Interesting transportation things

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by M II A II R II K

Airships for city hops could cut flying’s CO2 emissions by 90%

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...missions-by-90

Seattle to Vancouver in just over 4 hours? But google maps says it takes under 3.5 hrs to drive between the city centres?

The cruising speed can be slower than a plane and still be competitive due to airport delays,and sure there are times when congestion increases driving time, but are we really going to consider an air transportation technology that's slower than a car on the highway to be an alternative to flying? Unless it has lower carbon emissions than driving I can't see the point.

[electricron]

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/blim...150000852.html
"The air minibus will be pretty zippy, apparently. Kelekona’s promises that its aircraft will be able to make the 330-mile flight between Los Angeles and San Francisco in an hour. That’s about as much time as it would take to fly between California’s two major cities, except without the hassle of having to go to an airport."
Fare prices are everything in a competitive market.

[202_Cyclist]

I'll just leave this here.

https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle...faed07a1c41d50

[M II A II R II K]

New Hydrogen-Electric Passenger Aircraft Is In The Works

https://interestingengineering.com/n...s-in-the-works

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- Singapore-based HES Energy Systems is developing a machine which it has dubbed the world's first regional hydrogen-electric passenger aircraft, the Element One. The company first announced its plans for the Element One back in 2018. More recently, its parent company ISAE-SUPAERO, announced it is working on a hydrogen-fueled unmanned aircraft to cross the South Atlantic. Though the debate over electric versus hydrogen rages on, a 2021 MarketsandMarkets report, published in April, stated that the Hydrogen aircraft market will be worth $7.427 million by 2030. --- HES stated that it aims to leverage the potential of hydrogen aviation by building an aircraft that will pioneer a new mode of aerial transport that is silent, decentralized, personalized, and zero-emission. The Element One utilizes ultra-light hydrogen fuel cells, capable of supplying over 500Wh/kg, and a distributed electric aircraft propulsion design. The aircraft employs a modular design that provides increased safety via several system redundancies.

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[Busy Bee]

^Seeing is believing, if you know what I mean.

[M II A II R II K]

Meringue-like material could make aircraft as quiet as a hairdryer

https://phys.org/news/2021-06-mering...hairdryer.html

.....

- The graphene oxide-polyvinyl alcohol aerogel weighs just 2.1kg per cubic metre, making it the lightest sound insulation ever manufactured. It could be used as insulation within aircraft engines to reduce noise by up to 16 decibels, reducing the 105-decibel roar of a jet engine taking off to a sound closer to that of a hair-dryer. — The aerogel's meringue-like structure makes it extremely light, meaning it could act as an insulator within aircraft engine nacelles, with almost no increase in overall weight. The material is currently being further optimised by the research team to offer improved heat dissipation, offering benefits to fuel efficiency and safety.

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[M II A II R II K]

New network of European sleeper trains planned

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2...trains-planned

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- Less than a decade after Europe’s night trains appeared to have reached the end of the line, a new French start-up has announced plans for a network of overnight services out of Paris from 2024. Midnight Trains is hoping post-Covid interest in cleaner, greener travel will generate interest in its proposed “hotels on rails”, which aims to connect the French capital to 12 other European destinations, including Edinburgh. The founders say the aim is not to match the famous – and expensive – luxury of the Orient Express but offer an alternative to the basic, state-run SNCF sleepers and short-haul flights. Key to the service will be “hotel-style” rooms offering privacy and security, and an onboard restaurant and bar.

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[202_Cyclist]

Battery-powered trains could be a climate game changer. Is everyone all aboard?


A battery-powered locomotive, second from right, helps pull a BNSF train from Barstow to Stockton in a test this year. (Photo via the LA Times)

By RALPH VARTABEDIAN
JULY 5, 2021
Los Angeles Times

"Colossal freight locomotives are a fixture of the American landscape, but their 4,400-horsepower engines collectively burn 3.5 billion gallons of diesel annually, at a time when railroads and other fossil fuel users face pressure to reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

With little fanfare, however, the industry has begun operating locomotives that run on stored electrical power, moving toward a future in which toy shops are not the only source of battery trains. American passenger lines could also be transformed by the technology, though California rail officials say it will not work for the state’s bullet train.

