Zipping traffic lights

Zipping two car lanes into one create traffic jams (even in Germany where there is a Zipping rule in action). Not waiting for automatic cars, we can help to comb the flow and fasten the narrow places...  (by spacing cars before they need to zip: people prefer to drive to the end making unnecessary stops).

All the components exist: laser cameras, led computer controlled set of lights..

As you may guess the system could be mobile - just unroll the lights before the road work... .

Bike tube separator

A simple idea, so look for drawbacks (since it is not in use), however for city sharing bicycles and so on to reduce the amount of punctures (= service cost), I think, some extra separator between the tube and the tire could be installed. It is and independent from tire part which create a second shield, some hight to possible run on half-flat and extra elasticity. The separation shape could be just stripes or hexagons...  

Road track machine - factory

It could be a bit naive idea, but with all existing huge railway track laying machine and giant tunneling machine  why there is still no such thing for usual roads. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MKcTbYDP7w

tunnelling machines

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z38JIqGDZVU

Even though it could be adopted for traditional rock + sand bedding and asphalt surface roads I suggest to have shallow water like small bridges (only small piles every 5 m)

Here is the monster:

Parallel car lift parking

May be there is something already, but as always didn't find so my car parking offer:

There are many different types of mechanical two or more story parking (most of them dependent), however, no those where cars are in parallel parking. (narrow ground garage). 

The yellow scissors are not the best solution, but could be cheap enough to exist. I am sure the bottom only mechanism could be designed (don't remember now how to draw it - like a top kitchen cabinet hinge). 

All turning wheels

With electronic actuators it is possible to create computer controlled turning mechanism for all the wheels of vehicles. (if not mistaken some car producers already working on it).  When all wheels are in control it changes the way a car may drive.  Just turn computer to special parking mode and voila:

Imagine a long bus like a caterpillar which can go behind the cabin. With computer guided control, no worries to cut the corner. But if necessary even slow parallel shift is possible.

 


Hey I found some conformation:
"An active multiple-axle steering system with integrated guidance ensures a safe journey." http://www.gizmag.com/go/6634/

Road surface

Asphalt road surface has cracking problem due to ice in winter. It tends to tear up in wheel paths.

To solve this issues my offer:
Instead of one monoliths layer of asphalt the composite concrete mash patches could be joined together.  Some road concrete blocks joined with string like tightening floor. Using the same idea but with road patches (50*100 cm for instance) we could easily just damaged parts.  

The cones like hole structure of the product will push the ice downward, and some extra mesh probably will make it more robust.    

top of the cylinder

To make the spread of the fuel in the cylinder (combustion engine) more symmetrical the valves should be circle similar shape.

The Electric solenoids push pull the valves controlled by computer. No jammed parts (if timing belt teared apart), no mechanical synchronization (chain...). Wider opening space for gases (more than 2+2 valves) provide speed and better compression.  

Epicyclic gearing Engine

Although, I think EV vehicles (= electrical engines) and fuel cell technology will eventually eliminate the need for any thermodynamic engines there is a niche for hybrid systems. 

Conventional internal combustion engine (including diesel) don't use all the possible range. The 

LiquidPiston managed to get some progress:

http://www.gizmag.com/liquidpistol-rotary/24623/

Scuderi mentioned as main improvement in his Engine: shift the fire time from top dead position and essentially pressuring up the fuel mixture. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scuderi_engine

In my hypothesis there is a chance to achieve even more. Here it is:

The cylinder is much longer to make use of the volume (extend the use of the right tail = low left energy; and more pressuring mixture for up to to diesel level).  On the right site there is a solar gear connected to electric motor with super capacitors.  With or without Electric plugs  - depends on the final pressure. 

It is basically the same 4 cycle engine directly connected to electric motor. One cylinder to one electric motor (however possible to find some 2 to 1 or other variations). There is no need for usual chain synchronization - one cylinder is all we need.    

How it works

Fire Strike - The solar gear with electrically adjusted motion (like injectors controlled by computer)  transfer energy to electric motor which quickly charge the super capacitor. Gear ratio could be optimized maximizing the energy taken from volume expansion cycle. 

   Fumes Out -  When the energy is taken away than magnets switched back to push the piston back. The off valve opens to get rid of the fumes - Electric motor will take some energy from capacitor to move the piston in. 

