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6 PRT System Requirements

VECTUS PRT SYSTEM

Introduction

The VECTUS PRT concept, developed by VECTUS Ltd together with a number of British and

Swedish subcontractors and strategic partners, brings what has been a transportation solution of

the future to a proven and safe transportation solution of today. After years of research and

development, VECTUS currently have an operating test track that is not only being verified for

the technology itself, but also has enabled a complete safety case including verification and

validation to be completed. In the world of transportation, it is probably unique to have

developed a complete safety model of a transport system covering all aspects, both the

passengers as well as third party. This model can be adapted to any particular application. The

VECTUS system is built to and is in compliance with European standards, and is being

approved by the Swedish Railway Agency (as test track is built in Sweden). The level of safety

for passengers in the VECTUS system will be as high as or higher than what is the current

performance of railway and metros in Sweden, England and Western Europe in general.

VECTUS is dedicated to become a leading supplier of PRT systems globally. The initial stages

of the technology development, including the test track, have involved substantial investment.

VECTUS is owned by POSCO (a Korean company investing in VECTUS on a venture capital

basis) and POSCO is fully committed to back up VECTUS in a commercial PRT project.

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POSCO was for year 2006 number 244 in Fortune Global 500, with a net profit of about 3700

MUSD.

The core in the VECTUS PRT is an ingenious control concept comprising the vehicle speed,

positioning and route selection covering all safety aspects. The system is distributed enabling

the network to be expanded over time without any limitations. The control system is also

flexible and allows the functionalities in the operation level to be adapted to a specific

application without impacting the safety systems. Hence, there is no need to reconfigure or

revalidate the safety system as a whole when the PRT-system is modified. The control system is

asynchronous meaning that the maximum performance is kept even when system is expanded

and the full capacity of the system can be utilised without significant degradation in travel time

or waiting time. The asynchronous control is an essential feature in handling optimal

performance under high load conditions.

Depending on the brake system configuration, headways down to 3 seconds and lower is

possible at a typical speed range of 5 – 12 m/s since the spacing between vehicles is a function

of the actual speed (and hence stopping distance). This means that speed along the line can vary,

e.g. when going through some tighter curves, without affecting the capacity. Only the travel

time will be effected due to travelling a short distance at a lower speed through a curve rather

than the normal speed of travel. The tight curve radiuses give flexibility to the track design and

can be used where minimal overall impact is necessary.

The track is completely passive, i.e. there are no moving parts in switches. The actual interface

required to the vehicle is very simple and can therefore easily be elevated, put directly on

concrete slab in the ground level, be connected into a building, or built in a tunnel. The height

required from any load bearing structure to top of rail is less than 100 mm and total height of the

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complete rail structure is less than 300mm. With a low vehicle height (adding less than 500 mm

to the interior height), it is very easy to e.g. integrate stations inside buildings etc. A tare weight

of the vehicle around 1 tonne adds further to the simplicity and flexibility of the track and its

structural requirements.

The vehicle will be built to suit the particular requirements. A

sample design has been made for the test site, with a spacious

cabin with large windows offering a light and attractive interior. It

has ample space for luggage, baby carriages etc. Comfort includes

individual seats with armrests, air condition, individual reading

lights, in seat entertainment systems with

LCD video screens, audio etc. Wheelchair

accommodation and other special

requirements can be made in all vehicles, or

part of the fleet which can be specially

ordered to the station in advance.

The vehicle running wheels are made of solid, specially developed polyurethane based polymer

which offers very low rolling friction, low curve friction and very high

resistance to wear. The wheels run on a hard surface and together with an

aerodynamic design of the vehicle this gives a required thrust to maintain

speeds at about 40 km/h equivalent to about 3kW.

The reliability of the vehicles is imperative in any transportation system. A

complete RAMS analysis has been made in the development of the test track system.

