tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1802392246879206758.post3646765249401690886..comments2021-10-03T12:00:12.952-07:00Comments on This Week In Precipitation: Back And Forth With skyTranMr_Granthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04859429511379137002noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1802392246879206758.post-62500339738368005492016-02-11T20:51:53.262-08:002016-02-11T20:51:53.262-08:00Because of how ST used to look, compared to how it...Because of how ST used to look, compared to how it looks now, I wonder how much of the latter was conceived from scratch -- and how much of the former was just spitballing. I suspect where it has ended up -- propellers and wings -- is a hint that the inside of the skinny guideway was just a placeholder. What they've come up with is the only way, or best way, their smart people can devise to make passive maglev work.<br /><br />Infrastructure programs that include new technology development seem to inevitably increase in cost as changes are made to overcome design or performance hurdles. What we don't know about ST is how much their costs are affected by making the guideway bigger. We don't know HOW they make it bigger, what makes up the additional material. <br /><br />We also can't assume the vehicle can't be wider than the guideway, we've only seen the cabin envelope, not how it is connected to the bogie.<br /><br />Some observations about aerial structures:<br />ST's guideway is now 5.9' wide. There are a lot of things above grade in the cityscape bigger than that, broader, taller and lit. But PRT designers have yet to put as much effort into guideway aesthetics as engineering. A few have talked about it, but only one comes to mind that has actually produced concepts.<br /><br />My ideas on guideway -- <br /><br />Color: Fit into the immediate surroundings. Earthtones are nice. Yet real guideway so far is either white or gray.<br /><br />It should look old: 1890s through 1930s, like the Olmsted Brothers designed it. Space-age may look OK downtown, but not out in the neighborhoods. This applies to the vehicles, not just guideway.<br /><br />Design for function: In addition to camouflaging wide guideway and allowing light to pass through it, put that structure to work. 5.9' wide can keep pedestrians dry in the rain and shady in the summer. Support posts can also be kiosks and streetlights (not original ideas).<br /><br />I'll conclude by observing that ST's guideway is rather thin when viewed sideways, and view preservation is what many NIMBY's will be concerned with.Mr_Granthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04859429511379137002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1802392246879206758.post-89165666308246110492016-02-11T04:57:16.873-08:002016-02-11T04:57:16.873-08:00From what I have seen from Skytran public presenta...From what I have seen from Skytran public presentations, the reason for widening the beam is not due to a wing problem but a design decision because Skytran intends do track switching vertically through the guide-way.<br /><br />When the vehicle travels at high speed, the wing keeps the vehicle flying high at the top of the guide-way and continues straight on the track bypassing the stations.<br />When the vehicle travels at slow speed, the wing provides less lift, gravity wins, and the vehicle sinks to the lower part of the guide-way, lands on tiny wheels and switches to a different track heading to a station.<br /><br />In order for this system to work, the entire vehicle must fit through the width of the guide-way.<br />I can see the appeal of super simple and super small passive track switching system, but I am not sure if this feature overcomes the disadvantages of the wider guide-way with vehicle fly-trough :<br />-increased cost for the rest of the track<br />-bigger visible structure overhead, more shadow over the streets<br />-maximum vehicle width defined by track width (can't mix small cabins with bigger vehicles if needed)BlackSharkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12613542060574915782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1802392246879206758.post-80874201408060246642016-02-09T08:26:59.417-08:002016-02-09T08:26:59.417-08:00Great post. Your insights -- and especially the 3:...Great post. Your insights -- and especially the 3:51-minute "dropbox" video -- should be required reading, in my opinion, as we gauge the progress of skyTran's technology development in 2016, a crucial year for the company's marketing.<br /><br />I have taken the liberty of cross-posting this article to the International Maglev Board, whose members have been monitoring skyTran for years, at http://www.magnetbahnforum.de/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=52074#52074 Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04834185542589797987noreply@blogger.com