EA040462B1 - RAILWAY SYSTEM TYPE "VACUUM PIPE" - Google Patents

Description

(57) A rail system with a vacuum tube is proposed, comprising a vacuum tube (18) mounted on a ground support (4), a railway track (10) on a magnetic cushion installed inside a wall (20) forming a vacuum tube (18) to give direction railway vehicle (8) on a magnetic cushion. The vacuum pipe (18) is assembled from sections along the ground support, while at least some of the set of vacuum pipe sections are connected to each other using an expansion joint (22), which makes it possible to hermetically close the expansion gap between the pipe sections. The expansion joint (22) comprises at least first and second support plates (26a, 26b) mounted on the outer surface of the pipe wall (20). The first support plate is attached to the first section (18a) of the vacuum tube, and the second support plate (26b) is attached to the second section (18b) of the vacuum tube. The support plates extend longitudinally over the expansion gap for a length (L1) greater than the maximum expansion gap dimension (G), wherein the first and second support plates are slidably mounted relative to each other. The expansion joint additionally contains an elastic sealing layer (30) passing along the outer side of the support plates. This sealing layer is attached to the outer surface of the wall and extends completely over the support plates, sealing the expansion gap when the pressure inside the vacuum tube is below atmospheric pressure.

The field of technology to which the invention belongs

The present invention relates to a maglev railway system. In private applications, a maglev rail system can be integrated into an existing rail or road network.

Prerequisites for the creation of the invention

It is known that existing railway networks for wheeled trains can be modified to include railway tracks for maglev trains. The use of existing rail track infrastructure offers a significant benefit in terms of reduced cost and implementation time, although some compromises are required as existing infrastructure is not usually optimized for maglev systems.

Magnetic levitation systems are particularly efficient when implemented in a vacuum tube, which reduces aerodynamic drag and allows for faster speeds and lower power consumption. Ease of implementation, in particular adapting the existing network to include a maglev system with minimal impact on existing conventional rail tracks, is an important consideration. Given that existing railroad tracks may have different surfaces, ballasted or unballasted, adaptation to these different surfaces along the rail line must also be considered.

Brief description of the invention

The aim of the invention is to provide a vacuum tube maglev railway system that can be installed quickly and easily, in particular in existing infrastructures. It is advantageous to provide a vacuum tube rail system for integration into existing infrastructures, which can be rapidly deployed in existing infrastructure and which can be easily adapted to the changing conditions of existing infrastructure.

The objectives of the invention are achieved by creating a system according to claim 1 of the claims.

The dependent claims set forth various preferred embodiments of the invention.

The present invention discloses a maglev rail system comprising a vacuum tube mounted on a ground support, a maglev rail track mounted inside a wall forming a vacuum tube for guiding a maglev rail vehicle, the vacuum tube being assembled in sections along a ground support, wherein at least some of the sections of the vacuum tube are connected to each other by means of an expansion joint, which ensures tight closure of the expansion gap between these sections of the tube. Compensation connection contains at least first and second support plates mounted on the outer surface of the pipe wall, while the first support plate is attached to the first section of the vacuum pipe, and the second support plate is attached to the second section of the vacuum pipe, while the support plates extend in the longitudinal direction through the expansion gap for a length (L1) exceeding the maximum size of the expansion gap (G), the first and second base plates are mounted with the possibility of sliding relative to each other, the expansion joint additionally contains an elastic sealing layer passing along the outer side of the base plates. This sealing layer is bonded to the outer surface of the wall and extends completely through the support plates so as to seal the expansion gap when the pressure inside the vacuum tube is below atmospheric pressure.

In one of the preferred embodiments of the invention, the expansion joint further comprises a sealing membrane extending along the outer side of the support plates in the longitudinal direction for a length exceeding the maximum size of the expansion gap, and designed to prevent material from entering the gap between said support plates and said material expansion gap. sealing layer.

In one preferred embodiment, the sealing layer is made of an elastomeric material applied in a liquid state in situ by a deposition process, including at least one of the following: spraying, injection, deposition using layering tools such as a brush or spatula.

