Serial airlock architecture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11230298-B2
Application number	US-201916407797-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2019
Priority date	May 10, 2018
Publication date	Jan 25, 2022
Grant date	Jan 25, 2022

Abstract

An airlock system that includes a plurality of adjacent chambers successively arranged along a guide path. Predetermined pressures are produced in each chamber so that the predetermined pressure in each chamber is at a pressure different from the predetermined pressure produced in an adjacent chamber. Gate valves are positioned to separate adjacent chambers in order to maintain a pressure differential between the adjacent chambers.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An airlock system forming a passage between a first region having a first pressure and a second region having a second pressure, which is different from the first pressure, the airlock system comprising:
a plurality of adjacent chambers successively arranged along a guide path, wherein predetermined pressures are produced in each chamber so that the predetermined pressure in each chamber is at a pressure different from the predetermined pressure produced in an adjacent chamber; and
gate valves positioned to separate adjacent chambers in order to maintain a pressure differential between the adjacent chambers,
wherein, via the predetermined pressures in the successively arranged plurality of adjacent chambers, pressure incrementally transitions from at least one of the first pressure to the second pressure or the second pressure to the first pressure.

2. The airlock system according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of pumps arranged to produce the predetermined pressures in each of the plurality of adjacent chambers.

3. The airlock system according to claim 1 , wherein the gate valves are configured to transition from a normally closed state to an open state, and to transition from the open state to the normally closed state.

4. The airlock system according to claim 1 , wherein the gate valves comprise a shutter mechanism having a plurality of overlapping blades.

5. The airlock system according to claim 1 , wherein the gate valves comprise an airbag mechanism that includes a bag and a blower that inflates the bag when the gate valve is to be closed.

6. The airlock system according to claim 1 , wherein the gate valves and the chambers are stationary along the guide path.

7. The airlock system according to claim 1 , wherein the gate valves and the chambers are movable along the guide path.

8. The airlock system according to claim 7 , wherein a position of the gate valves along the guide path is variable, which varies the lengths of the chambers adjacent the position varying gate valves.

9. The airlock system according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined pressures in the adjacent chambers are selected to at least one of progressively step up or progressively step down the pressures between the first region and the second region.

10. The airlock system according to claim 1 , further comprising a guide way extending along the guide path from the first region to the second region.

11. The airlock system according to claim 10 , wherein the guide way is configured to guide a moving object from the first region to the second region and from the second region to the first region.

12. The airlock system according to claim 11 , wherein, as the moving object moves along the guide way and approaches a gate valve, the gate valve is configured to transition from a normally closed state to an open state, and after the object passes through the open state gate valve, the gate valve is configured to transition from the open state to the normally closed state.

13. The airlock system according to claim 11 , wherein the first pressure is maintained at an ambient pressure and the second pressure is maintained at low pressure at which the moving object travels at high speed.

14. The airlock system according to claim 13 , wherein the moving object travels at the high speed of greater than 150 m/sec. within the second region maintained at the low pressure of about 100 Pa.

15. The airlock system according to claim 13 , wherein the moving object comprises a pod of a magnetic levitation transport system.

16. The airlock system according to claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of adjacent chambers are closed chambers defining, within the closed chambers, portions of the guide path, and
wherein the pod has an outer periphery that substantially matches an inner periphery of the closed chambers.

17. The method for isolating a first region maintained at a first environment and a second region maintained at a second environment, wherein the first and second environments are different from each other, comprising:
forming an airlock between the first region and the second region, wherein the airlock comprises a plurality of chambers, which are separated by gate valves, successively arranged along a guide path; and
maintaining each of the plurality of chambers at an environment different from an environment in an adjacent chamber, wherein the first region is maintained at a pressure higher than that of the second region, and the plurality of chambers are pressurized at predetermined pressures that progressively decrease from a first chamber adjacent the first region to a last chamber adjacent the second region.

18. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising sequentially opening the gate valves from the first chamber to the last chamber to allow an object to move through the airlock without stopping.

19. The airlock system according to claim 1 , wherein a first of the gate valves is arranged to separate the first region from a first of the adjacent chambers and a last of the gate valves is arranged to separate a last of the adjacent chambers from the second region.

Assignees

• Hyperloop Tech Inc

Inventors

• Kalra Chiranjeev
• Giegel Josh

Classifications

• B61B13/08

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

• F16K7/18

  with diaphragm secured at one side only, e.g. to be laid on the seat by rolling action · CPC title

• F16K7/10

  with inflatable member · CPC title

• B61B13/10

  Tunnel systems (pneumatic tubes conveyors B65G {; B61C15/045 takes precedence}) · CPC title

• F16K3/03 Primary

  with a closure member in the form of an iris-diaphragm · CPC title