Redundancies have been introduced wherever needed to avoid breakdowns on track. If a vehicle

becomes inoperative, it can be pushed by vehicles behind, or be assisted by special purpose

maintenance vehicles. Reverse operation of part of the system is possible if there are problems

that can not be resolved within a reasonable time. The dynamic control will automatically

reroute vehicles in case of congestions or breakdown. Rescue and emergency handling has been

an integral part of the design of vehicle, station etc.

The station typically has platform doors operating synchronously with the vehicle doors. Actual

layout, number of berths etc. will be decided on a station for station basis as required from

estimated passenger flow. With the simple track design and later modifications/extensions can

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be done very easily. High capacity stations are envisaged to utilise parallel

boarding/disembarking, if necessary along parallel tracks.

The propulsion system is to be selected in collaboration with the involved authorities for energy

and environment. The control system is completely independent of the drive system, and

VECTUS can supply both linear motor technology as well as conventional drive systems.

Linear motors offer the advantage of fewer moving parts and hence offer both lower noise level

and less maintenance. It also gives a thrust that is independent of friction between wheel and

track. Typical disadvantage would be the lower energy efficiency, which must be weighed

against the operational and environmental advantages. With a conventional drive system, a

harder low running resistance running wheel will still be utilised, hence keeping the advantage

of very low thrust requirements to maintain speed.

In a warm climate it is probably most efficient to have onboard power, i.e. a power collection

system is installed to get power directly to the vehicles without any inefficient intermediary

steps. Particularly, if there is high power consumption requirements onboard the vehicle to drive

air condition etc, an on-board power system is most favourable. Power collection is provided as

an integral part of the track structure, and will impact the overall dimensions of the track very

little. For added safety, the power rails will be of the finger protected type. With an integrated

power supply system, it is possible for the overall control system to control vehicle movement

avoiding any excessive peak loads, to use regenerative braking and to optimise vehicle

movement (synchronise braking and acceleration between vehicles) for energy saving, and to

have more centralised and hence more efficient power storage devices to balance varying power

availability. The control system can easily reduce performance and prioritise loads, which is

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required in cases of low power conditions.

1 Energy consumption

By using synthetic running wheels with very low friction on hard running surface, e.g. steel, a

very low running resistance is obtained both for straight and curved track. In the design of the

vehicle, emphasis has been put on also achieving lowest possible wind resistance. Aerodynamic

simulations have been made although the speed is relatively low, all to minimise the actual

power required for maintaining the speed. Weight is also an important issue in terms of energy

consumption, but main part is only when it comes to the energy required to accelerate the

vehicle up to the maximum speed or negotiate inclines. When braking, depending on the

propulsion system utilised, energy will be recovered to some extent. The testing conducted so

far indicates that the real performance for the running resistance is lower than the theoretical

values. To run at speeds between 8 – 12 m/s will on average require a net power produced of 3-4

kW. On board systems, and air condition will be the single largest energy consumer, will

amount to approximately 2 kW, possibly higher, on average. It is very depending on duty cycles

(aircon is not required when running empty vehicles) and level of comfort required, and also

very dependent on the type of air condition system that can be installed, which in turn may be

dependent on the propulsion system chosen.

The actual power consumed by the system then has to be increased with the efficiency for all

intermediary power conversion steps. These efficiencies will be on the same level as for any

commercial equipment performing the same function. Optimal performance requires an overall

integration and optimisation of the complete electrical system. Peak power consumption can be

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reduced by the VECTUS control system by avoiding simultaneous start of several vehicles or

matching stopping and starting of vehicles at stations etc. Other measures when being close to

peak power availability on a system level could also be to utilise the asynchronous control

system’s capabilities and run with a slightly reduced top speed (which only affects travel time,

but not capacity on a singular track segment). Peak power requirement can hence be calculated

as a function of the number of vehicles to be run simultaneously and then assume a certain

percentage taking more power during acceleration, and the control can then ensure that such

operating conditions are met. Maximum power (net thrust) during acceleration is typically about

10 – 15 kW depending on maximum gradients and acceleration performance desired.