In one embodiment, the expansion joint may further comprise a sheet or strip of elastomeric material, such as rubber, which is placed over the backing plates prior to application of the sealing membrane.

In one embodiment, the sealing membrane comprises an elastomeric polymer, including at least one of the following: polyurethane, methyl methacrylate, hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber, fluorosilicone rubber, silicone-based elastomeric polymers.

In one embodiment, the sealing membrane is made from an elastomeric polymer, including at least one of the following: polyurethane, methyl methacrylate, hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber, fluorosilicone rubber, silicone-based elastomeric polymers.

In one preferred embodiment, the base plates are made of sheet metal, high density polyethylene, or fiber reinforced epoxy.

- 1 040462

In one preferred embodiment, the support plates are glued to the wall of the respective section of the vacuum tube.

In one preferred embodiment, the base plates are made in the form of flexible flat linear segments, for example, ranging from 2 to 15 m or more, to be assembled on the outer surface of the pipe wall by flexible matching with the transverse profile of the pipe.

In one preferred embodiment, the support plates have interlocking teeth, with the length (L1) of the teeth exceeding the maximum expansion gap (G).

In another embodiment of the invention, the base plates overlap each other through an expansion gap and an overlap distance greater than the maximum expansion gap dimension (G).

The preferred solution is when the vacuum tube is made of sections with a length of 8 to 40 m.

A variant is possible in which the vacuum tube is made of prefabricated transportable sections with a length of 8 to 18 m, preferably 12 to 16 m.

It is possible that the vacuum tube is fabricated on site in sections of 12 to 40 m, preferably 20 to 40 m.

In one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, sections of vacuum tubes are installed on the ground support of an existing conventional railway track having a ballasted surface.

It is possible that sections of the vacuum tube are installed on existing rails, additionally providing them with a deformable gasket installed between the rail and the wall of the vacuum tube. A positioning rib may be attached to the outer side of the wall of the vacuum tube and cooperating with the outer side of the rail.

A variant is possible, in which sections of the vacuum tube are installed directly on the ballasted surface, and a deformable mat is located between the ballasted surface and the pipe wall.

It is possible that the pipe sections are installed on existing railway sleepers of a conventional railway track, in which the rails are removed and support beams or blocks are installed between the sleepers and the pipe wall.

A variant is possible in which the railway system further comprises support posts buried, at least partially, in the ground between the existing sleepers of a conventional railway track, and support cross beams, configured to provide additional support or avoid obstacles, while on the cross beams is installed vacuum pipe.

In one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the rail system further comprises a linear motor comprising a stator mounted by means of a connecting bracket on the inside of the vacuum tube wall.

In one embodiment, the vacuum tube wall has a circular or substantially circular cross-sectional shape.

Other objects and advantageous aspects of the invention will become apparent from the claims, as well as from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings (drawings).

Brief Description of Attached Graphics

The invention is further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate some embodiments of the invention.

In FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vacuum tube rail system according to one embodiment of the invention.

In FIG. 2 in a view similar to FIG. 1 shows another embodiment of the invention.

In FIG. 3 in a view similar to FIG. 1 and 2 shows another embodiment of the invention.

In FIG. 3a is a part of the view shown in FIG. 3, shown in detail, shows the connection between the vacuum tube and the existing track.

In FIG. 4 in a view similar to FIG. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate another embodiment of the invention.

In FIG. 5a shows a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a junction between pipes of a vacuum pipe railway system according to one embodiment of the invention.

In FIG. 5b and 5c is a plan view showing schematically the area of the expansion joint at the joint shown in FIG. 5a in expanded (FIG. 5b) and compressed (FIG. 5c) states.

Detailed description of embodiments of the invention

The drawings show that the proposed vacuum tube rail system 2 comprises a maglev rail vehicle 8, a vacuum tube 18 within which the rail vehicle 8 is steered, and a ground support 4 on which the vacuum tube 18 is located. This ground support can have a ballasted surface 4a, i. e. surface containing gravel and/or crushed stone, or it may have unballasted

- 2 040462 concrete, asphalt or other artificial surface (not shown). The vacuum tube rail system also includes a maglev track 10 installed within the vacuum tube 18 to guide a maglev rail vehicle 8 having appropriate maglev guides cooperating with the maglev rail 12.

