WO2008111697A1

WO2008111697A1 - Central guideway monorail track tram car

Info

Publication number: WO2008111697A1
Application number: PCT/KR2007/001259
Authority: WO
Inventors: Oak-Young Song
Original assignee: Oak-Young Song
Priority date: 2007-03-14
Filing date: 2007-03-14
Publication date: 2008-09-18

Abstract

The present invention relates to a central guide-way type monorail track, a double-flange guide wheel, and a tramcar. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a central guide-way type monorail track, which is constructed of a rail disposed in an excavation portion formed by excavating a road surface, and noise and vibration-preventing filling material filled in the excavation portion, wherein an upper end surface of the rail is constructed to have a height identical to that of the road surface, and the noise and vibration-preventing filling material is filled in the remaining excavation portion except an edge of a rail upper end portion and the rail upper end surface, and is also directed to a double-flange guide wheel, and a tramcar. According to the present invention, it is possible to overcome problems of preparing an exclusive elevated expressway such as an existing novel traffic means including an AGT (Automated Guide-way Transit), a monorail, and a magnetic levitation propulsion train, and the like, and to reduce expenses for the construction, administration, and operation, and also to reduce air pollution thereby improving the environmental protection effect because the internal combustion engine using the LNG as fuel is employed for the engine of the present invention.

Description

Description CENTRAL GUIDEWAY MONORAIL TRACK TRAM CAR

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a tramcar, and more particularly, to a tramcar with double-flange guide wheel, for driving along a central guide-way monorail track. Background Art

[2] 1. Problems of the tramcar driving on a monorail track

[3] A tramcar is a road surface traffic means for transporting passengers by driving a road surface vehicle such as a road surface electric car, and the like by using a guide and driving track buried in the road.

[4] A road surface electric car is a road surface traffic means that travels on two rail tracks mounted under a road surface while being supplied with power from an overhead electric power line.

[5] However, such an overhead electric power line hinders a city view, the high electric voltage causes danger, and an iron-made driving wheel produces noise, vibration and injures the road.

[6] Since the conventional central guide-way monorail track type tramcar, which is analogous to the present invention, is provided with a driving wheel made of rubber tire, the noise, the vibration, and the injury of the road surface were reduced, however, there have been still existed problems such that the high voltage overhead electric power line was still installed to hinder the city view and caused the danger of high electric voltage, the structure of the tramcar was complex because the central guide rail should be specially made as shown in FIG. 7, and the two iron-made guide wheels should be installed slantly.

[7] The differences between the conventional monorail track tramcar and the tramcar of the present invention are represented in table 1 below.

[8] Table 1

[Table 1 : Comparison of principal items between the prior art and the present invention ]

[9] 2. Problems of a Guide- way bus

[10] A guide- way bus is bus traffic means, which is operated and driven by a driver in a general road, but it is automatically operated by a guide-way system in an exclusive track.

[11] The traffic means refers to a bus traveling on the guide- way, that is, the exclusive passageway. However, the guide- way system has a problem in that the exclusive guide- way should be provided separately, and a traffic system should be also conformed to this system. In addition, the guide- way, which is the exclusive passageway, cannot be commonly used by the other road surface traffic means.

[12] 3. Problems of the road surface electric car and an intracity bus

[13] The road surface electric car and the intracity bus have charged a role of supplementing a mass traffic network since it is operated as mass high-speed traffic means in a large city region, and have served as trunk road traffic means of the city traffics in a local core city.