Power storage in order to accommodate to varying power supply conditions is assumed to be

most efficient to be handled in centralised energy storage facilities, rather than using e.g.

batteries in individual vehicles.

2 Deliverability

VECTUS has a working system that also has a safety case that was completed in December

2007. The control system has also been subject to a third party assessment that is also finalised.

To develop the control system, or modify if it is not scalable from the beginning is typically the

most time consuming and highest risk component in a new system development. In that sense

VECTUS is in a very good position to start detailed engineering work almost immediately. Also,

having the test track available means that any modifications or specific features for a specific

application can be tested and verified at the test track rather than at the time of operation start

for the actual system. It is envisaged that the vehicle will be aesthetically altered to

accommodate the particular needs and tastes applicable for each individual customer; hence the

descriptions and pictures shown are examples rather than definite product specifications.

3 Staging, upgrading and modification

As can be seen in the descriptions of the track, and also from the pictures from the test track, it

is possible to build the track with basically a few standard components (straight sections and a

limited variety of curved sections, switches etc) and a limited number of special length straight

sections. These can be bolted together for easy and quick installation as well as disassembly,

modification etc. Hence, it is indeed possible to alter the network, add switches and change

station layouts etc from a track perspective. It is also very easy to install the track inside

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buildings, have it elevated, on the ground, in tunnels etc. It is space efficient and light weight.

4 Costing of the system

With so many uncertainties as to station layouts, number of vehicles, specification of vehicles

and in particular, the actual border for the PRT delivery, makes a cost estimate extremely

difficult and almost impossible at this stage. In particular the actual borderline for the delivery,

considering e.g. stations inside buildings, track supported of building walls etc need to be

established before any reasonable costing is possible. Also project costs, one off cost etc needs

to be considered after having a more detailed specification. However, typically for an elevated

system including structures with a typical number of stations and vehicles, an average cost of

about 15 – 25 MUSD per mile is possible, but it could both be considerably higher and lower

depending on the specifics. It is highly recommended than rather than specifying a specific

number of vehicles, certain station layouts etc., the PRT supplier should instead solve and prove

a solution to the traffic demand. With the VECTUS control, like the empty vehicle management

(patent pending), the asynchronous control etc, the total number of vehicles can be reduced due

to higher level of utilisation resulting out of the control schemes employed.

5 Performance of the system

Performance of the system can in many respects easily be modified and adjusted without

affecting the safety control system. Hence, the data provided below should be considered as

typical data, and not a definite limit.

Speed 12,5 m/s

Headway 3 s (at 12,5 m/s) Comment: Headway is based on braking performance to

avoid a brick wall stop condition. It is generally

considered that a brick wall stop requirement is

unnecessary restrictive. If the requirement is relieved,

then the headway, and the capacity, can be further

improved without any major control system impact.

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Capacity Short term capacity close

to 1200 vehicles per hour

on a single track segment

at 12,5 m/s.

Comment: Capacity in terms of passengers per hour is

dependent on average number of passengers in each

vehicle. The asynchronous control makes the capacity

valid also under high load in a larger network, but the

overall system capacity and immunity to disturbances is a

better indicator of performance in a PRT application.

Turning

radius

10 m, steered vehicle

20 m, non-steered vehicle

Track geometry not requiring very tight curves can be

beneficial also to the vehicle which then can be of an

even less complex design.

Speed in

curves

Restricted by passenger

comfort only. Track can

be easily cambered to

allow higher speed in

curves

Comment: Without camber, speeds of about 10 – 12 m/s

are probably practical and considered reasonably

comfortable when seated in radiuses down to about 30 -

35m. With cambered track further reduction is possible,

down to maybe 25 m. Tighter curves then need to have a

speed reduction when negotiating the curve to maintain

similar levels of side acceleration. Very small curve

radiuses do not lend themselves to be cambered, so those

are mostly to be used in station areas, yards etc at low

speed.

