Road-Rail Freight Vehicle Wheel Switching for Faster Low-Cost Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current freight transportation methods face challenges such as high labor costs for semitrucks, long transit times for trains due to yard congestion, and regulatory hurdles for autonomous trucking on public roads, while also underutilizing railway infrastructure.
Innovation Solution
Development of freight vehicles capable of operating in both road and rail traversal modes, equipped with separate sets of wheels and motors, and an actuation system to switch between modes, allowing for autonomous and efficient transportation of trailers between roadways and railways, thereby optimizing rail usage and reducing labor and fuel costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If shipping by train is used to reduce costs, then transportation cost is reduced, but transit time increases due to yard congestion and sorting delays
Solution Approach 1:
The freight vehicle employs a dynamic wheel assembly that can switch between road wheels and rail wheels based on the operating mode. The actuation system dynamically repositions the wheel assembly to engage either road wheels for highway transit or rail wheels for rail yard operations, enabling the vehicle to adapt to different transportation environments and optimize for either cost or time depending on the route phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The freight vehicle is designed with multi-functionality to operate in both road and rail modes. By integrating both road wheels and rail wheels in a single vehicle platform, the system can perform highway transportation and rail yard operations without requiring separate specialized vehicles, thereby reducing overall system complexity and improving operational efficiency.
2Loss of time
If semitrucks are used to reduce transit time, then pre-transit processing time is reduced, but labor costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous vehicle system performs self-service by automatically navigating highways, entering rail yards, switching between road and rail modes, and coupling with containers without human intervention. This eliminates the need for driver labor while maintaining the speed advantages of highway transportation, directly addressing the labor cost issue.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of human drivers with an autonomous control system that uses sensors, processors, and automated actuators to control the vehicle. This substitution eliminates labor costs while maintaining operational capability, allowing the vehicle to perform both road and rail transportation tasks autonomously.
3Loss of energy
If autonomous vehicle technology is implemented to reduce labor costs, then labor cost is reduced, but regulatory obstacles impede implementation on public roads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the transportation route into distinct phases: highway transit and rail yard operations. By dividing the journey, the autonomous vehicle can operate on highways where autonomous technology is increasingly accepted, then transition to rail yards where regulatory requirements may be different or more favorable, thereby navigating regulatory obstacles through spatial segmentation of the operational environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The rail yard serves as an intermediary environment between highway and final delivery location. The autonomous vehicle can operate autonomously on highways, then transition to rail yards where it may operate under different regulatory frameworks, using the rail infrastructure as a mediator to bypass restrictive public road regulations while still achieving autonomous operation for the majority of the journey.
4Adaptability or versatility
If separate sets of wheels and motors are used for road and rail traversal, then operational versatility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the road wheel assembly and rail wheel assembly into a single integrated wheel assembly that can reconfigure between modes. Rather than having completely separate road and rail vehicle systems, the design combines both wheel types in one vehicle with a shared chassis, suspension, and control system, reducing overall complexity compared to operating two separate vehicle fleets.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel assembly is designed to be dynamic rather than static, with the ability to reposition road wheels and rail wheels based on operational requirements. The actuation system dynamically adjusts the configuration of the wheel assembly, allowing the vehicle to switch between road and rail modes without requiring manual reconfiguration or separate vehicle systems, thereby managing complexity through automated dynamic adjustment.
Data Source
AI summary
A freight vehicle is provided including a set of road wheels configured for road traversal; a set of rail wheels configured for rail traversal, the set of rail wheels being separate from the set of road wheels; and an actuation system configured to modify a relative positioning of the set of road wheels and the set of rail wheels to facilitate operation of the freight vehicle according to a plurality of operational modes. The plurality of operational modes include a road traversal mode wherein the actuation system causes the set of road wheels to contact a road and a rail traversal mode wherein the actuation system causes the set of rail wheels to contact a rail.