[14] However, since the automobiles have radically increased recently, the road traffics became very complicated, and the difficult conditions of the traffic became serious, the expression speed was reduced and the driving time was not uniform, thereby en- counterign a risk of losing the function as mass traffic means. In particular, since the service level was poor to cause the decrease of the passengers, the operation of the road surface electric car and the bus became difficult, a part of the bus route was abolished and the frequency of operations was reduced. As a result, the traffic volume of the automobile has greatly increased to cause serious environmental problems due to complexity of the road, air pollution, and the like. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[15] Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve such conventional problems and satisfy requirements for novel urban traffic means, which conform to the demand of the transportation and administration and has low construction and operation expenses, due to a great increase of the construction and administration expenses of the mass traffic means such as a subway, and the like together with several problems associated with the urban traffics, and an object of the present invention is to provide an economic and environmentally-friendly traffic means, which requires low construction and administration expenses, and produces relatively less pollution in comparison with the existing traffic facility. Technical Solution

[16] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a central guide-way monorail track, which is characterized in that it is constructed of a rail disposed in an excavation portion formed by excavating a road surface, and a noise and vibration- preventing filling material filled in the excavation portion, wherein an upper end surface of the rail is constructed to have a height identical to the road surface, and the noise and vibration-preventing filling material is filled in the remaining excavation portion except an edge of a rail upper end portion and the rail upper end surface.

[17] Also, the central guide- way monorail track further comprises a rail support portion disposed at a lower end of the rail.

[18] In addition, the central guide- way monorail track further comprises a sliding prevention packaging or driving direction guide grooves formed respectively on the road surface at right and left sides of the rail in parallel with the progressing direction of the rail.

[19] Moreover, the present invention provides a double-flange guide wheel driving on a central guide- way monorail track, comprising a driving surface with a width obtained by adding a width enabling the curve driving to a width of the rail upper end surface, and a flange extended and projected in the radial direction along the circumference of both ends of the driving surface.

[20] Also, the present invention provides a tramcar driving on a central guide- way monorail track, the tramcar comprising a vehicle body; an engine disposed in a lower space of the vehicle body; a generator for receiving the power from the engine; a driving motor for converting the electric power supplied from the generator into a driving force; driving wheels respectively disposed at the front and rear sides of the lower end of the vehicle body for receiving the driving force from the driving motor; and a guide wheel disposed at the mid of the driving wheels for driving on the rail upper end surface.

[21] In addition, the engine comprises an internal combustion engine using a liquefied natural gas as fuel. Brief Description of the Drawings

[22] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a central guide monorail track and a double- flange guide wheel;

[23] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the central guide monorail track;

[24] FIG. 3 is a side view of a tramcar for the central guide monorail track;

[25] FIG. 4(a), (b), and (c) are a plan view, a bottom view, and a side view of an embodiment of the tramcar for the central guide monorail track; [26] FIG. 5(a) and (b) are a plan view, and a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the central guide- way monorail track constructed of a sliding-prevention packaging and grooves; [27] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a rail and a wheel of a conventional general railway;

[28] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a structure of a conventional central guide- way type double-flange guide wheel and a special monorail. [29] <Explanation on numerals of principal portions of the Drawings>

[30] 10: conventional wheel

[31] 20: driving surface of conventional wheel

[32] 30: flange of conventional wheel

[33] 40: conventional special rail

[34] 50: guide wheel of conventional special rail

[35] 100: rail

[36] 110: upper end surface of rail

[37] 120: upper end portion of rail

[38] 130: rail web

[39] 140: lower end portion of rail

[40] 150: support portion of rail

[41] 200: noise and vibration-preventing filling material

[42] 300: road surface

[43] 310: driving wheel exclusive road

[44] 400: double-flange guide wheel

[45] 410: driving surface 420: flange

[46] 500: vehicle body

[47] 510: two- axle truck structure

[48] 520: driving wheel 530: driving motor

[49] 540: engine 550: generator

[50] 600: sliding prevention packaging

[51] 610: driving direction guide groove

Mode for the Invention [52] Hereinafter, the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the appended drawings. [53] In the present invention, FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a double-flange guide wheel 400 driving on a rail 100, in which the double-flange guide wheel 400 is shown to include flanges 420 projected in the radial direction from both ends of a guide wheel driving surface 410 having a width corresponding to that of the driving surface of the double-flange guide wheel.

[54] As shown in FIG. 6, conventional wheel 10 was formed with one flange for balancing and guiding the vehicle from a side at both sides of the wheel, or provided with separate two guide wheels, as shown in FIG. 7, so that the structure of the vehicle became complicated and the size of the rail itself became large and heavy. Thus, the manufacturing process was complicated thereby increasing the manufacturing expense, and small disorder was frequently produced at the time of the driving.