Vehicle

typical data

Described in VECTUS

brochure

Comment: Size of the vehicle is envisaged to be adjusted

as required. The vehicle for the test track is very spacious

for 4 people and can easily be made larger or smaller in

all dimensions and still offer a very comfortable

environment. Seating arrangement can also be altered to

suit, e.g. by adding tip up seats to accommodate for

additional passengers, bench seating for 6 passengers etc.

Track

dimensions

Described in system

description Vehicle and

Track

For elevated track, distance between pillars and design of

load structure can easily be adapted to any particular

needs for best integration into the city environment. It is

believed that a pillar distance of about 20 m can be quite

optimal, but the architectural and local conditions will

determine best location of pillars.

Other important features of a well functioning PRT system is related to the capabilities and

functionality of the control system, the safety etc. Separate documents on these issues are

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available.

6 Stations

Stations are typically envisaged to be a series of boarding/alighting positions along a separate

station track off the main line. The number of vehicle positions determines capacity, as well as

configuration of the station itself.

The basic case is a station where vehicles are queued in a line. There are a number station slots,

and also some waiting position for keeping empty vehicles waiting for next trip and also to

allow vehicles to go off main track although all station slots may be currently occupied. For

higher station throughput, simultaneous entry and exit to the vehicles is one option (by opening

doors on both sides simultaneously). Parallel station tracks may be required in very high

capacity stations.

In the test track a relatively small station is built that still will have most features to be able to

test and evaluate different strategies for efficient station utilisation.

Stations will also be used to store vehicles during lower traffic demands (vehicle is always

available when passengers arrive to the station).

7 Reliability

The VECTUS PRT system is completely analysed from a RAM (Reliability, Availability and

Maintainability) perspective. Maintenance intervals are kept as long as possible, and there are

very few components that need to be replaced on a regular interval. The tyres used has been

running in a test rig for several 100 000 km without wearing out. For the test track system using

in track LIM, there is no maintenance foreseen for any of the regular maintenance intensive

systems like gearboxes, motors, current collection systems etc. For a system with on board

power, the current collection still will be a requirement, but it is only handling low amounts of

power (current). It is envisaged to use a DC bus distribution (600 VDC) with fairly small supply

stations co-located with passenger stations to give small distribution losses at high power needs

at acceleration.

Based on the RAM analysis, and also the safety analysis, redundancies and backup systems

have been introduced to maximise the availability of the system. The control system also allows

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for vehicle to reverse in order to clear and reroute a track segment in case of accidents or

problems that can not be resolved in a reasonable time. Most vehicle failures will be possible to

handle by onboard back up systems or by short term operation in reduced performance modes

before going to the workshop. Vehicles can push other vehicles in front of them if required to

nearest station or special service and rescue vehicles can be deployed to assist as required.

There is a lowest possible content of environmentally restricted or hazardous materials, such as

batteries etc. The vehicles are compliant with British and European requirements for fire and

smoke.

8 Comments about technology

The technical aspects are described in the vehicle and track document and also the control

description document.

9 Safety

The safety process and the limits set out to be fulfilled are explained in the safety process

document.

10 Elevated track

Track dimensions and pictures of typical track are shown in the vehicle and track description.

Distance between pillars and support structure / beam can be designed to suit both architectural

requirements as well as specific pillar distance requirements. Integration of support structure

into buildings can be done easily.

11 Expandability

The system is very easy to expand, both in terms of modification of the track itself and the

flexibility of the control system. This issue is described more in detailed in the description for

the track and the control system.

