Patent Application
20230050736
The present disclosure relates to rail transit systems. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an electric railcar primarily powered by a network of solar panels.
With growing populations, there is a constant need for public transportation. As a result, buses, trains, trolleys, and subways (collectively referred to as “vehicles”) have been used. However, most of these public transportation platforms rely on gas or diesel fuel, and output harmful emissions. Others rely on electricity or, more recently, battery power. Electric locomotives and trolleys in the art commonly rely on grid power from a utility provider. However, with recent advents in battery technology, many municipalities are turning to battery power for other modes of transportation, like buses. Whether directly powered by electricity or batteries, the electricity typically comes from power plants which use fossil fuels and create harmful emissions. In an effort to combat this, there have been attempts in the prior art to use renewable energy to power public transportation vehicles. Regardless of whether fossil fuels or renewable energy sources are used, the power must be conveyed to the vehicle. For trolleys and trains, this typically entails a network of overhead powerlines (known as a “catenary”) positioned above the travel path with a pantograph (a type of electric current collector) for electrically coupling the catenary to the trolley or train. In other methods, a contact shoe may extend from the bogie to contact an electric rail (typically referred to as a third rail). However, both the catenary and the contact shoe methods have shortcomings.
For example, overhead wires are unsightly and are highly susceptible to weather (e.g., high winds) and other environmental factors that may cause outages, as well as other vehicles that may accidentally come into contact with the catenary, such as commercial transport trucks, cranes, or other large vehicles. Regarding the third rail system, the biggest shortcoming is that the third rail is live with power where it may easily be contacted by persons or animals, risking electrocution and death. Because of these dangers, the Network Rail and British Transport Police have run campaigns, such as the “You vs. Train” campaign to educate people about the dangers of the third rail. However, people are still regularly come into contact with the third rail and are electrocuted. In addition, whether using a catenary or third rail, both systems are susceptible to interruptions in grid power, leading to a loss in movement.
Accordingly, there is a need for a rail system that utilizes renewable energy, that is not susceptible to grid power loss, that is not unsightly, and that reduces or eliminates risk of electrocution. The present disclosure solves these and other problems.
In some embodiments, a light rail transit system comprises a railcar, a first riding rail and a second riding rail, at least one power rail, and a plurality of solar panels for providing power to the at least one power rail. The railcar comprises a plurality of first wheel assemblies on a first side and a plurality of second wheel assemblies on a second side, a plurality of solar panels, a solar charge controller, a battery bank, one or more electric motors for driving the wheel assemblies, an inverter, and at least one power rail contactor.
In some embodiments, the at least one power rail only transmits power when the railcar is in contact with the at least one power rail. In some embodiments, when the railcar is not in contact with the at least one power rail, the one or more electric motors receive power from the battery bank and/or the plurality of solar panels on the railcar to drive the railcar.
The following descriptions depict only example embodiments and are not to be considered limiting in scope. Any reference herein to “the invention” is not intended to restrict or limit the invention to exact features or steps of any one or more of the exemplary embodiments disclosed in the present specification. References to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “various embodiments,” and the like, may indicate that the embodiment(s) so described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Further, repeated use of the phrase “in one embodiment,” or “in an embodiment,” do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although they may.
Reference to the drawings is done throughout the disclosure using various numbers. The numbers used are for the convenience of the drafter only and the absence of numbers in an apparent sequence should not be considered limiting and does not imply that additional parts of that particular embodiment exist. Numbering patterns from one embodiment to the other need not imply that each embodiment has similar parts, although it may.
Accordingly, the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention, which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any and all equivalents thereof. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Unless otherwise expressly defined herein, such terms are intended to be given their broad, ordinary, and customary meaning not inconsistent with that applicable in the relevant industry and without restriction to any specific embodiment hereinafter described. As used herein, the article “a” is intended to include one or more items. When used herein to join a list of items, the term “or” denotes at least one of the items, but does not exclude a plurality of items of the list. For exemplary methods or processes, the sequence and/or arrangement of steps described herein are illustrative and not restrictive.