[55] Accordingly, the double-flange guide wheel 400 of the present invention is provided with flanges 420 at both sides of the guide wheel driving surface 410 to prevent the separation of the double-flange guide wheel 400, which is driven on the rail and guides the progressing direction of the double-flange guide wheel 400, differently from the shape of a flange 30 of the conventional wheel disposed at one side of the driving surface of the conventional wheel 10.

[56] Also, since the double-flange guide wheel 400 is made of iron, it is constructed to charge a part of the load of the vehicle in addition to guide the direction of the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 1, the double-flange guide wheel 400 is constructed to have a guide wheel driving surface 410 with a width, which does not affect the progress of the vehicle and the width of an upper end surface of the rail (a treading surface) 110.

[57] The conventional wheel 10 (which bears weight of the guide wheel and the vehicle and concurrently acting as the driving wheel) for the driving of the general railway (including a high speed railway, and a subway) was provided with two driving wheels for each vehicle axle. As it was constructed of two wheels, each having one axle provided with one flange, each axle is provided with two flanges.

[58] The vehicle of the general railway (which includes a high speed railway and a subway) was operated with the conventional wheel 10. As the present invention is constructed of a double-flange guide wheel 400 with a particular structure having two flanges 420 at one axle of the general railway, and a driving wheel 520 for charging the weight of the vehicle and for exclusive use, the vehicle can be operated with an identical function.

[59] Table 2

[Table 2: Comparison of the wheel between the general railway and the present invention]

General Two guide and driving iron-made wheels with one flange at one axle railway (two flanges)

Present One iron-made wheel with two driving exclusive rubber tire wheels invention and two flanges at one axle

[60] The structure of a truck and the rotation principle thereof are as follows.

[61] The truck is disposed between a vehicle body and the rail, and is an important portion for driving on the rail by means of wheels. It is constructed of various parts such as a truck frame, wheels, axles, a bearing box, a spring, and a swing bolster, and the like. The truck frame is a bone-frame of the truck, and each part of the railway vehicle is disposed with respect to the truck frame. Bearings are disposed in the bearing box so that they are operated to support and rotate distal ends of the axle. A center plate is disposed at the center of the swing bolster, and a vehicle pin is inserted into the vehicle body to bear the load of the vehicle. Also, in this instance, as the truck can play freely with respect to the vehicle pin, it can pass along the rail at a curve of the railway with affected by the direction of the vehicle. The truck is called as a bogie, and a vehicle with the bogie is called a bogie car.

[62] Also, a spring is disposed between an upper swing bolster and a lower swing bolster, or between the truck and the bearing box to mitigate the vibrations. The spring includes a coil spring and a plate spring, and an oil damper (hydraulic absorber) or an air spring is used recently in place of a steel-made spring. A truck is usually provided with two axles (four wheels), each of which is called a two-axle truck, however, sometimes there is a three-axle truck. Also, a truck for use in the passenger s truck without a driving device is called a trailing truck, and a truck with a driving motor, and the like is called a driving truck.

[63] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a rail 100 for guiding a driving direction of the monorail track tramcar.

[64] In the present embodiment, a rail for use in the general railway is used for the rail

100 by burying it in the road, so that an upper end surface of the rail 110 is disposed at a plane identical to the road surface 300. Thus, it is possible to commonly use the existing road together with general vehicles, so that expenses for constructing a separate exclusive road can be reduced and the applications thereof can be improved. However, it is also possible to construct a separate exclusive passageway having a particular shape, if required. In this regard, the conventional novel tramcar has been driven on the conventional special rail 40 for exclusively driving on it, which is shown in FIG.7. In this instance, a separate rail should be manufactured, and the wheel driving on the rail should be manufactured to conform to the conventional special rail 40.

[65] To the contrary, the present invention is characterized in that the construction expense can be minimized by using a rail for use in the general railway, and the rail is buried in the road, so that the road surface 300 is disposed at a plane identical to an upper end surface of the rail 110.