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12 Special purpose vehicles

The vehicle is in fact built up by two parts, a chassis and a cabin. The installation of chassis

electrical and other equipment can easily be rearranged to one end or made as low as possible,

allowing for a flat load bed at a level just over the running wheels. This can then be used for

transport of any goods with a payload up to about 1000 kg without any restrictions in

performance. Higher loads may require reduction of top speed, mainly a structural fatigue issue

for the track supporting structure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5W3OSZu9oA

VECTUS TEST TRACK

The test track built by VECTUS in Uppsala, Sweden, is a key component of the VECTUS PRT

development. Prior to the test track being built, various studies had been conducted over several

years. One important aspect of these studies were the overall control and the logistics solutions

of a real system, studied using advanced simulation tools. Based on these studies, the key

parameters for a commercially viable system were identified. From these system characteristics,

the different subsystems and key technologies were selected. Again, for selected areas, more

studies were conducted in test rigs, simulators, scaled models etc. Most of these studies were

conducted in England and Sweden. It is noteworthy that the VECTUS PRT development has not

originated from a technical concept for e.g. track and vehicle etc., but rather from a rigorous top

down process with the complete system as the main focus, especially considering safety and the

control aspects, and with system and component selection to suit.

Having these steps accomplished, it was time to go for the first full scale system in 2005.

Selection of a suitable site where there are good communications, possible to test in winter

conditions, internationally recognized authorities for approval, university and industrial

structure to suit, etc., finally ended in Uppsala, just north of Stockholm, Sweden.

Figure 1

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The test track configuration was carefully chosen as smallest possible but still with the

capability of proving all aspects of the full scale system. Figure 1 shows the main outline,

with an outer loop allowing speeds up to 12,5 m/s, and a station track with a station with two

platform positions. The tracks entering and exiting the station are fairly long to allow merge

operations at full speed.

The test track has been designed, built and commissioned with a group of Swedish and

English companies as the key subcontractors. They are listed in figure 2.

Figure 2

The safety process lead by Scandpower, a renowned safety management consultant in

nuclear, oil&gas and transportation field in Scandinavia, has been an integrated part of the

test track design process from day 1. The authority approval has also been ongoing from the

very beginning with the Swedish Railway Authority, with the same set up and general

requirements as applied when e.g. building a new metro (subway).

The detailed planning for the site selected started late autumn 2005. In April 2006 the

ground breaking ceremony was held, and the first track sections were delivered in August.

Running tests with only a chassis vehicle started in December 2006, and first run around the

outer loop was accomplished just before Christmas 2006.

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In the spring 2007 the station and the station track was finalized, and the first complete

vehicle arrived on site in the summer 2007. The second vehicle came shortly afterwards,

and were displayed for a larger audience at the PRT seminars held in Uppsala in the autumn

2007.

Finalization of the commissioning, safety case and various testing led to an approval of the

safety case in December 2007, approval for test runs with visitors in March 2008, and full

approval with multiple vehicles and third party passengers in September 2008.

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The test track is a complete and genuine representation of a full scale system in particular

concerning the advanced distributed, dynamic moving block, asynchronous control system.

The vehicles has been given a realistic design for a real application, whereas the track and

parts of the electrical installations have been selected for ease of testing and quick

installation rather than visualize VECTUS idea of a commercial system from an aesthetic

point of view.

The main purpose of the test track was to verify the technical design, in particular the

control aspects. It is also not possible to carry out a complete safety case including

verification and validation without actually building a system. Another key aspect has been

the actual authority process itself, to indentify the “real” requirements for all aspects of a

system. E.g. has there been ample thought about various passenger aspects, for example

access for disabled, guidance for visibility impaired, example of a ticketing system and

complete passenger interface in the vehicles with displays, intercom, etc.

Ongoing right now is to see the long term performance. Detailed modelling of the reliability

and availability and life cycle cost were part of the design effort, which now will be verified.

Obviously the test track is also an excellent marketing tool, and a very efficient way to

present both PRT and VECTUS technology. Several visits each week, ranging from

ministers to city officials, professors to students, developers, property owners, investors etc.

competes with the test crew for test track access.

Last, but not least, the test track also provides a proving ground for continued development,

both VECTUS internal R&D as well as being able to test client specific modifications at an

early stage.