Fuel in - as conventional vacuum or some external turbine. The same saved energy used to move the piston. The point is that electrical motor have efficiency of up to 98% with capacitor losing more to may be 90% which is still more than mechanical system.    

Compression - the main energy consumer phase. Again solar gear plus capacitors with computer optimized timing I believe will make it better than neighbor cylinder. 

 Long size = surface could be useful not only for pressurizing but for air cooling with bigger radiators probably eliminating the water cooling system.   

If works the system should be much simpler and eventually much cheaper. 

Computer controlled piston movement closed the dead zone issue.  

The excess electricity goes to electric motors to drive... or charge the house...

To remind how the solar gears work

Power Split Device Epicyclic gearing

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/hybrid-car7.htm

http://eahart.com/prius/psd/




Addition:
Instead of the sun gear the adopted Magnomatics motors could be used

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyBTE5cjGDY

adjustable studded tires

In many countries there is no steady snow season, so it is real necessity to have road adjustable stud winter tires.
Proposal

In the center of the wheel 1 there is a step motor 2 which rotate (push pull) the wire 3 (or thin bendable strap like in plastic window corner fittings). The wire has the shape which push the stud away when the road is icy.
The wire lay inside the rubber layer.

Plane container

It could be much faster to have airport logistics, if not for passengers but for small shipment, if planes have attached containers.
Like this Sikorsky Ch 54b Skycrane

 

The carbon made light container moved in or create one full body with the plane.

Two runways and attaching container will work as conveyor  - fast and constant.

*

Two runways 1 for landing 4 for taking off, unloading machinery 2 (and plane inspection), attaching machinery (and fueling) 3. On the side there are container fulfillment logistic park 5 and the plane maintenance. 

With auto-piloting planes, carbon bodies  and small engines like new LiquidPiston’s X Mini it is perfect for postage of 2-4 people taxi. 

http://www.gizmag.com/liquidpiston-x-mini-engine/34747/ 

* Direction of the plane is not exact, depends on the wind and plane schedule. 

Magnetic bicycle wheel

If not for road bicycle than for light EV motorcycle such idea could find some reality:

 The bicycle wheel consist of hard rubber ring 1 connected with light carbon flat rim 2  with inserted permanent magnets 3 (they are drilled in, not disturb the carbon structure). The opposite base 4 contain electric magnets 5 which support and rotate the wheel.
So small magnet levitation reduce the friction, suspend the bike, propel and harvest the motion.  

quadracopter blade

Open quadracopter blades quite dangerous, especially for kids

Some producers solve it by framing the blades:

I have another offer:

The blades 1 have wingtips (like modern airplanes) 2 which blended with circle 3. This circle may carry some extra small blades 4 (could be more than two) which located firther from the center and create relatively better lift.
The blades are safer, the lift force is stronger - slower speed, less turbulence = less noise.

Adaptive swarm suspension

With active magnetic suspension we can build predictive behavior wheelbase.

The car 1 has scanning road radar 4. The active suspension 3 allow to have the set of small wheels 2. 

If there is a asphalt hole the front wheel move down then up (with hump opposite).  So the car will slide on surface like a snail. The middle wheel 2 (they are much smaller) can prevent even big gaps like a hatchway.

Magnetic active suspension

There is already semi active suspension system on the market (adapts the damping by changing viscosity)

http://www.gizmag.com/go/5752/

And the active one - linear electromagnetic motor is installed at each wheel of a vehicle equipped with a Bose system. The control algorithms operate by observing sensor measurements taken from around the car and sending commands to the motors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ1eKddstxM
http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/automotive/bose_suspension/the_system.jsp
http://www.tue.nl/en/research/strategic-area-smart-mobility/projects/bmw/

My offer probably not better, however may inspire something more:

The idea is similar to Bose system, but instead of circle magnets (linear motor magnets) here are the narrow coils (or coil in coil for stronger power). I assume that such direction can be more efficient (not sure). The
internal part 1 has channel for liquid to work as basic mechanical in emergency. The first layer of coils 2 work as stator or base for internal one. The second circle of coils form another base - now for the first one, creating folding cup like model saving the vertical space.
The number of coils in a circle may be more than 4. They not only support the vertical movement, but rotate the axle - that could be useful for cars with minimum curve radius (bus, forklift...)