[66] Also, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the road surface 300 is excavated to form a rectangular section, a support portion of the rail 150 is disposed on the lower end of the excavation portion, and then the rail 100 is disposed on the lower end of the excavation portion, and the noise and vibration-preventing filling material 200 for preventing the noise and the vibration is spray injected into the excavation portion except an edge of an upper end portion of the rail 120 to construct the noise and vibration prevention facility. Thus, it is possible to prepare a pleasant traffic environment by allowing the noise and the vibration be produced below the emission standard of the noise and the vibration (shown in a separate table 10 of the Noise and Vibration Regulation Enforcement Regulation) set by the Noise and Vibration Regulation Law, when the tramcar drives on the rail 100, by constructing the noise and vibration-preventing filling material 200 for preventing the noise and vibration around the rail, as shown in the drawing. In this regard, mortar, asphalt, cement, and the like can be used for the noise and vibration-preventing filling material 200 to reduce the noise and the vibration.

[67] FIG. 3 is a side view showing the concrete embodiment of the tramcar driving on the rail, and FIG. 4(a), 4(b), and 4(c) are a bottom view, a cross-sectional view, and a side view of the tramcar driving on the central guide- way monorail track.

[68] At first, a vehicle body 500 is disposed for supporting a passenger room having windows at both sides and entrance doors at the front and the back, and two-axle truck structure 510 are disposed at the front and rear lower ends of the vehicle body 500. Then, the double-flange guide wheel 400 is disposed at the center of respective wheels of the two-axle truck structure 510, so that it is disposed at an axle identical to the driving wheel, and then a driving motor 530 for activating a driving wheel 520 of the two-axle truck structure 510 is disposed, and further an engine 540 and a generator 550 are disposed in a lower space formed at the mid of the vehicle body.

[69] In this regard, the general vehicle body is employed for the vehicle body 500 used in the present invention. Then, two two-axle truck structure 510 having two pairs of driving wheels 520 are disposed at the front and rear lower ends. In this instance, the four shafts of the two two-axle truck structure 510 are constructed entirely as a driving shaft. In addition, vehicles are constructed to operate in coupled relation when a tramcar is consisted of more than two vehicles.

[70] Also, the driving shaft is constructed such that a driving wheel 520 is driven forward and rearward by means of a driving motor 530 disposed at respective axle of the two-axle truck structure. The driving wheel 520 except the double-flange guide wheel 400 is made of rubber tire wheel, and an assistant safe iron-made wheel is disposed in the rubber tire wheel to maintain the vehicle safety at the time of the damage of the rubber tire. The driving wheel 520 is a driving rubber tire wheel selected by the existing road surface traffic means, which is manufactured by the present tire manufacturing company.

[71] Moreover, what is shown in FIG. 1 is used as the double-flange guide wheel 400.

The driving wheel 520 and the double-flange guide wheel 400 are mounted to an axle of the two-axle truck structure 510 in a same size. An engine 540 and a generator 550 are mounted at the lower mid portion of the vehicle body amid the front axle and rear axle of the two-axle truck structure 510. The generator 550 is operated by the power transferred from the engine 540 to generate electric power, which in turn operates four driving motors 530 disposed at the front and rear sides of the generator 550 to drive and operate the driving wheel 520. It is structurally difficult and it produces energy loss in transferring the power produced from the engine 540 to the driving shaft as it is, when the vehicle body was long as the passenger car of the railway vehicle differently from the general vehicle. Accordingly, the present invention is constructed to minimize energy loss and produce driving force by generating electric power by means of the generator 550 by using the power produced from the engine 540 thereby transferring it to the driving motor 530.

[72] In the present invention, the engine 540 is employed as a power generating source because it is required to dispose a separate overhead electric wire net along the operation path in case of the existing tramcar, that is, a separate space for disposing the electric wire line is required. As a result, it is not good in respect of the beauty, and becomes severe danger to the passers-by walking under the overhead electric wire line, differently from the subway safe for the passengers, because the high voltage electric wire line is suspended over the upper space of the road. In this regard, while the present invention causes energy loss, it minimizes the danger of the conventional tramcar by supplying the power from the engine such as the internal combustion engine.