The maglev rail 12 includes a support rail 12a configured to support the rail vehicle's weight in a non-contact manner while the rail vehicle is moving, by means of magnetic levitation forces known per se in the maglev vehicle industry. The magnetic pad rail 12 may further comprise a guide rail 12b for lateral positioning of the rail vehicle. Various other configurations are possible, such as a slanted rail with a magnetic cushion serving both to provide lateral guidance and vertical support for the weight of the vehicle, or to have a side rail separate from the support rail to support the weight.

The maglev rail 12 is attached to the inside of the wall 20 of the vacuum tube 18 by means of link brackets 14. These link brackets may have position adjustment mechanisms (not shown) to precisely position the maglev tracks relative to each other and relative to the linear motor 16 so that accurately guide the railway vehicle along the vacuum tube 18.

The system further comprises a linear motor 16 having a stator 17 mounted in the vacuum tube 18 and a complementary movable member 19 mounted on the rail vehicle 8 that is magnetically coupled to the stator 19 to propel the rail vehicle along the track 10. The stator may be mounted on the wall of the vacuum tube 20 through the connecting bracket 15, allowing the position of the stator 17 to be adjusted relative to the magnetic cushion rails and the railway vehicle for precise connection with them. The stator 17 usually contains windings installed in a ferromagnetic armature that generate a magnetic field that interacts with permanent magnets, or with an induction mass in the moving element 19. Variants are also possible in which a stator without iron is used, i.e. the windings are not mounted on ferromagnetic material. The latter solution is more reliable in operation and more economical, despite the lower effort of the linear motor. The various designs of linear motors suitable for maglev railways are well known in themselves and need not be further described. The linear motor can also be integrated into the maglev rails rather than being a separate unit as shown; such solutions are also known per se in the art.

A maintenance platform 24 may be provided within the vacuum tube to allow maintenance personnel to move within the tube during maintenance operations.

Vacuum tube 18 preferably includes a cylindrical or substantially cylindrical wall 20, however, without departing from the scope of the invention, cross-sectional profiles and other shapes, such as polygonal, square, elliptical, oval, or other non-axisymmetric shapes, can be used. However, in many applications the simplest and most reliable vacuum tube 18 appears to be cylindrical (ie circular).

The vacuum tube 18 may be formed from sections of tube which may be prefabricated so that each section is of a length suitable for transport by rail or road. The pipe section may have a length, for example, from 8 to 40 m, and the sections are assembled one after the other along the ground support 4. The typical length of such pipe sections exceeds the pipe diameter by 2-10 times, therefore, for a diameter of 4 m, the sections can have a length of 8 up to 40 m. Preferably, the length of the pipe sections is from 12 to 16 m.

Alternatively, sections of pipe, eg 8-40 m long, preferably 20-40 m long, are made on site or near the railroad tracks, eg by pouring concrete around the reinforcement. There are casting machines that move on rails, laying rebar and pouring concrete using molds. Another method of in-situ fabrication of the pipe involves fabrication away from the track using a stationary casting machine that produces sections which are then transported to the appropriate parts of the track where they are installed.

The wall material of the vacuum tube may comprise concrete, or be composed of concrete, steel, or composite reinforced materials, or combinations of the foregoing.

The vacuum tube sections 18 may be installed on an existing or newly laid ground support. The existing ground support may be designed for conventional rail vehicles and may have rails for wheeled rail vehicles as shown in FIG. 3, or without rails (for example, by removing the rails before installing the vacuum tube) as shown in FIG. 1 and 2. In order to accurately position the pipe on the ground support, between the fabricated support 7, such as sleepers 7a or crossbeams 7b mounted on the ballasted surface 4a, and the pipe, a pipe-to-support interface 25 can be installed to match the shape of the pipe. This interface between pipe and support can contain