It should be understood that the steps of any such processes or methods are not limited to being carried out in any particular sequence, arrangement, or with any particular graphics or interface. Indeed, the steps of the disclosed processes or methods generally may be carried out in various sequences and arrangements while still falling within the scope of the present invention.
The term “coupled” may mean that two or more elements are in direct physical contact. However, “coupled” may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other, but yet still cooperate or interact with each other.
The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like, as used with respect to embodiments, are synonymous, and are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including, but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes, but is not limited to,” etc.).
As previously discussed, there is a need for a rail transit system that utilizes renewable energy, that is not susceptible to grid power loss, that is not unsightly, and that reduces or eliminates risk of electrocution. The light rail transit system disclosed herein solves these and other problems.
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When there is sufficient solar power being generated, and the battery bank 148 meets or exceeds a predetermined charge, the solar charge controller 146 may direct power directly to the electric motors 150A-B. In other words, unlike the prior art, which relies on a catenary for the length of the track or requires a third rail with current flowing for the length of the track, the light rail transit system 100 disclosed herein may only use a power rail 108 intermittently and otherwise relies on battery and solar power to move the railcar 102. This is not only more efficient, but safer since there is not live current flowing for the length of the track.
For example, the power rail 108 may be present at the station 118 (for example, running the length of the railcar 102 when parked), allowing the railcar 102 to receive additional power from the solar panels 110. As a result, while the railcar 102 is parked, as shown in
It will be understood that because the railcar 102 comprises solar panels 144 mounted thereon, the battery bank 148 may continue to be charged despite the lack of a power rail 108 along sections of the track. As appreciated, this allows the light rail transit system 100 to be independent of the power grid (i.e., utility provider) and to be both efficient and environmentally friendly. Nonetheless, to ensure that the railcar 102 has enough power to reach its destination, one or more sections of track (e.g., 1-mile lengths) may comprise a power rail 108 for engaging with the one or more power rail contactors 154A-B, thereby supplying additional current to charge the battery bank 148 over the distance of the power rail 108. In other words, a given light rail route may comprise a plurality of power rails 108, each located along the route and separated from one another sufficiently so as to avoid arcing. For example, the power rail contactors 154A-B may comprise a contact pad or wheel 158A-B for coming into contact with the power rail 108A-B. The contact pad or wheel 158A-B is conductive and transmits the current received from the power rail 108A-B to the battery bank 148 (which may include a battery charge controller or may be combined with the solar charge controller 146), thereby charging the battery bank 148 while the contact pad or wheel 158A-B remains in contact with the power rail 108A-B. The power rail contactors 154A-B would then make contact with each of the power rails along the route in sequence. As shown, two power rails 108A, 108B may be parallel to one another to provide additional current to the railcar 102. The two power rails 108A, 108B extend for the same length, upon which there is a gap with no power rails 108A, 108B, until a second set of power rails may be engaged along the track.
For example, in
Rather than detecting a closed circuit, the controller 170 may detect when the wheels 158A-B are in contact with the power rails 108A-B using signals transmitted to the railcar 102 via the wheels 158A-B, which are returned by a controller of the railcar 102. Upon receiving the returned signal, the controller 170 transmits power to the power rails 108A-B. In some embodiments, the controller 170 comprises a wireless transceiver for detecting when the wheels 158A-B have come into contact with the power rails 108A-B, such as by the wheels 158A-B or other component of the railcar 102 comprising a wireless chip 159 (e.g., an RFID chip, NFC chip, or wireless transceiver (e.g., Bluetooth®)) for communicating with the wireless transceiver of the controller 170. In such a scenario, a first controller 170 is configured to detect when the railcar 102 makes contact with the power rails 108A-B and a second controller (not shown) may detect (using the same or similar technologies as the first controller 170) when the railcar 102 exits the section of track comprising the power rails 108A-B, which then opens a circuit to prevent power from transmitting on the power rails 108A-B that have lost contact with the wheels 158A-B. As a result, even if a user were to touch both power rails 108A-B simultaneously, they would not be shocked or electrocuted.
