Guideway switch apparatus for magnetically levitated vehicles

Abstract

A switch is used, at the divergent zone, to cause the vehicle bogie to follow one path or the other in the guideway. This is accomplished by substituting an attracting magnetic array on the side that the vehicle bogie is desired to follow. The switch may operate without moving parts, so there is no inertial penalty to limit operational frequency. The switch is designed to fail gracefully in the absence of activation power or control signals. Further, the switch is designed to ensure that there would be no derailment or dropping of a vehicle.

1 - 25 . (canceled) 
   
   
       26 . A transportation system, comprising:
 a vehicle bogie comprising an electrodynamic repulsion component operative to repulse the vehicle bogie from a wall of a guideway, and a permanent magnet levitation component operative to vertically hold the vehicle bogie within the guideway;   a vehicle suspended from the vehicle bogie;   the guideway, wherein the guideway comprises a plurality of segments, and further, wherein each guideway segment includes an electrodynamic repulsion component operative to repulse a portion of the vehicle bogie within the guideway segment from a wall of the guideway segment, and a permanent magnet levitation component operative to vertically hold the portion of the vehicle bogie within the guideway segment;   a switch element operative to switch movement of the vehicle from a first path of the guideway to a second path of the guideway, the switch element comprising an electrodynamic repulsion component operative to repulse a portion of the vehicle bogie within the switch element from a wall of the switch element, a first electromagnetic guidance component, and a second electromagnetic guidance component; and   a controller operative to switch the movement of the vehicle from the first path of the guideway to the second path of the guideway by
 detecting that the vehicle bogie is entering the switch element; 
 energizing the first electromagnetic guidance component of the switch element with a polarity that attracts the permanent magnet levitation component of the portion of the vehicle bogie within the switch element, such that magnetic force holds the vehicle bogie in proximity to but not in contact with a wall of the switch element that connects to the second path of the guideway; and 
 energizing the second electromagnetic guidance component of the switch element with a polarity that repels the permanent magnet levitation component of the portion of the vehicle bogie within the switch element. 
   
   
   
       27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the switch element is inserted in a portion of the guideway and is operative to switch movement of the vehicle to a first or a second divergent portion of guideway. 
   
   
       28 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the vehicle bogie is laterally articulated and greater in length than the switch element. 
   
   
       29 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the permanent magnet levitation component of the vehicle bogie that is outside of the switch element is operative to hold the vehicle bogie and the suspended vehicle within the guideway. 
   
   
       30 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the vehicle bogie is comprised of a plurality of vehicle bogie segments, and further, wherein each vehicle bogie segment includes an electrodynamic repulsion component operative to repulse the vehicle bogie segment from a wall of a guideway, and a permanent magnet levitation component operative to vertically hold the vehicle bogie segment within the guideway 
   
   
       31 . A method for directing a magnetically levitated vehicle to either of two divergent paths of a guideway, comprising:
 operating the guideway, wherein the guideway comprises a plurality of guideway segments and a switch, with each guideway segment including an electrodynamic repulsion component operative to repulse a portion of a vehicle bogie within the guideway segment from a wall of the guideway segment, the vehicle being suspended from the vehicle bogie, and a permanent magnet levitation component operative to vertically hold the portion of the vehicle bogie within the guideway segment;   operating the switch, wherein the switch comprises an electrodynamic repulsion component operative to repulse a portion of the vehicle bogie within the switch from a wall of the switch, a first electromagnetic guidance component, and a second electromagnetic guidance component;   wherein the vehicle bogie comprises an electrodynamic repulsion component operative to repulse a portion of the vehicle bogie within a guideway segment from a wall of the guideway segment, and a permanent magnet levitation component operative to vertically hold the portion of the vehicle bogie within the guideway segment,   and further, wherein a portion of the vehicle bogie permanent magnet levitation component within the switch is operative to interact with the first switch electromagnetic guidance component to hold a portion of the vehicle bogie within the switch in proximity to the first divergent path, and wherein the portion of the vehicle bogie permanent magnet levitation component not within the switch is operative to provide sufficient force to vertically hold the vehicle bogie and the suspended vehicle; and   wherein the method for directing the suspended vehicle to either of the two divergent paths of the guideway further comprises
 energizing the first switch electromagnetic guidance component with a polarity that attracts the permanent magnet levitation component of the portion of the vehicle bogie within the switch, such that magnetic force holds the portion of the vehicle bogie within the switch in proximity to but not in contact with a wall of the switch that connects to a first divergent path; and 
 energizing the second switch electromagnetic guidance component with a polarity that repels the permanent magnet levitation component of the portion of the vehicle bogie within the switch. 
   
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the first switch electromagnetic guidance component is energized with the same polarity as the permanent magnet levitation component of the portion of the vehicle bogie within the switch while the second switch electromagnetic guidance component is energized with the opposite polarity as the permanent magnet levitation component of the portion of the vehicle bogie within the switch. 
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the first switch electromagnetic guidance component and second switch electromagnetic guidance component are arranged laterally opposite to each other. 
   
   
       34 . A method for directing a magnetically levitated vehicle from either of two convergent paths of a guideway to a single path,
 operating the guideway, wherein the guideway comprises a plurality of guideway segments and a switch, with each guideway segment including an electrodynamic repulsion component operative to repulse a portion of a vehicle bogie within the guideway element from a wall of the guideway element, the vehicle being suspended from the vehicle bogie, and a permanent magnet levitation component operative to vertically hold the portion of the vehicle bogie within the guideway segment;   operating the switch, wherein the switch comprises an electrodynamic repulsion component operative to repulse a portion of the vehicle bogie within the switch from a wall of the switch, a first electromagnetic guidance component, and a second electromagnetic guidance component;   wherein the vehicle bogie comprises an electrodynamic repulsion component operative to repulse a portion of the vehicle bogie within a guideway segment from a wall of the guideway segment, and a permanent magnet levitation component operative to vertically hold the portion of the vehicle bogie within the guideway segment,   and further, wherein a portion of the vehicle bogie permanent magnet levitation component within the switch is operative to interact with the first switch electromagnetic guidance component to hold a portion of the vehicle bogie within the switch in proximity to the first convergent path, and wherein the portion of the vehicle bogie permanent magnet levitation component not within the switch is operative to provide sufficient force to vertically hold the vehicle bogie and the suspended vehicle;   wherein the method for directing the suspended vehicle from either of the two convergent paths of the guideway further comprises
 energizing the first switch electromagnetic guidance component with a polarity that attracts the permanent magnet levitation component of the portion of the vehicle bogie within the switch, such that magnetic force holds the portion of the vehicle bogie within the switch in proximity to but not in contact with a wall of the switch that connects to a first convergent path; and 
 energizing the second switch electromagnetic guidance component with a polarity that repels the permanent magnet levitation component of the portion of the vehicle bogie within the switch. 
   
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein instead of the first and second switch electromagnetic guidance components, the switch comprises a first and second permanent magnet guidance component, such that the first and the second permanent magnet guidance components exert an attractive force on the permanent magnet levitation component of the portion of the vehicle bogie within the switch. 
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein instead of the first and second switch electromagnetic guidance components, the switch comprises a first and second permanent magnet guidance component, the first permanent magnet guidance component having the same polarity as the permanent magnet levitation component of the portion of the vehicle bogie within the switch and the second permanent magnet guidance component having the opposite polarity as the permanent magnet levitation component of the portion of the vehicle bogie within the switch, such that when moving in a backward direction the vehicle bogie follows the pathway determined by the first permanent magnet guidance component.