim 1, wherein the mono-rail track member comprises a laterally separated pair of longitudinally extending monorail tracks and the solar energy collector is positioned therebetween.

4. The solar railway system of claim 1, wherein the solar energy collector includes a pair of opposed longitudinally extending solar panel sections angling downwardly from a common apex thereof toward the guideway structure.

5. The solar railway system of claim 1, wherein the interior space is defined by longitudinally extending solid interior walls adapted to isolate the interior space from exterior weather conditions.

6. The solar railway system of claim 1, wherein:

the guideway structure is upwardly supported by a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart vertical beams contacting underlying terrain; and

the thoroughfare extends all the way between the vertical beams.

7. The solar railway system of claim 1, wherein the thoroughfare is defined by a floor of the interior space, the floor being elevated above ground.

8. The solar railway system of claim 1, wherein:

the utility infrastructure comprises one or more of power lines, communication lines, gas lines, and water lines;

the monorail track member comprises a laterally separated pair of longitudinally extending monorail tracks and the solar collector is positioned therebetween;

the solar energy collector includes a pair of opposed longitudinally extending solar panel sections angling downwardly from a common apex thereof toward the guideway structure;

the interior space is defined by longitudinally extending solid interior walls adapted to isolate the hollow interior from exterior weather conditions;

the guideway structure is upwardly supported by a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart vertical beams contacting underlying terrain;

the thoroughfare extends at least all the way between the vertical beams; and

the thoroughfare is defined by a floor of the interior space, the floor being elevated above ground.

9. The solar railway system of claim 1 wherein the guideway structure includes one or more interior wall members in the interior space separating the utility infrastructure from the thoroughfare.

10. A solar railway system comprising:

a monorail guideway structure elevated above ground and extending along a rail travel direction, the monorail guideway structure having a hollow body extending in the rail travel direction and containing utility infrastructure therein;

a walkable thoroughfare within the hollow body for allowing worker access to the utility infrastructure;

a solar energy collector positioned on the monorail guideway structure and in electrical communication with the utility infrastructure.

11. The solar railway system of claim 10, wherein the utility infrastructure comprises one or more of power lines, communication lines, gas lines, and water lines.

12. The solar railway system of claim 10, wherein the monorail guideway structure comprises a laterally separated pair of longitudinally extending monorail tracks and the solar energy collector is positioned therebetween.

13. The solar railway system of claim 10, wherein the solar energy collector includes a pair of opposed longitudinally extending solar panel sections angling downwardly from a common apex thereof toward the guideway structure.

14. The solar railway system of claim 10, wherein an interior space of the hollow body is defined by longitudinally extending solid interior walls adapted to isolate the interior space from exterior weather conditions.

15. The solar railway system of claim 10, wherein:

the guideway structure is upwardly supported by a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart vertical beams contacting underlying terrain; and

the walkable thoroughfare extends all the way between the vertical beams.

16. The solar railway system of claim 10, wherein the walk-able thoroughfare is defined by an interior floor of the hollow body, the floor being elevated above ground.

17. The solar railway system of claim 10, wherein:

the utility infrastructure comprises one or more of power lines, communication lines, gas lines, and water lines;

the monorail guideway structure comprises a laterally separated pair of longitudinally extending monorail tracks and the solar collector is positioned therebetween;

the solar energy collector includes a pair of opposed longitudinally extending solar panel sections angling downwardly from a common apex thereof toward the guideway structure;

an interior space of the hollow body is defined by longitudinally extending solid interior walls adapted to isolate the interior space from exterior weather conditions;

the guideway structure is upwardly supported by a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart vertical beams contacting underlying terrain;

the walkable thoroughfare extends all the way between the vertical beams; and

the walkable thoroughfare is defined by an interior floor of the hollow body.

18. The solar railway system of claim 10 wherein the guideway structure includes one or more interior wall members in the interior space separating the utility infrastructure from the thoroughfare.

19. A method of providing a solar railway system, the method comprising:

positioning a solar energy collector on a monorail guideway structure elevated above ground and extending along a rail travel direction, the monorail guideway structure having (a) a hollow body extending in the rail travel direction, (b) utility infrastructure therein, and (c) a walkable thoroughfare within the hollow body for allowing worker access to the utility infrastructure.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the solar energy collected is positioned between a laterally separated pair of longitudinally extending monorail tracks on the guideway structure.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the solar energy collector includes a pair of opposed longitudinally extending solar panel sections angling downwardly from a common apex thereof toward the guideway structure when positioned thereon.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein an interior space of the hollow body is defined by longitudinally extending solid interior walls adapted to isolate an interior space thereof from exterior weather conditions.