Transportation system and vehicle for supersonic transport

Abstract

A transportation system for supersonic travel including a conduit containing an atmosphere that exhibits high aerodynamic tunneling performance, or high gas efficacy, and a vehicle designed to operate within the conduit. The vehicle traveling within the conduit along a support and guide structure that is complementary to a support and guidance system of the vehicle. The vehicle being propelled through the conduit via a propulsion system that includes contra-rotating propellers.

1 . A tube vehicle comprising:
 a vehicle body having an outside portion;   at least one source of power supported by the vehicle body;   a motor operably coupled with the at least one source of power and configured to receive power from the at least one source of power;   at least one propeller arrangement supported at a first end of the outside portion of the vehicle body and operably coupled with the motor, the at least one propeller arrangement providing propulsion to the vehicle within an enclosed structure in which the vehicle travels and configured to operate within an atmosphere of the enclosed structure that allows the vehicle to achieve aerodynamic tunneling.   
     
     
         2 . The tube vehicle of  claim 1  wherein the vehicle body is substantially cylindrical and configured to fit within the dimension of the enclosed structure and wherein the enclosed structure is a tube. 
     
     
         3 . The tube vehicle of  claim 1  wherein the at least one source of power includes at least one fuel-cell stack and wherein the vehicle further includes an intake mechanism supported on the outside portion of the vehicle body, the intake mechanism configured to receive a gas from an atmosphere in which the vehicle is traveling, the gas being a fuel source for the at least one fuel-cell stack. 
     
     
         4 . The tube vehicle of  claim 3  wherein the gas is hydrogen and the at least one fuel-cell stack is a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell, the hydrogen being a fuel (reductant) source for at least one fuel-cell stack. 
     
     
         5 . The tube vehicle of  claim 3  further comprising:
 an oxidant storage tank, wherein the oxidant storage tank provides oxygen to the at least one fuel cell stack. 
 
     
     
         6 . The tube vehicle of  claim 5  wherein the oxidant storage tank holds liquid oxygen and further includes a water storage tank to store water exhausted from the fuel cell during operation. 
     
     
         7 . The tube vehicle of  claim 3  further comprising:
 an exhaust, wherein the exhaust is located on the outside portion of the cylindrical body, the exhaust is connected to an exit of the fuel cell and distributes a gas from the exit of the fuel to outside the vehicle; and 
 a separator disposed between the exit of the fuel cell and the exhaust, wherein the separator separates gas and other materials from the exit of the fuel. 
 
     
     
         8 . The tube vehicle of  claim 1  further comprising a levitation system on the outside portion of the vehicle body configured to levitate the vehicle. 
     
     
         9 . The tube vehicle of  claim 8  wherein the levitation system comprises a magnetic levitation system along a bottom portion of the outside portion of the vehicle body. 
     
     
         10 . The tube vehicle of  claim 8  wherein the levitation system comprises an aerostatic gas bearings along a bottom portion of the outside portion of the vehicle body, the aerostatic gas bearing providing a low-friction layer on the outside portion of the vehicle body for the vehicle to propel on top of the layer. 
     
     
         11 . The vehicle of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of wheels configured to support the vehicle body on a support and guide structure of the enclosed structure. 
     
     
         12 . The tube vehicle of  claim 11  wherein:
 the support and guide structure defines a rail; and 
 wherein the plurality of wheels are aligned along a longitudinal centerline of the vehicle and include an opposing side flanges that laterally constrain the wheels on the rail. 
 
     
     
         13 . The tube vehicle of  claim 11  wherein each of the plurality of wheels includes an aerostatic bearing spindle and a bearing housing, the aerostatic bearing spindle including a plurality of orifices that provide gas flow to a gap between the aerostatic bearing spindle and the bearing housing, wherein the gas flow supports the wheel. 
     
     
         14 . The tube vehicle of  claim 11  further comprising at least one aileron supported on the outside portion of the vehicle body, the at least one aileron configured to balance the vehicle during movement of the vehicle. 
     
     
         15 . The tube vehicle of  claim 1  wherein the at least one source of power includes at least one rechargeable battery, an electrical catenary, or an electrical bus running parallel to the centerline of the enclosed structure. 
     
     
         16 . The tube vehicle of  claim 1  wherein the propulsion system includes two tandem propellers, with a first propeller supported at a first end of the vehicle body and a second propeller supported at a second end of the vehicle body. 
     
     
         17 . The tube vehicle of  claim 16  wherein the two tandem propellers are contra-rotating propellers, and wherein a number of blades included in each of the contra-rotating propellers is optimized for the atmosphere provided in the enclosed structure. 
     
     
         18 . The tube vehicle of  claim 1  wherein the atmosphere provided in the enclosed structure comprises of H 2 , NH 3 , CH 4 , He, C 2 H 2 , C 2 H 6 , C 3 H 8 , C 2 H 4 , N 2 , CO 2 , N 2 O, O 2 , SF 6 , Ar, Ne, halocarbons, or any mixture of these gases. 
     
     
         19 . The tube vehicle of  claim 11  further including a fairing, the fairing designed to streamline the plurality of wheels, and to reduce aerodynamic drag and support the wheel bearings. 
     
     
         20 . A transportation system comprising:
 a substantially enclosed conduit provided between a first geographic location and a second geographic location, the enclosed conduit having a cross-section of a fluted tube and being provided with an atmosphere that allows a vehicle traveling within the enclosed conduit to achieve aerodynamic tunneling.   
     
     
         21 . The transportation system of  claim 20  wherein the fluted tube is formed from two or more tubes conjoined along their lengths, and wherein the conjoined tubes share their collective cross-sectional areas and thereby reduce aerodynamic drag. 
     
     
         22 . The transportation system of  claim 20  wherein the enclosed conduit is configured to support bidirectional or parallel traffic. 
     
     
         23 . The transportation system of  claim 20  wherein the enclosed conduit further includes at least one guideway configured to support and guide a vehicle traveling within the conduit. 
     
     
         24 . The transportation system of  claim 20  wherein the overall gas efficacy of the atmosphere provided within the enclosed conduit is higher than the gas efficacy of the air outside of the conduit. 
     
     
         25 . The transportation system of  claim 20  wherein the atmosphere provided within the enclosed conduit is H 2 , NH 3 , CH 4 , He, C 2 H 2 , C 2 H 6 , C 3 H 8 , C 2 H 4 , N 2 , CO 2 , N 2 O, O 2 , SF 6 , Ar, Ne, halocarbons, or any mixture of these gases. 
     
     
         26 . The transportation system of  claim 20  wherein the atmosphere provided in the conduit comprises density stages, the density stages including gases of decreasing densities along the length of the enclosed conduit, in the direction of vehicle acceleration wherein each density stage is separated from another density stage by at least one movable partition that allows the vehicle to traverse from one density stage to another density stage. 
     
     
         27 . The transportation system of  claim 26  further comprising gases of increasing density in the direction of deceleration wherein each density stage is separated from another density stage by at least one movable partition that allows the vehicle to traverse from one density stage to another density stage. 
     
     
         28 . The transportation system of  claim 20  wherein the atmosphere provided in the conduit comprises density stages, the density stages including gases of increasing density in the direction of deceleration, wherein each density stage is separated from another density stage by at least one movable partition that allows the vehicle to traverse from one density stage to another density stage. 
     
     
         29 . The transportation system of  claim 20  further including at least one vehicle dimensioned to fit within the conduit, the vehicle comprising a propulsion system and a system configured to support and guide the vehicle within the enclosed conduit.