[73] Moreover, in the present invention, the engine 540 can be constructed to use a liquefied natural gas (LNG) internal combustion engine instead of the gasoline or diesel engine causing serious air pollutions. The LNG internal combustion engine burns the natural gas almost completely to produce water and carbon dioxide (CO ) to reduce smoke, resulting in little air pollution. Accordingly, it is possible to realize the advantage of the environmental- friendly traffic means by using a LNG internal combustion engine.

[74] As described above, the tramcar driving on the monorail track will be developed in respect of the double-flange guide wheel 400 mounted on the vehicle, and the rail 100 buried in the road surface. [75] The railway vehicle can be consisted of one through four vehicles according to the conditions of the road and the transportation demand. [76] In this regard, when it is operated with connecting more than two vehicles, it is preferable to use the existing road at the present state by minimizing a radius of the curve of the driving surface by using a connection body, which can be refracted so that it can be operated with rotation at the curved course. The detailed operation method will be described below. [77] The operation method of the tramcar driving on the central guide- way monorail track is as follows. [78] D) It is driven with the operation identical to that of the general railway vehicle. In other words, it is operated as the general railway vehicle by means of a rail for guiding the direction except a handle differently from an automobile. [79] D) The driving room of the tramcar is provided with an electric power switch function, a forward and rearward driving operation function, an accelerating and decelerating operation function, and a stop function. [80] In addition, the driving (operation) method of the tramcar on the central guide- way monorail track is as follows. [81] D) It should be driven by using central two vehicle ways at both directions according to the bus rapid transit system used in Seoul at present. [82] D) It should be driven after adjusting a curve radius of a minimum plane and a width of the road facility according to the structure of the two-axle truck structure and the length of the vehicle. [83] D) It should be driven under the conditions that the capacity of the vehicle, size of the vehicle, and the driving force are regulated so that it can be driven on the existing traverse slope.

[84] D) The number of the vehicle should be properly arranged according to the transportation demand and the conditions of the road, and the tramcar ticket can be treated by means of the automated guide- way transit/electronic pass card. [85] Hereinafter, a method of driving a crossroad by the tramcar driving on the central guide- way monorail track of the present invention will be described below. [86] D) The driving flow and speed at a crossroad can be increased with a signal system of preferentially passing the tramcar, in case of the planar pass. [87] D) The driving efficiency is increased by constructing over pass/under pass facility thereby securing exclusive driving way. [88] D) A safety zone is disposed at a bus stop and an overhead bridge for passengers is constructed so that passengers can be safely protected and other traffic means are not hindered from their driving. [89] D) Straightening of the driving is facilitated by rapidly performing the traction of the disordered tramcar to the vehicle base by using a special rescue vehicle, which is provided with a guide wheel. In this regard, the special rescue vehicle is provided with guide wheels at the front and rear bumpers so that they can be moved up and down thereby enabling the driving on the general road to achieve mobility.

[90] D) The driving speed of the tramcar is secured by coupling the signal of the tramcar with the signal of a crossroad and signals of a crosswalk

[91] D) A diverging facility can be provided at the central guide- way rail to enable the driving of the local line.

[92] FIG. 5(a) and (b) are a plan view and a cross-sectional view showing a sliding prevention packaging 600 constructed on the road surface of the driving wheel exclusive road 310 for passing the driving wheel 520. When rainfalls are collected on the road surface 300 or snow is laid on the road surface, frictional force between the road surface 300 and the driving wheel 520 becomes small thereby causing a barrier against the driving of the driving wheel 520.

[93] However, the present invention is devised to construct the sliding prevention packaging 600 by constructing the driving wheel exclusive road 310 with a width wider than that of the driving wheel 520, at the road surface 300 for the driving wheel 520 so as to increase the frictional force between the driving wheel 520 and the road surface 300. However, since the height of the sliding prevention packaging 600 is almost the same as that of the road surface 300, there occurs no problem in commonly using the road with other traffic means.

