Vacuum transport tube vehicle, system, and method for evacuating a vacuum transport tube

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11091175-B2
Application number	US-201916719919-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2019
Priority date	Mar 31, 2017
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

A vacuum transport tube vehicle for evacuating a vacuum transport tube has a first end, a second end, and a body comprising a piston head. The vehicle has a blade-actuator assembly, comprising a circumferential blade member sealed to the piston head and having a blade perimeter portion defining a first end outer surface forming an annular gap with an inner surface of the vacuum transport tube. The vehicle further includes a plurality of blade segment actuators arranged circumferentially around the piston perimeter portion and configured to actively adjust a radial position of the blade member at the corresponding blade circumferential locations in a manner accommodating non-uniformities in an inner surface profile of the vacuum transport tube, and maintaining the annular gap at a substantially constant and relatively short gap distance during movement of the vehicle through the vacuum transport tube.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vacuum transport tube vehicle for evacuating a vacuum transport tube, comprising:
a first end, a second end, and a body comprising a piston between the first end and the second end, the first end comprising a piston head having a piston perimeter portion;
a blade-actuator assembly, comprising:
a circumferential blade member sealed to the piston head and having a blade perimeter portion defining a first end outer surface, wherein an annular gap is formed between the first end outer surface and an inner surface of the vacuum transport tube when the vehicle is installed in an interior of the vacuum transport tube;
a plurality of blade segment actuators arranged circumferentially around the piston perimeter portion and coupled to the blade member at a corresponding plurality of blade circumferential locations, the blade segment actuators configured to actively adjust a radial position of the blade member at the corresponding blade circumferential locations in a manner accommodating non-uniformities in an inner surface profile, and maintaining the annular gap at a substantially constant and relatively short gap distance during movement of the vehicle through the vacuum transport tube; and

wherein movement of the vehicle through the vacuum transport tube creates an aft pressure behind the vehicle that is lower than a forward pressure in front of the vehicle to result in a vacuum of a desired pressure in the interior of the vacuum transport tube caused by one or more vehicle passes through the vacuum transport tube.

2. The vacuum transport tube vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of distance sensors circumferentially arranged and mounted forward of the blade member, and configured to continuously measure a local radial distance respectively between the distance sensors and the inner surface of the vacuum transport tube at locations axially aligned respectively with the blade circumferential locations, and continuously generate sensor signals representative of measurements of the local radial distance during movement of the vehicle within the vacuum transport tube; and
at least one processor configured to continuously receive the sensor signals from the distance sensors, and command the blade segment actuators, based on the sensor signals and an instantaneous velocity of the vehicle, to actively adjust the radial position of the blade member in a manner maintaining the annular gap at each blade circumferential location at the substantially constant and relatively short gap distance during movement of the vehicle.

3. The vacuum transport tube vehicle of claim 2 , wherein at least some of the plurality of distance sensors are one of:
an optical distance measuring device, a laser distance measuring device, a light-emitting-diode distance measuring device, an interferometer distance measuring device, or an ultrasonic distance measuring device.

4. The vacuum transport tube vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of blade segment actuators are configured to maintain the gap distance within a range of 0.005 to 0.100 inch at each of the blade circumferential locations during movement of the vehicle through the vacuum transport tube.

5. The vacuum transport tube vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the blade member comprises:
a plurality of blade segments circumferentially arranged and coupled respectively to the plurality of blade segment actuators; and
a seal portion extending circumferentially between the blade segments, and extending radially between the piston head and the blade segments in a manner preventing air leakage between the blade member and the piston head.

6. The vacuum transport tube vehicle of claim 5 , wherein:
the plurality of blade segment actuators are linear actuators each having an axially extendable pushrod oriented in a radial direction, each pushrod directly coupled to one of the blade segments for adjusting the radial position of the blade member respectively at the blade circumferential location.

7. The vacuum transport tube vehicle of claim 5 , further comprising a pivoting assembly, including:
a plurality of lever arms each having a pivoting end and a terminal end, the pivoting end pivotably coupled to the piston head, the terminal end fixedly coupled to one of the blade segments;
the plurality of blade segment actuators are linear actuators each having an axially movable pushrod oriented in a radial direction, each pushrod coupled to the lever arm at a location nearer the pivoting end than the terminal end; and
wherein axial movement of the pushrod of each linear actuator causes the respective lever arm to pivot about the pivoting end for adjusting the radial position of the blade member respectively at the blade circumferential location.

8. The vacuum transport tube vehicle of claim 7 , wherein:
each one of the blade segment actuators is a piezo-electric actuator.

9. The vacuum transport tube vehicle of claim 7 , further comprising:
a plurality of force-balancing mechanisms respectively coupled to the plurality of lever arms, and configured to collectively generate a balancing force counteracting a piston head force exerted on the seal portion and blade member as a result of the forward pressure in front of the vehicle being higher than the aft pressure behind the vehicle.

10. The vacuum transport tube vehicle of claim 7 , wherein:
the seal portion encapsulates the plurality of lever arms and the blade segments in a manner preventing air leakage between the blade member and the piston head.

11. The vacuum transport tube vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one diaphragm assembly mounted in forward spaced relation to the piston head, the diaphragm assembly comprising:
a diaphragm plate having a plate perimeter portion;
a blade-actuator assembly coupled to the diaphragm plate; and

wherein the at least one diaphragm assembly creates an aft pressure directly behind the diaphragm plate that is lower than a forward pressure in front of the diaphragm plate, and resulting in an aft pressure behind the vehicle that is lower than an aft pressure behind a vehicle lacking the at least one diaphragm assembly.

12. The vacuum transport tube vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one orifice extending from a first inlet portion in the first end through to a second outlet portion in the second end;
the orifice having an orifice diameter that is adjustable for controlling an amount of air flowing through the orifice as a means for controlling a delta pressure between the aft pressure behind the vehicle and the forward pressure in front of the vehicle; and
the orifice diameter being adjustable based on at least one of a velocity of the vehicle and an amount of power required for driving the vehicle through the vacuum transport tube.

13. The vacuum transport tube vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a drive assembly comprising one of:
a plurality of drive wheels arranged in a circumferential arrangement around the body for engaging the inner surface of the vacuum transport tube and driving the vehicle through the vacuum transport tube;
a magnetic levitation (mag-lev) propulsion system comprising a plurality of guide magnets mounted to the vacuum transport tube, and a plurality of vehicle magnets mounted to the body, the guide magnets and the vehicle magnets cooperating to create both lift and substantially frictionless propulsion to move the vehicle through the vacuum transport tube.

14. A vacuum transport tube vehicle for evacuating a vacuum transport tube, comprising:
a first end, a second end, and a body disposed between the first end a

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Grip Robert Erik
• Dehaan Mark A
• Vassberg John C
• Rothaupt Ted K

Classifications

• B60L2240/12

  Speed · CPC title

• B60L13/04 Primary

  Magnetic suspension or levitation for vehicles · CPC title

• B61B13/08 Primary

  Sliding or levitation systems (vehicles with air cushions between rails and vehicles B60V3/04) · CPC title

• F04B49/065

  and making use of computers · CPC title

• B61L2210/04

  Magnetic elevation vehicles [maglev] · CPC title