- 3 040462 press support beams or blocks 25, which can be located individually on the railway sleepers or continue in the longitudinal direction along two or more railway sleepers. These support beams or blocks are made in such a way as to match the outer shape of the lower part of the vacuum tube for a reliable position of the latter relative to the ground support 4. The support beams or blocks can be made as parts separate from the sleeper 6, and attached to it, and may additionally contain a pliable, elastomeric, or deformable layer for distributing the pressure of the vacuum tube on the support beam, and in some cases dampening the connection between the vacuum tube and the ground to reduce vibrations and noise when a vehicle travels along a maglev track.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, in the case of a ground support with insufficient bearing capacity, when greater stability is required, in addition to the sleepers, transverse beams 7b can be installed in the ballasted soil between the sleepers, and support posts 11 can be additionally used, which are buried and fixed in the ballasted ground support for cross beam support 7b. Such crossbeams 7b with support posts 11 can also be used to lift a railway pipe over obstacles or to cross depressions.

In the variant shown in FIG. 3, vacuum tube 18 can also be placed on existing railroad tracks for conventional wheeled rail vehicles. In order to distribute the contact pressure between the railroad tracks and the vacuum tube, and in some cases to reduce vibrations and noise when the rail vehicle moves inside the tube, a pliable, elastic or plastically deformable pad 29 may be placed on the railroad tracks. The deformable pad 29 may be made, for example, of rubber or other elastomeric material, preferably reinforced with metal or composite wires or fibers. The deformable spacer may be supplied in linear segments, eg at least 2 to eg 100 m, to be laid on the rail 12 before the pipe sections are lowered onto the rails. In this embodiment, the interface between the pipe and the support may further comprise ribs 27 for positioning and stabilizing the pipe 18 on the rails 21. These positioning ribs are designed to engage with the outer side edges of the rails 21. The positioning ribs can be attached to the pipe 18 in various ways depending on from the material of which the pipe wall 20 is made, such as by welding, gluing (eg, methyl methacrylate adhesive or resin adhesive), or fixing with screws or anchors (in concrete). The ribs can be installed at a distance of, for example, not less than 0.5 m, while on straight sections of the vacuum tube 18, shielded from the wind, the distance can even be up to 6-12 m.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the vacuum tube can also be installed directly on a ballasted support without sleepers or with the sleepers removed from the existing railway track. A compliant, elastomeric or plastically deformable layer of material is cast or placed in the form of a mat between the area of the contact surface of the vacuum tube and the ground support. A material well adapted to the latter function may include various elastomers and rubbers, polyethylene, bitumen, geotextile, or combinations of these materials.

In FIG. 5a, 5b and 5c illustrate an embodiment of one aspect of the invention. In FIG. 5a is a longitudinal section (ie, in a direction parallel to the center line of the vacuum tube) showing a joint between two connected tube sections. In FIG. 5b and 5c are top views of a portion of the expansion joint joint in the expanded (ie, flat) state. Vacuum tubes are supplied in sections from 8 to 40 m in length and thus there are joints between prefabricated or locally manufactured sections. Some joints may be made airtight to form longer sections (eg 16 to 80 m) which are joined together through a joint configured to allow thermal expansion and contraction of the pipe 18 relative to the ground support 4 on which the pipes are installed. It is necessary to be able to regulate some expansion between at least some pipe sections, not necessarily between each pair of adjacent sections, but at regular intervals depending on the type of soil and fluctuations in daily or seasonal temperatures at the installation site.

In one aspect of the invention, an expansion joint 22 is installed on the outer side of the wall 20 of the vacuum tube 20, encompassing the joint. The expansion joint provides an airtight seal to the interior of the vacuum tube 18 while allowing a predetermined maximum degree of expansion between adjacent sections of the tube 18.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the expansion joint comprises at least first and second base plates 26a and 26b, wherein the first base plate 26a is connected to the first vacuum tube section 18a and the second base plate 26b is connected to the second vacuum tube section 18b, connected to the first section. The support plates 26a and 26b are advantageously made of metal sheet, such as copper, aluminum or steel. The base plates 26a and 26b can also be made from a tough polymer such as high density polyethylene or a composite material that

- 4 040462 are glued, welded, riveted or screwed to the corresponding section of pipe in such a way that the maximum gap between adjacent end sections of pipes that are subjected to expansion is covered. In the preferred embodiment, the support plates are glued with adhesive 33 to the outer surface of the pipe wall 20.