Referring to
In some embodiments, the power rails 108A-B may extend substantially the entire length (e.g., three-fourths or more) between a first station and a second station. In such a scenario, the power rails 108A-B may still be segmented and separated by enough distance from one another to prevent arcing. In this manner, a railcar 102 could receive power from other sources (i.e., sources external to the railcar 102, such as solar panels 110, other clean energy sources, or grid power) for substantially the entire route while still ensuring that only the current section of track where the railcar 102 is located has current passing through the power rails 108A-B. In some embodiments, the power rails 108A-B are segmented and extend less than the distance of the track (i.e., less than the distance of the first riding rail 104 and second riding rail 106). As discussed earlier, when the railcar 102 is on a section of track comprising only a first riding rail 104 and second riding rail 106 (i.e., no power rail 108), the railcar 102 uses the battery bank 148 to actuate the motors 150A-B and to provide power to the cabin of the railcar 102 and to operate other components, such as heating and air conditioning.
While the power rail contactors 154A-B have been described and shown with wheels 158A-B that extend downwardly to connect with a power rail 108A-B, such a configuration is not required. For example,
In some embodiments, the power contactors 154A-B comprise an extension bar that is electronically controlled to pivot from a first, non-contact position, to a second, contact position for receiving power from the power rails 108. For example, when the battery bank 148 has sufficient charge, as determined by one or more processors of the solar charge controller 146, the power contactors 154A-B remain in a first, non-contact position. However, if the batteries fall below a predetermined threshold, the solar charge controller 146 signals the power contactors 154A-B to lower and contact the power rails 108 to provide power to charge the battery bank 148. It will be appreciated that the railcar 102 may comprise one or both of an inverter and converter so that appropriate power is received and/or provided to various components. Once the battery bank 148 reaches a predetermined charge threshold, the power contactors 154A-B may disconnect by retracting. As disclosed earlier, the power rail 108 may remain without current until the one or more power contactors 154A-B contact the power rail 108.
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As appreciated from the foregoing, a majority, if not all, of the power consumed by the railcar 102 is derived from solar energy. By not using overhead lines, the light rail transit system 100 is also more aesthetically pleasing. Further, due to the use of at least one power rail 108 that extends for less than the length of the track (i.e., less than the length of the first and second rails 104, 106), the risk of electrocution is reduced or eliminated. Therefore, the light rail transit system 100 solves the need for a rail system that utilizes renewable energy, that is not susceptible to grid power loss, that is not unsightly, and that reduces or eliminates risk of electrocution.
It will be appreciated that systems and methods according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure may include, incorporate, or otherwise comprise properties or features (e.g., components, members, elements, parts, and/or portions) described in other embodiments. Accordingly, the various features of certain embodiments can be compatible with, combined with, included in, and/or incorporated into other embodiments of the present disclosure. Thus, disclosure of certain features relative to a specific embodiment of the present disclosure should not be construed as limiting application or inclusion of said features to the specific embodiment unless so stated. Rather, it will be appreciated that other embodiments can also include said features, members, elements, parts, and/or portions without necessarily departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
Moreover, unless a feature is described as requiring another feature in combination therewith, any feature herein may be combined with any other feature of a same or different embodiment disclosed herein. Furthermore, various well-known aspects of illustrative systems, methods, apparatus, and the like are not described herein in particular detail in order to avoid obscuring aspects of the example embodiments. Such aspects are, however, also contemplated herein.
Exemplary embodiments are described above. No element, act, or instruction used in this description should be construed as important, necessary, critical, or essential unless explicitly described as such. Although only a few of the exemplary embodiments have been described in detail herein, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in these exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages herein. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/232,936, filed on Aug. 13, 2021, which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63232936 | Aug 2021 | US |
