Technological Design Considerations of CargoTube Low-Pressure Tube Transport for High-Speed Sustainable Logistics Networks
摘要
CargoTube offers the unique advantage of combining existing technologies with innovative hyperloop systems in order to provide a solution for production logistics in urban areas. By offering not only zero emission operation through electrification, but also a confined environment for particle, fine dust, noise, and light pollution, CargoTube is perfectly suited to be applied in urban areas where big production facilities and industrial plants meet growing cities. For the design of the system, various different technologies are available to be operated inside of the low-pressure tube environment. Depending on the operational speed, a wheel-rail system can be used for speeds up to 300 km/h, while a network with higher speeds requires magnetic levitation and contactless high-speed switching. Two systems for propulsion are available, onboard motors and linear electric motors, while the latter can have power supplied either from the vehicle or the infrastructure. The choice of the drive system is heavily dependent on the use case. Lastly, airlocks are necessary to enable high capacity and high throughput for low-pressure tube technologies (LPTT). For the beginning, networks such as a regionally confined CargoTube networks for production logistics can be seen as point to point connections, as speeds above 300 km/h are not required to link regional logistics hubs and production facilities. This reduces complexity and allows for a combination of innovative technologies with established systems such as the wheel-rail system.