As can be seen in FIG. 5b and 5c, the base plates may be provided with interlocking teeth 32a, 32b with a length L1 that is greater than a predetermined maximum variable gap G between sections 18a and 18b. The length L1 of the teeth is thus greater than the maximum expansion gap G for the expansion range of the vacuum tube 18. side of the wall 20 of the vacuum tube while installing the sections of the vacuum tube in place.

In another variant (not shown in the drawings), support plates without interlocking teeth can be used, but overlapping, so that the maximum overlap size is greater than the maximum gap G.

Over the base plates 26a and 26b, in particular over the junction of the base plates, a sealing membrane 28 can be arranged, passing through the expansion gap G and extending beyond it. This sealing membrane advantageously comprises a highly elastic polymeric material, such as polyurethane, which is capable of elastic deformation of more than 100%, for example up to 1000%. Other sealing materials such as methyl methacrylate may be used. The sealing membrane may comprise a multilayer structure of several materials, for example an underlying primary sealing layer, such as rubber bonded to an external wall, or a heat shrinkable polymeric layer, and an outer layer of a sprayed or deposited elastomeric material, such as polyurethane or methyl methacrylate.

The sealing membrane 28 seals the joint between the base plates and allows one or more sealing layers 30 to be poured, sprayed, injected, applied or otherwise formed over the base plates 26a and 26b, preventing the sealing material from entering the gap between the base plates and into the gap between the ends of the walls 20 Thus, the support plates remain movable relative to each other at the maximum expansion distance. The sealing layer 30 extends longitudinally on both ends of the respective base plates 26a and 26b and is in contact with the outer surface of the wall 20 of both sections 18a and 18b to provide a seal around the base plates and the sealing membrane 28. The pressure difference between the outer and inner sides of the vacuum the pipe pressurizes the sealing layer 30 against the outer side of the wall 20 of the vacuum tube, which ensures a tight seal. Rigid backing plates 26a and 26b maintain the sealing membrane rigidity in the area corresponding to the expansion gap G at its maximum expansion to allow the vacuum tube sections 18a and 18b to move in the longitudinal direction relative to each other without material entering the expansion gap between them, which could to block further movement. In other words, the support plates that pass through the expansion gap on the outer surface of the vacuum tubes ensure that the expansion gap remains free of material and is free to expand and contract at the maximum expansion distance G specified.

List of reference designations:

- railway system;

- ground support of the railway track;

a - ballasted (gravel, crushed stone, etc.) / non-ballasted;

- made support;

a - sleeper;

b - cross beam;

- support post/interface between pipe and support;

- support beam or block;

- deformable mat;

- deformable gasket;

- positioning rib;

- maglev vehicle/maglev device;

- railway track with magnetic cushion;

- rail with magnetic cushion;

b - guide rail;

a - support rail;

- connecting bracket;

- linear motor;

- connecting bracket;

- stator/armature/winding;

- movable element permanent magnets induction mass;

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- vacuum pipe;

- wall;

- compensation connection;

26a, 26b - support plates;

, 32a, 32b - interlocking teeth;

- glue;

- sealing membrane;

- sealing layer;

- service platform.

Maximum expansion gap G (between vacuum tubes):

L1 - the length of the teeth of the support plates.

Claims (22)