TEST ACTIVITIES

Full operation with three vehicles, including merge at full speed, ticketing and station

operation with precision stopping at platform doors are examples of tests that have been

successfully performed. Ride index measurements showing an improvement with 50%

during 2008.

Testing in snow and ice conditions last week have also been carried out with a good result.

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PROPOSED CONCEPT

General

A Joint Venture (JV) between VECTUS and a local construction company is the preferred type

of business arrangement, with the City of Santa Cruz acting as the client.

In order to undertake all aspects of the work in a possible future contract the approach of

VECTUS and the local consortium partner will be to offer the best possible solution in terms of

design, project management, thoroughness, reliability and high quality, under strict safety and

environmental control and with total commitment to client satisfaction.

The execution of the project will involve a number of sub-contractors where the agreements

made between the JV and the different sub-contractors to a great extent will be based on back to

back conditions with the JV bearing the full responsibility towards the client.

All activities related to the project will be managed from the local JV Management Office to be

established at the site. VECTUS has also the policy to set up a local assembly site in the area of

the project which also guarantees for more local companies to be involved.

Project Management Plan

The Project Management Plan describes the management of a project within VECTUS.

The four main phases for a project are:

1. The Start-up phase, which commences directly after NTP and involves the formation

of the project

2. The Engineering/Design phase, which involves the design of the product and the

procurement of material

3. The Realisation phase, which is when the vehicles and tracks are being built

4. The Product Introduction/Field Support phase, which means the support of the

system during the warranty period

VECTUS Project Management Plan is build on the principles from Project Management

Institute (PMI).

Project steps

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The complete project can be divided into several steps.

Completion of civil works and vehicles for the first PRT loop (Demonstration

project)

Completion of loop no 2

Completion of loop no 3 etc.

Completion of all remaining civil works and vehicles

Maintenance period

Proposed duration of pilot

VECTUS also prefers to build one loop of the complete PRT network in Santa Cruz

and use that as a demonstration project. 18 months after the Notice to Proceed (NTP)

the first three vehicles will commence their tests on the demonstration loop. The

validation period will go on for almost a year and the first loop can be opened for

traffic in approx. January 2012.

Implementation plan and schedule

Please see separate MS Project-document in Appendix II.

Scope of the system

The Santa Cruz PRT system above has a total length of 8.1 miles of main track and 14 stations.

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With the assumptions of 3000 trips per hour during peak hours we need 250 vehicles in the syste

m. In a preliminary simulation we have estimated 25 mph on the main track and in average 1 mi

nute waiting time and 5 minutes travel time. Without having the exact capacity demand between

the different stations we have made some more assumptions. The same amount of people betw

een all stations have been used and a headway of 3 seconds.At peak hours this PRT system will

reach about 90% of its full capacity. Please see enclosed movie.

Result from a simulation of an estimated PRT network

In the picture below as well as in the movie the colour of different vehicles means:

Green = empty vehicle Yellow = embark/disembark Turquoise = 1 passenger

Blue = 2 passengers Light purple = 3 passengers Red = 4 or more passengers

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Link to the simulation film: (File will remain active for 7days)

http://rcpt.yousendit.com/631058016/a5aa78533a61bd5b02a698924c647278

Estimate of capital construction costs to build the system

The capital cost of the system would depend on the design of the system itself, the length of the

system, the number of stations, the number of vehicles, the materials chosen for the track, and

many other variables that enter into a final solution. It is pre-mature to speculate upon that at

this stage without detailed analysis and simulation. The costs of investment and maintenance of

the infrastructure must be specified to get a net present value and to assess the viability of the

investment.

Estimate of operating and maintenance costs for the system

Please see above.

Financing options

We could bring some financial investors for further discussions with Santa Cruz project team if

City of Santa Cruz can guarantee some minimum level of revenue for a fixed period of years,

say 30 years.