Virtual Railroad Peloton Control on Highways for Energy Savings
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing highways are inefficient in preventing traffic congestion, leading to energy wastage, and public railways are expensive and time-consuming to implement, limiting their widespread adoption.
Innovation Solution
A virtual railroad system where existing highway lanes are repurposed to form a dedicated lane for a peloton of vehicles, led by an engine vehicle that communicatively connects with passenger vehicles to optimize speed and energy efficiency through aerodynamic features and autonomous control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If public railways are built between cities, then traffic congestion on highways is reduced and energy efficiency is improved, but implementation cost and construction time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual replica of railroad functionality using existing highway infrastructure. Instead of building physical railways, the system uses digital twins and communication networks to enable trains to operate on highways under autonomous control, copying the efficiency benefits of railways without the physical construction costs
Solution Approach 2:
The existing highway infrastructure is made multi-functional by allowing it to serve both traditional vehicle traffic and autonomous train operations. The virtual railroad system enables highways to function as both conventional roads and railroad tracks through software-based control and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication
2Productivity
If public railways are built between cities, then traffic congestion on highways is reduced and energy efficiency is improved, but implementation time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary digital setup and virtual configuration before physical deployment. By establishing the virtual railroad framework, communication protocols, and autonomous control systems in advance, the actual implementation can proceed rapidly without lengthy construction periods
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical construction process of building physical railways with a software-based virtual system. Instead of laying tracks and constructing infrastructure, the system uses digital models, communication networks, and autonomous vehicle control to achieve the same traffic flow efficiency benefits
3Use of energy by moving object
If vehicles travel in pelotons with aerodynamic features, then energy consumption is reduced, but vehicle complexity and communication requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple vehicles into pelotons that travel in close formation, combining their aerodynamic effects to reduce overall energy consumption. By grouping vehicles together with coordinated control, the system achieves energy savings that outweigh the added complexity of communication and coordination systems
Solution Approach 2:
The autonomous control system uses continuous feedback from sensors and communication networks to maintain optimal peloton formation and spacing. This feedback mechanism enables real-time adjustments to preserve aerodynamic efficiency while managing the complexity of coordinated vehicle operations
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The virtual railroad system reduces energy consumption and enhances travel speed while minimizing infrastructure costs by leveraging existing highway space and advanced vehicle communication and control systems.
Implementation Method 1
optimize speed and energy efficiency through aerodynamic features
Data Source
AI summary
A virtual railroad of vehicles is disclosed. In one aspect of the disclosure, a system includes one or more passenger vehicles of a peloton, and a first engine vehicle of the peloton. The first engine vehicle communicatively connected to the one or more passenger vehicles, wherein the first engine vehicle comprises: a processor communicatively connected to a memory and is configured to receive status information of the one or more passenger vehicles, determine, based on the received status information, a set of current values for a set of vehicle attributes for each of the one or more passenger vehicles, and adjust, based on the set of current values for the set of vehicle attributes, a position of a corresponding passenger vehicle of the one or more passenger vehicles.