Personal Automated Transportation: Status and Potential of Personal Rapid Transit Technology Evaluation January 2003 by the Advanced Transit Association Bob Dunning, committee chair Ian Ford, report editor Committee Members Rob Bernstein Joe Shapiro Catie Burke Markus Szillat Dennis Cannon Göran Tegnér George Haikalis Ron Thorstad Jerry Kieffer David Ward Dennis Manning Michael Weidler David Maymudes William Wilde Jeral Poskey NOTE: This report is published in a group of documents. Other documents in the group include an executive summary, a discussion and rationale for PRT, technology primer, FAQ, and other supporting reports. The full set is detailed on the web site: www.advancedtransit.org/pub/2002/prt ATRA: Personal Transportation, Evaluation (January 2003) Page 1 Contents Purpose..........................................................................................................................................................4 Study process ................................................................................................................................................5 Non-participating vendors ............................................................................................................................8 Study organization ........................................................................................................................................9 Sources........................................................................................................................................................10 Definition of PRT and GRT........................................................................................................................11 Differences and rationale ........................................................................................................................11 A GRT system in operation ....................................................................................................................12 Comparison of GRT and PRT systems...................................................................................................12 Basic description, geometry, and developmental status..............................................................................14 Skyprint...................................................................................................................................................14 Evaluation criteria...................................................................................................................................14 Categorization of the systems .................................................................................................................15 Common points of all systems................................................................................................................16 Summary evaluation of development status ...........................................................................................16 Explanation of the drawings ...................................................................................................................17 Size diagram of light rail.........................................................................................................................17 Simple supported systems.......................................................................................................................19 Simple suspended systems......................................................................................................................43 Other systems..........................................................................................................................................50 Evaluation of visual/geometric factors ...................................................................................................57 How development status relates to other factors ....................................................................................57 Evaluation of development status ...........................................................................................................57 Guideway Structure ....................................................................................................................................59 Evaluation criteria...................................................................................................................................59 Evaluation ...............................................................................................................................................59 Vehicle, passenger comfort.........................................................................................................................60 Evaluation criteria...................................................................................................................................60 Evaluation of wheelchair accessibility....................................................................................................60 Evaluation of vehicle size .......................................................................................................................61 Evaluation of ride quality and noise .......................................................................................................63 Evaluation of views.................................................................................................................................63 Evaluation of electric passenger amenities .............................................................................................64 Propulsion system, grade, traction ..............................................................................................................65 How propulsion relates to other factors ..................................................................................................65 Evaluation criteria...................................................................................................................................65 Description of propulsion systems..........................................................................................................65 Evaluation of propulsion systems ...........................................................................................................68 Switching and steering................................................................................................................................69 ATRA: Personal Transportation, Evaluation (January 2003) Page 2 How switching relates to other factors....................................................................................................69 Description of switching systems ...........................................................................................................69 Evaluation of switching systems.............................................................................................................71 Control, reliability, capacity, related information.......................................................................................72 Explanation of related design factors......................................................................................................72 Evaluation criteria...................................................................................................................................75 Evaluation of separation and speed.........................................................................................................75 Evaluation of control and related factors ................................................................................................77 Environmental, energy................................................................................................................................79 Energy use in PRT ..................................................................................................................................79 Evaluation criteria...................................................................................................................................79 Evaluation of external noise....................................................................................................................80 Evaluation of energy usage.....................................................................................................................80 Other environmental evaluations ............................................................................................................82 Safety ..........................................................................................................................................................83 Discussion...............................................................................................................................................83 Evaluation criteria...................................................................................................................................84 Examples of safety features ....................................................................................................................85 Operational characteristics..........................................................................................................................86 Evaluation criteria...................................................................................................................................86 Evaluation ...............................................................................................................................................86