 

Pixel e-rail Switch (maglev)

Existing magnetic systems in Transrapid and Japanese one have big coils, need for helium cooling. Their switches consists of concrete blocks with magnets - so heavy, slow and not reliable.
SkyTran has more agile rails as linear electric motor (I didn't see the detail explanation so could be wrong), however, their switches could have weak point (claim to have not mechanical switch) since there is a gap for the suspended cabin.


In my pixel maglev rail system where each coil create it's own field, it is possible to have variety of patterns.
For instance, if we have 4 coils in the row side coils work as stabilizers (red), some for movements (blue), some iddle (white, autoinduction work),  or first part work as stabilizer, middle as mover. If we have strong wing or need control turn in switch 3 to 4 rows could perform the action.

 When the number of coil pixels is essential the gap for the car safety will remove only small portion of the pixels, not essentially reducing control and levitation power.  

 In automatic mass production the cost between one big linear motor coil (like SkyTran) and many small one will mainly depend on the overall copper mass, so with pixelisation you may gain more control for the same price.

PRT Personal rapid transit

Car take parking space, but 80% of the time is not in use. Of cause EVs and autonomous driving cars resolve it, however, lets think what could be done today.
Affordable (Shanghai Maglev is too expensive and too rigid for cities), comfortable, reliable and agile (most of us prefer not to have any exchange stations and travel from home)  carrying transport system could benefit all the city citizens.

There are plenty of city small car grid connected concepts -  Most of them work on mechanical bases:
MISTER, skycabs, bmdesign, CyberTran, ecoprt.com, ruf.dk, .swedetrack.com, JPods, tts-21.com, Cabintaxi, Beamways AB

Some on maglev (magnet levitation) -  Interstatetraveler, SkyTran

Most of them are restricted in their own grid (rails) and only few provide ability to go  beyond: TriTrack, ModuTram


I personally think the SkyTran has all the chances to spread out from its test loop, but I propose that out of the grid system is the right one to flourish.

Here is my offer

The special car which can drive on the road 1 and slide on electric magnetic rails 6 (the previous post). Due to electromagnetic suspension 7 the wheels 2 lift up and the electromagnet ski 4 pop down from the bottom of the car on the wishbone levels (the mechanics shown is wrong, however keep the ski under car  and the smooth transition possible). The hook 5 works only as safety stop in electricity shut of emergency.

Although this vehicles should have a lot of restrictions on weight, size, speed (again to be light), plus some maintenance responsibility doubts, I believe such system has more chances to succeed because of franchise like agile model.  Door to door factor is crucial - you may own such boggy, drive in the rail grid, will be lifted up and driven by computers, than drive out in your neighborhood destination. Such system is not compete but facilitate the era of the self driving cars.


 

Maglev for city mechanism

As always all thoughts just thoughts...

There are several magnet levitation technologies: 

EDS Electrodynamic Suspension - repelling force of magnets located on the side of the train. Japan. Super-cooled, superconducting electromagnets. Levitate 10cm. Roll on rubber tires until 100 kph.

EMS electromagnetic suspension, Germany - Transrapid, (and Shanghai, with some extent swissMetro as well), Controlled attraction to the T shape base lift the train, side magnets central the path. levitation 1cm, Train levitated even when it's not moving.

Inductrack - a passive, fail-safe electrodynamic magnetic levitation system, using only un-powered loops of wire in the track and permanent magnets on the vehicle arranged in Halbach arrays

And SkyTran - some mix of Inductrack and EMS. They don't enplane, but I guess the boggy float over copper coils which could be active and passive. They claim to have no mechanical switch, low investment cost and low electricity consumption.

o

Although I agree SkyTran has all the chances to succeed, I have some doubts about their switch and horizontal stability (with strong side wind the cabin could swing like pendulum destroying the magnets).
The EMS, EDS are too expensive, too balky, too rigid with R of the curve is too big, and too much of investments - good only for long distance travel (like SwissMetro).

My own hypotheses is to have pixels like array of copper coils lying inside of the rail.

Some of them could work as passive Inductrack like some active for propulsion and some for stabilization.  It is not necessary to be one row one function, depending on the size of the coil they could have chess like or other pattern (could be more than 3 rows as well).
The coils itself could be complex with two and more coils inside another - it significantly increase the power and reduce the amount of copper. Here are example of such matrioshka (Russian dolls).
 http://youtu.be/QGytW_C6hR8?list=LL6vO3rWSmIXWXmuLc871HQw

The second track needed to create second support, it should be wide enough to prevent side cabin lean or to say ahead - as wide a car wheels.