The Urbanaut® Monorail
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Introduction Basic Principle Vehicles & Capacities Guideways Stations Switching Technology Center
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Vehicle – Train Combinations

With walk though End-to-End

URBANAUT® MONORAIL TRAIN - PASSENGER CAPACITIES
INTERMEDIATE SIZE VEHICLES

NO.
 OF
CARS

LENGTH OF
TRAIN

NOMINAL
LOADING

CRUSH LOADING

STATION
LOADING
LENGTH
(Minimum)

ONE TRAIN

ONE TRAIN

PER HOUR
SINGLE
GUIDEWAY
90 SEC.
 HEADWAY

PER HOUR
DUAL
GUIDEWAY
90 SEC.
HEADWAY

SEATED

STANDEE

SEATED

STANDEE

1

31.2'
(9.5m)

18

25

18

36

2,160

4,320

16'
(5.0)

2

57.2'
(17.4m)

36

48

36

61

4,360

8,720

32'
(9.8m)

3

79.2'
(24.1m)

58

72

58

102

6,400

12,8000

54'
(16.5m)

4

101.2'
(30.5m)

78

93

78

137

8,600

17,200

76'
(23.2m)

5

123.2'
(37.5m)

98

114

98

172

10,800

21,600

98'
(29.9m)

6

145.2'
(44.2m)

118

135

118

207

13,000

26,000

120'
(36.6m)

7

167.2'
(50.9m)

138

156

138

242

15,200

30,400

142'
(43.3m)

 

From the table you can select length of train and station needed to match the passenger capacity. For a dual guideway, the number of potential passengers doubles. The capacity ratio of seated verses standees is based upon arrangement for as many seated passengers as practical.

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Urbanaut® With High Density inner city applications

SPEED – TIME - Distance Between station stops

GRAPH I

Urbanaut®
In High Density Area

v                 With short distances between stations - 0.8km – yellow curve - the maximum speed shown is 64 km/hr.

v                 For 1.6 km between stations, the maximum speed is 96 km/hr – red curve

 

 

 

HIGH SPEED INEXPENSIVE URBANAUT®MONORAIL

SPEED – TIME - Distance Between station stops

 

 Graph II

High Speed Urbanaut® In Median of Freeway

 

For 9.0 km (5.6) between stations, the maximum speed is 224 km/hr (140 mph) – red curve

 

The potential speed of an Urbanaut® is dependent on the distance between station stops.

 

HIGH SPEED URBANAUT® MONORAIL DUAL GUIDEWAY
AT SURFACE IN MEDIAN OF FREEWAY

  

An inexpensive high speed Urbanaut® constructed on a 1.2 meter wide surface guideway in the median of a freeway can favorably compete with autos, thus reducing the congestion, gridlock and pollution on the freeway, and provide a relaxed, stress less ride and a much shorter traveling time at reasonable cost.

Practical and economical speed

The maximum economical speed of 225 km/hr (140 mph) is probably the upper speed for an Urbanaut or high speed rail along our freeways because of the limited right-of-way curvatures. Proposed ultra high speed systems of 310 mph (500 km/hr) require very large radial curves, which would require additional right-of-way along our freeways, and longer distances (20 miles {30km}) between stations, substantially increasing the costs and reducing passenger's service area.

When comparing costs between Urbanaut and high speed or conventional steel wheel/rail technology, all factors effecting costs per passenger and kilometer should be evaluated. In such a cost comparison, the Urbanaut is favored by a large margin. Since the guideway is only 1/3 the size, the aerial requirement is much less and is not dependent on overhead wires at surface and sub-surface.

A High Speed Urbanaut™ with a potential speed of 225 km/hr (140 mph) could, for example, travel from Vancouver BC, Canada to Eugene, Oregon, USA, a distance of 690 km in approximately 4 hours with 1 minute stops in Bellingham, Everett, Seattle, Bellevue, SeaTac Airport, Tacoma, Portland, Salem and Eugene. This is half the time an auto would take driving nonstop with no freeway congestion.

There are numerous other similar application sites along freeways in the USA and abroad. Such an inexpensive high speed Urbanaut® as a back-bone system can have passenger transfers to slower speed Urbanaut® Circulators or distribution networks serving high density communities and cities. Applying the same technology throughout has numerous practical and economical advantages. It becomes more efficient, has greater capacity and is a less costly alternative than complicated tunnel diversions and expensive, massive, outdated steel wheel-steel rail concepts.

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VEHICLE FLOOR PLANS & ELEVATIONS
 

For the Single Vehicle Floor Plan shown, the seating is around the perimeter of the vehicle,
with standees in the middle of the floor.
Each end has a step-up to a separated mezzanine level, making the vehicle height only 3.0m.

 

URBANAUT® 2-CAR TRAIN
Low Floor Seating – Alternative II Floor Plan
Max. Nominal Loading:  36 Seated + 48 Standees
Max. Crush Loading:  36 Seated + 61 Standees
Max. Capacity per hr. with 90 sec. headway = 4360 Passengers

SIDE ELEVATION

ALTERNATIVE FLOOR PLAN

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URBANAUT® 3-CAR TRAIN AT SURFACE

 

URBANAUT® 4-CAR HIGH CAPACITY TRAINS 

URBANAUT® 6-Car High Capacity Trains

The Urbanaut® System is applicable to trunk lines and as commuter vehicles and for potential large volumes of passenger traffic per hour. It can be made for high speed with longer distances between stops.

An Intermediate Size Urbanaut® train of 6 cars with a length of 42m (136 ft) has the potential carrying capacity of 26,000 passengers per hour (seated + standees), with a headway of 1˝  minutes between trains, when using a dual guideway and station length of 37m (120ft).

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INTERIOR VIEWS OF URBANAUT® VEHICLE

Mezzanine End View

Interior View

 

Sample of 3-Car Train  --  Interior View
Arrangement for Maximum Passenger Capacity
 With Seating Along Sides Only

With short distances between station stops, the interior seating plan of the train is flexible. For maximum passenger capacity, seating can be arranged along the sides with standees holding onto interior safety devices

 

Vehicle Interior for Standees Only
For Traveling Short Distances (Airports, etc.)

For airport and campus transportation with automatic frequent stops, vehicle interiors can be arranged as shown for easy entry and exit with luggage, with the doors made wider than standard types.

 

URBANAUT® MONORAIL SMALL SCALE PRT VEHICLES

Urbanaut's small, low profile PRT (Personal Rapid Transit) vehicles can operate on  smaller, independent guide ways such as  "circulators" serving campuses, shopping centers, parks, stadiums, special events and short distance transportation.

In the Urbanaut® system, the smaller PRT vehicles can also operate on the regular wider guide way which enables a PRT vehicle fleet to be diverted to service large numbers of passengers for a specific purpose on the main line.  The guide way has several simple active and passive switching devices.
The PRT can operate with short intervals, as single or dual vehicles.

 

 

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF USING A PRT SINGLE MONORAIL GUIDEWAY LOOP
 AS FEEDER LINE FOR HIGH CAPACITY FULL SCALE URBANAUT
® TRUNKLINE

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Maintenance Vehicle

Urbanaut® rotational guideway sweeper – special broom for snow and debris removal

To keep the guideway free of debris and snow, a special electric broom sweeper is used that can be mounted to the front of a vehicle. Such routine maintenance can be done over night or when the guideway is not occupied.

 

Illustration Of Urbanaut® Monorail Automated Drive, Control, operation and maintenance
 

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