[94] Aggregate for use in the construction of the sliding prevention packaging 600 is selected from natural aggregate good at grinding resistance, sliding resistance, and crushing resistance, and the like, according to the standard of the specification of sliding prevention packaging, or steel-making slag produced from the refining of steel, and is constructed on the road surface 300 on which the driving wheels made of rubber tire pass.

[95] In addition, a driving direction guide groove 610 can be constructed on the bottom of the road to support the driving direction in addition to the sliding prevention packaging 600 of the road surface 300 on which the driving wheels pass. The driving direction guide groove 610 functions to guide the wheels from the derangement from the predetermined track, and to guide and discharge water existing on the bottom of the road through the groove, as shown in FIG. 5.

[96] The bias grade for cope with the centrifugal force, in which a surface for passing the wheels positioned at the outer side of the curvature is constructed to be higher than that of the inside, when the track of the driving wheels 520 made of rubber tire is curved, is constructed as in the plan of the general road surface. Industrial Applicability

[97] As described above, following advantages have been achieved according to the present invention.

[98] First, convenience and accessibility can be achieved by means of a low floor type vehicle such as an improved tramcar using the existing road.

[99] Second, it is possible to reduce construction expense radically and reduce the construction period by using the existing road as it is in comparison with the other novel traffic means through burying a central guide-way monorail track under the existing road surface.

[100] Third, it is possible to hold transportation capacity equal to the existing novel traffic means such as an automated guide-way transit AGT, and a guide-way bus. Also, it is possible to achieve transportation capacity superior to the existing novel traffic means by choosing the central guide-way type single track and the double-flange guide- way iron-made wheel, when the line shape of the existing road is improved.

[101] Fourth, it is possible to prepare good traffic environments including the improvement of the driving speed of the road traffic, the increase of the transportation capacity, the safe driving, and the like by constructing a overhead bridge for the passengers at the bus stop, and making the crossroad three-dimensionally.

[102] Fifth, it is possible to achieve import substitution effect because the domestic tramcar related industry can be reared and activated by using a high grade bus vehicle, a rubber tire wheel, a general railway rail, and the like, which are under manufacturing domestically.

[103] Sixth, it is possible to use the traffic way in common with other road traffic means such as a general automobile, and the like, although the present invention is provided with an exclusive passageway as is the other novel traffic means.

[104] Seventh, it is possible to simplify the power transmission system constructed of an engine, a generator, and a driving motor, and prepare pleasant traffic environments by driving the tramcar with a little noise and vibration at the urban street with large traffic volume. Also, it is possible to introduce this system into a middle and small city with low financial independency because the maintenance and management expense is reduced in comparison with the existing railway system, and to improve the urban environment because it is not required to provide the overhead electric power supply facility, and there is no smoke when the liquefied natural gas is used as fuel for the internal combustion engine.

[105]

Claims

[1] A tramcar driving on a central guide-way monorail track, which is constructed of a rail disposed in an excavation portion formed by excavating a road surface, and noise and vibration-preventing filling material filled in the excavation portion, wherein an upper end surface of the rail is constructed to have a height identical to that of the road surface, and the noise and vibration-preventing filling material is filled in the remaining excavation portion except an edge of a rail upper end portion and the rail upper end surface, wherein the tramcar comprising: a vehicle body; an engine disposed in a lower space of the vehicle body; a generator for receiving the power from the engine; a driving motor for converting the electric power supplied from the generator into a driving force; driving wheels respectively disposed at the front and rear sides of the lower end of the vehicle body for receiving the driving force from the driving motor; and a double-flange guide wheel disposed at the mid of the driving wheels for driving on the rail upper end surface.

[2] The tramcar according to claim 1, wherein the double-flange guide wheel includes a driving surface having a width enabling the curve driving in addition to a width of the rail upper end surface; and flanges extended and projected along circumferences of both ends of the driving surface in the radial direction, respectively.

[3] The tramcar according to claim 2, wherein the engine comprieses an internal combustion engine using liquefied natural gas as fuel.