Pod bay and vehicle docking

Abstract

A pod bay for receiving at least one transportation vehicle for connection with at least one airdock in a high-speed, low-pressure transportation system, wherein the airdock provides a pathway for off-loading and loading of passengers and/or cargo to the transportation vehicle. The pod bay includes a housing and at least one airdock. The pod bay is operable to maintain the transportation vehicle in a low-pressure environment of the transportation system while connecting the transportation vehicle via the at least one airdock to a boarding area.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pod bay for receiving at least one transportation vehicle for connection with at least one airdock in a high-speed, low-pressure transportation system, wherein the airdock provides a pathway for off-loading and loading of passengers and/or cargo to the transportation vehicle, the pod bay comprising:
 a housing; and   at least one airdock,   wherein the pod bay is operable to maintain the transportation vehicle in a low-pressure environment of the transportation system while connecting the transportation vehicle via the at least one airdock to a boarding area.   
     
     
         2 . The pod bay of  claim 1 , wherein an internal volume of the airdock is operable to cycle between the low-pressure environment of the transportation system and a pressure of the boarding area. 
     
     
         3 . The pod bay of  claim 2 , wherein the pressure of the boarding area is an ambient pressure. 
     
     
         4 . The pod bay of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one air dock comprises two air docks, and wherein the pod bay is configured to connect the two airdocks to the transportation vehicle. 
     
     
         5 . The pod bay of  claim 1 , wherein the pod bay is operable to receive a plurality of transportation vehicles in batch groupings. 
     
     
         6 . The pod bay of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more connectors operable to transfer resources to the transportation vehicle. 
     
     
         7 . The pod bay of  claim 6 , wherein one or more connectors comprise resource transfer manifolds arranged on a ceiling of the pod bay so as to connect with an upper surface of the transportation vehicle. 
     
     
         8 . The pod bay of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one track operable to support the transportation vehicle. 
     
     
         9 . The pod bay of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one track is operable to support the transportation vehicle in a levitated state relative to the at least one track. 
     
     
         10 . The pod bay of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one track is operable to support the transportation vehicle in a landed state on the at least one track. 
     
     
         11 . A portal branch for receiving a plurality of transportation vehicles in the high-speed, low-pressure transportation system, the portal branch comprising a plurality of pod bays according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pod bays are provided along a shared transportation vehicle path so that a plurality of transportation vehicles are connectable to the plurality of pod bays in batch groupings. 
     
     
         12 . The portal branch of  claim 11 , comprising a passenger platform arranged adjacent the shared transportation path, the passenger platform providing the loading area for each of the pod bays. 
     
     
         13 . The portal branch of  claim 11 , comprising a gate valve at each end of the shared transportation path. 
     
     
         14 . A transportation station for off-loading and loading of passengers and/or cargo to a transportation vehicle, the station comprising:
 a receiving passage for receiving incoming transportation vehicles;   a departing passage for sending outgoing transportation vehicles; and   a plurality of the portal braches of  claim 11 , each connected to the receiving passage and the departing passage.   
     
     
         15 . The transportation station of  claim 14 , wherein respective shared transportation paths of the plurality of portal branches extend parallel to each other. 
     
     
         16 . A method of operating a pod bay in a high-speed, low-pressure transportation system, the method comprising:
 receiving a transportation vehicle in the pod bay; and   connecting at least one airdock arranged in the pod bay with the transportation vehicle, wherein the airdock provides a pathway for off-loading and loading of passengers and/or cargo to the transportation vehicle,   wherein the pod bay is operable to maintain the transportation vehicle in a low-pressure environment of the transportation system while the transportation vehicle is connected via the airdock to a boarding area.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the connecting comprises attaining a soft capture between the airdock and the transportation vehicle and attaining a hard capture between the airdock and the transportation vehicle. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising cycling an internal volume of the airdock between the low-pressure environment of the transportation system and a pressure of the boarding area while the transportation vehicle is connected via the airdock. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising opening a bulkhead door connecting the airdock to the boarding area once pressure in the internal volume of the airdock equalizes with the pressure of the boarding area and a pressure of an internal volume of the transportation vehicle. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one airdock comprises two airdocks per transportation vehicle.