A vehicle guidance system and method of forming the same. The vehicle guidance system includes a transport guideway having an at least partial tube structure; vehicle tracks; a vehicle, having a fuselage with an uppermost surface and a lowermost surface, that travels over the vehicle tracks; and at least one track channel assembly arranged on an inside of the at least partial tube structure. The at least one track channel assembly is arranged so that, as the vehicle travels over the vehicle track, the at least one track channel assembly is located between the uppermost surface and the lowermost surface of the fuselage.

A high-speed mass transport system having a monorail track disposed along a travel path and a monorail car with a driving unit suspended from the monorail track and a commuter car selectively attached to the driving unit. The high-speed mass transport system having also having an omnidirectional wheel transporter being adapted to selectively raise and lower to engage the commuter car, thus allowing the commuter car to detach from and reattach to the driving unit.

A high-speed transportation device with a tube as a rail, including a tube structure, a carrier structure, a control system, a braking system, and a drive system. The tube structure is an extension structure surrounded by a tube wall. The tube wall is provided with a plurality of unidirectional airflow windows configured to control a flowing direction of airflow. The carrier structure operates in the tube structure. The carrier structure is a carriage-type structure. The unidirectional airflow window installed on the tube structure of the invention can significantly reduce the air resistance of the operational system. Compared with the current rapid transportation device, this invention has the advantages of high efficiency, low cost, fast speed and high safety, and can be used for the development of new rapid transportation system.

A passive lateral stability system maintains the position of a vehicle relative to a guideway. The system includes first and second guide assemblies that urge the vehicle away from first and second electrically conductive guide walls, respectively. The first guide assembly includes a wheel configured to reciprocate toward and away from the first guide wall. A biasing element bias biases the wheel toward the first guide wall. The system further includes a magnetic element associated with the wheel, wherein movement of the magnetic element relative to the first guide wall produces a magnetic force that biases the wheel away from the first guide wall. A second guide assembly is mounted to the vehicle and urges the vehicle away from the second guide wall.

A passive lateral stability system maintains the position of a vehicle relative to a guideway. The system includes first and second guide assemblies that urge the vehicle away from first and second electrically conductive guide walls, respectively. The first guide assembly includes a wheel configured to reciprocate toward and away from the first guide wall. A biasing element bias biases the wheel toward the first guide wall. The system further includes a magnetic element associated with the wheel, wherein movement of the magnetic element relative to the first guide wall produces a magnetic force that biases the wheel away from the first guide wall. A second guide assembly is mounted to the vehicle and urges the vehicle away from the second guide wall.

A high-speed transportation system comprises an evacuated travel conduit divided into a plurality of segments by closable gates, and associated with corresponding segment pumps that maintain operating vacuums within the segments when vehicles are present. When a segment is unoccupied, energy is saved by closing the adjoining gates and deactivating the associated segment pump, thereby deactivating the segment and allowing the segment's internal pressure to rise due to leakage. As a vehicle approaches, the segment pump is reactivated, lowering the internal pressure to the operating vacuum, and the gates are opened. Embodiments include a boom-tank system that can accelerate re-evacuation of a segment having an increased internal pressure by establishing fluid communication with at least one recently deactivated segment having a lower internal pressure. As a vehicle transits the conduit, a rolling, contiguous group of activated segments surrounding and in advance of the vehicle can be maintained.

A high-speed transportation system comprises an evacuated travel conduit divided into a plurality of segments by closable gates, and associated with corresponding segment pumps that maintain operating vacuums within the segments when vehicles are present. When a segment is unoccupied, energy is saved by closing the adjoining gates and deactivating the associated segment pump, thereby deactivating the segment and allowing the segment's internal pressure to rise due to leakage. As a vehicle approaches, the segment pump is reactivated, lowering the internal pressure to the operating vacuum, and the gates are opened. Embodiments include a boom-tank system that can accelerate re-evacuation of a segment having an increased internal pressure by establishing fluid communication with at least one recently deactivated segment having a lower internal pressure. As a vehicle transits the conduit, a rolling, contiguous group of activated segments surrounding and in advance of the vehicle can be maintained.

A carrier device is provided, which includes: a moving body; a top plate arranged above and separated from the moving body; a magnet plate including a plurality of permanent magnets arranged parallel to a predetermined moving direction on a lower surface of the top plate in a manner that adjacent polarities are different; a moving control coil unit including a plurality of exciting coils arranged on an upper surface of the moving body along and separated from the magnet plate; top gap control coil units including a plurality of exciting coils arranged on the upper surface of the moving body along and separated from the magnet plate; and a controller supplying drive currents respectively to the moving control coil unit and the top gap control coil units to make the moving body move along the moving direction, and controlling a top gap.

A carrier device is provided, which includes: a moving body; a top plate arranged above and separated from the moving body; a magnet plate including a plurality of permanent magnets arranged parallel to a predetermined moving direction on a lower surface of the top plate in a manner that adjacent polarities are different; a moving control coil unit including a plurality of exciting coils arranged on an upper surface of the moving body along and separated from the magnet plate; top gap control coil units including a plurality of exciting coils arranged on the upper surface of the moving body along and separated from the magnet plate; and a controller supplying drive currents respectively to the moving control coil unit and the top gap control coil units to make the moving body move along the moving direction, and controlling a top gap.

A maglev system includes a maglev vehicle that reciprocates between a levitated state and a non-levitated state. The vehicle includes a capsule supported by a first left wheel and a corresponding first right wheel when the vehicle is in the non-levitated state. The system further includes a track having a left rail and a right rail, each of the left and right rails having a plurality of plates arranged in series. Proximate ends of adjacent plates define a joint. Each rail provides a support surface that the first left and right wheels rollingly engage when the vehicle is in the non-levitated state. The joints of the left rail are offset in a longitudinal direction from the joints of the right rail.