FR2799701A1 - Motorway lane, with overhead electrification to power hybrid trucks and buses, uses railway-style overhead electric lines with pantographs fitted to heavy vehicles that have a supplementary electric drive - Google Patents

Abstract

The operation of heavy transport vehicles makes use of overhead electrical lines (4) along one lane of motorways. The vehicles have, in addition to their normal diesel engine, an electric drive, which is powered through railway-style overhead pantographs (2) running on the overhead lines and mounted on the tractor or the trailer unit.

Description

<U> DESCRIPTION </ U> To solve the current pollution and safety problem posed by road transport (eg crossing Alpine valleys and tunnels, or congested motorways), most experts have opted for the piggyback solution (trucks transported by train). However the loading and the unloading by rolling of these heavy vehicles, proves inconvenient, because with the use of the current wagons, it can not be done, that of the back towards the front of the train (see metode Switzerland) , and vesicle by vesicle ... slowly, but also with problems, when passing from one vagon to another. In addition, the compression of the vehicles towards the front forces each truck to travel the length of the train. A major disadvantage emerges, when a vehicle mid-train poses a problem (fire). Another disadvantage of this system of loading and unloading, becomes obvious, in the case of the organization of the piggyback city to city, such as for example, a line north / south of France, can go from Lille to Perpignan, via paris, Dijon, Lyon, Avignon ...

In effect a tel proget could not be exploited for this same cause, which is the impossibility of unloading a mid-size truck. Another solution, currently exploited, but not very practical expensive and dangerous, consists in loading and unloading the semi-trailers alone, detached from their tractors, by means of cranes and overhead cranes. To overcome these drawbacks, the highway corridor eléctrifie here described, allows the rolling of trucks and other vehicles, by electric reciprocating motor. In fact, semi-trailers, or trucks, or others, equipped with electric motors, installed in engine bridges (3), Fig.l, can take these electrified highway corridors, (4), (6) ( 5), Fig.l, and ride, ecologically, with clean energy and without noise.

To do this, it suffices to replace an axle of the standard rolling tridem by a bridge axle (3), Fig. 1. Thus, a current semitrailer can be retrieved from this system. A sensor pantograph (2) completes the transformation, to constitute the hybrid road assembly if sought after today.

The same transformation is obviously possible on the tractors of heavy sets (1), Fig.2. I1 suffirà here too, to add the electric motor bridge (3), Fig.2, or alternatively, to place an electric motor in the middle transmission, from the gearbox to the rear propeller (not shown ). Railway type poles, with catenaries and electric cables (5) are part of the equipment needed for running.

It is thus possible to equip the right lane, usually used by trucks. However, on three-lane highways and above, it would be preferable to innovate (as has been done successfully, for round-trip priority on the left), and to develop in electric, the left-hand corridor, to reserve to heavy trucks.

 The first advantage of this method, the columns supporting cables and catenaries, would be located between the rising and falling channels (economy in numbers, and respect of the environment).

 The driving of cars on the right, would no longer be imposed by the speed of trucks and their different pace (no need to double them, or to be doubled by them). Visibility would no longer be obstructed by their size exxageré, on the front or on the sides, during overtaking and taxiing, on the intermediate corridor.

 The landscape will be clear, and the signposts will always be visible. The corridor of the center of the highway, would serve then, to double only between cars, with serenity and decon traction. The heavyweights, for their part, would roll at their own pace, on their own left lane, without the need to double the way of the military convoys, and at equal speed, thanks to the electric motors of standardized power. (The double motorization would guarantee in effect, the smooth running).

 If the lorry corridor, is equipped with several electric targets in parallel, Fig.l, the truck which would be in the exceptional obligation to duplicate another, do not undergo any power cut. If the corridor is, equipped with economy, one or two targets only, the truck will end up in power failure, and forced to propel itself by engine, the time of overtaking.

 His pantograph, following this cut, automatically descends again, but he will be relieved immediately the truck returned to its corridor, by the heater.

Claims (4)

<U> CLAIMS </ U> 1) Highway corridor for trucks and other, electrically powered so as to supply power, trucks, semi-trailers and other, hybrid type motor electric / thermal. 2) Highway corridor for trucks and others, according to revendi cation l, characterized in that it is equipped with poles and electrical catenaries (5), railway type. 3) motorway corridor for heavy weights and other, according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that it distributes power to vehicles, by means of two cables most commonly, but it may also have , another row of cables (5) Fig.2, to provide continuous current, even during overruns. 4) motorway corridor for trucks and other, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, it is normally located on the right in the direction of the track, but can also be placed to the left of the same sense of the way.