In a just-completed test, BNSF ran a freight train from Barstow to Stockton with an experimental battery locomotive, coupled with two diesel locomotives, and achieved an 11% reduction in fuel consumption, along with similar reductions in emissions of nitrogen oxides, small particulates and greenhouse gases. An upgraded future operational version is expected to improve fuel efficiency by 30%."

https://www.latimes.com/california/s...n-train-future

[202_Cyclist]

United and Mesa to Buy Electric Planes for Short Trips


By Alison Sider
14 July 2021
The Wall Street Journal

"United Airlines Holdings Inc. and a regional airline partner are hoping to use a new electric plane to revitalize short-haul flying.

United's venture fund and Mesa Air Group Inc. are investing in Heart Aerospace, a Swedish company developing a 19-seat electric aircraft. Tuesday's deal is the latest in a series of bets on new aircraft concepts yet to be tested but that United said could help it reduce carbon emissions.

Each airline has agreed to order 100 of the planes, once they have been built, as long as the final product meets the airlines' specifications..."

https://www.wsj.com/articles/united-...?mod=flipboard

[M II A II R II K]

Report - A Blueprint for Building Transit Better:

https://projectdelivery.enotrans.org/

[mousquet]

Originally Posted by M II A II R II K

New network of European sleeper trains planned

This is a temporary solution. No one wants to sleep in trains. It must be too noisy.

Most infrastructures have just not been upgraded yet.

[M II A II R II K]

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle...takes-so-long/

[mrnyc]

kinda boring, but ...


https://nypost.com/2021/08/06/elon-m...tunnel-report/

[UrbanImpact]

Originally Posted by mrnyc

kinda boring, but ...


https://nypost.com/2021/08/06/elon-m...tunnel-report/

Silly, unless they were used for trains. Fort Lauderdale and Miami here is South Florida also met with Boring for the useless electric vehicle tunnels when there is a need for so many important things here like better rail transit to get to the new brightline stations.

Maybe he can use his tunnels for sewage systems instead.

[M II A II R II K]

We are excited to share the Buffalo Central Terminal Master Plan:

https://www.buffaloterminalplan.org/

[202_Cyclist]

This is really interesting. This carrier wants to use Anchorage as a hub to connect to Seoul and Tokyo using B757s, much like Icelandair connects to Europe via its hub in Reykjavik.

It also looks like Beijing would be within range of Anchorage using B757s.


Northern Pacific Airways: Asia-North America Low-Cost Flights


Airways Magazine
Aug. 9, 2021

https://airwaysmag.com/airlines/nort...cific-airways/

[202_Cyclist]

Honolulu is also 2,800 miles from Anchorage, so they might also be able to get some connecting passengers from Asia to Hawaii (FUN FACT: Anchorage – Honolulu is only 200 nm farther than LA – Honolulu).

[M II A II R II K]

• Video Link

[M II A II R II K]

Pneumatic Tube Trains and AVs to the Rescue? Smarter Planning for New Mobility

https://thecityfix.com/blog/pneumati...-new-mobility/

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- Advocates offer images of happy passengers traveling in sleek, fast vehicles, but the reality may be very different. New travel modes and services are often less comfortable and more costly than proponents claim. Ridership, revenues and benefits may be much smaller than optimists predict, and they may make many people worse off overall. For example, autonomous taxi passengers may find garbage and odors left by previous occupants; flying cars can create significant noise, safety and privacy problems; and you may want to shoot down the drones delivering pizza and beer to your neighbor’s late-night party. This is a timely issue. In the future, households and communities will face countless decisions concerning how to incorporate emerging mobility technologies and services. It is important to make those decisions based on comprehensive analysis.

With smart planning we can minimize problems and maximize benefits. Here are some questions that communities should ask when evaluating new mobilities:

• Is it affordable? Can disadvantaged groups use it?

• How will it affect non-users, particularly disadvantaged groups?

• What infrastructure will it require and who should pay?

• How will it affect public health and safety? What risks does it impose on others?

• How will it affect community livability, natural environments and resource consumption?

• Will it increase or reduce total vehicle travel? Will it increase or reduce sprawl?

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[M II A II R II K]

Too bad this couldn't have prevailed as opposed to the ICTS or Innovia systems that still uses wheels.



• Video Link