1. A vacuum tube rail system comprising a vacuum tube (18) mounted on a ground support (4), a maglev track (10) installed surrounded by a wall (20) forming a vacuum tube (18) to guide the railroad. the vehicle (8) on a magnetic cushion, while the vacuum tube (18) is assembled from sections along the ground support, while at least some of the totality of sections of the vacuum tube are connected to each other using an expansion joint (22) made with the ability to hermetically close the expansion gap between said pipe sections, characterized in that the expansion joint (22) comprises at least first and second support plates (26a, 26b) installed on the outer surface of the pipe wall (20), the first support plate being attached to of the first section (18a) of the vacuum tube, and the second support plate (26b) is attached to the second section (18b) of the vacuum tube, while the support f plates extend in the longitudinal direction over the expansion gap for a length (L1) exceeding the maximum size of the expansion gap (G), while the first and second base plates are made to move with sliding relative to each other, while the expansion joint additionally contains an elastic sealing layer (30) extending along the outside of the support plates, this sealing layer is attached to the outer surface of the wall and completely extends over the support plates, being able to seal the expansion gap when the pressure inside the vacuum tube is below atmospheric pressure. 2. Railway system according to claim 1, in which the expansion joint (22) further comprises a sealing membrane (28) extending along the outer side of the support plates (26a, 26b) for a length exceeding the maximum size of the expansion gap, and designed to prevent material from entering sealing layer (30) into the gap between said support plates and into said expansion gap. 3. Railway system according to claim 2, wherein the expansion joint (22) further comprises a sheet or strip of elastomeric material, such as rubber, which is applied over the base plates prior to application of the sealing membrane (28). 4. Railway system according to any one of claims 2 or 3, in which the sealing membrane contains an elastomeric polymer, including at least one of the following: polyurethane, methyl methacryl, hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber, fluorosilicone rubber, silicone-based elastomeric polymers. 5. Railway system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, in which the sealing membrane (28) is made of a sheet or strip of a polymer, including at least one of the following: polyurethane, methyl methacrylate, hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber, fluorosilicone rubber, elastomeric polymers based on silicone. 6. Railway system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the sealing layer is made of an elastomeric material applied in a liquid state in situ by a deposition process comprising at least one of the following: spraying, injection, deposition with application tools layer, such as a brush or spatula. 7. Railway system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the base plates (26a, 26b) are made of metal sheet, high density polyethylene or fiber reinforced epoxy resin. 8. Rail system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the support plates are attached to the wall (20) of the respective section of the vacuum tube with adhesive (33). 9. The railway system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the base plates are made in the form of flexible flat linear segments, for example, in the range of 2 to 15 m or more, for installation on the outer surface of the pipe wall with flexible matching with the profile of the transverse pipe sections. 10. Railway system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the base plates (26a, 26b) have interlocking teeth (32a, 32b), the length (L1) of the teeth exceeding the maximum dimension of the expansion gap (G). - 6 040462 11. A rail system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the base plates overlap each other through the expansion gap by an overlap distance greater than the maximum expansion gap dimension (G). 12. The railway system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the vacuum tube consists of sections with a length of 8 to 40 m each. 13. Railway system according to claim 12, in which the vacuum tube is made of prefabricated transportable sections with a length of from 8 to 18 m, preferably from 12 to 16 m. 14. Railway system according to claim 12, wherein the vacuum tube is locally fabricated in sections of 12 to 40 m, preferably 20 to 40 m. 15. The railway system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the vacuum tube sections are mounted on a ground support of an existing conventional railway track having a ballasted surface (4a). 16. The railway system according to claim 15, wherein the vacuum tube sections are mounted on existing rails (21) and which further comprises a deformable spacer (29) installed between the rail (21) and vacuum tube wall (20). 17. Railway system according to any one of claims 1 to 16, further comprising a positioning rib (27) attached to the outer side of the wall (20) of the vacuum tube and engaging with the outer side of the rail (21). 18. The railway system according to claim 15, wherein the vacuum tube sections are mounted directly on the ballasted surface, and a deformable mat (31) is located between the ballasted surface and the pipe wall. 19. A railway system according to claim 15, wherein the pipe sections are installed on existing railway sleepers (7a) of a conventional railway track in which the rails are removed and support beams or blocks (25) are installed between the sleepers and the pipe wall. 20. The railway system according to claim 19, further comprising support posts (11) recessed at least partially into a ground support between existing sleepers of a conventional railway track, and support crossbeams (7b) designed to provide additional support or to bypassing obstacles, while the vacuum tube is installed on these cross beams. 21. Railway system according to any one of claims 1 to 20, further comprising a linear motor (16) having a stator (17) mounted with a connecting bracket (15) on the inside of the wall of the vacuum tube. 22. A railway system according to any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the wall of the vacuum tube has a circular or substantially circular cross-sectional shape.