Ed Anderson's new project
What he's doing since leaving Taxi 2000©2006 Get On Board!PRT
(July 2) Some more information has been received over the e-transom about Dr. J. Edward Anderson's new company, PRT International.
The original February news release announcing formation of the company imparted that it would perform "forward planning, design and development" of PRT systems. Tantalizing hints, but what are the details?
The answer is that Anderson intends to create a new PRT design, another entry in the suddenly growing PRT sector that already includes ULTra, Vectus, Taxi 2000/Skyweb, Skycab and MicroRail, among others.
| Close Up: | |
| PRT International Test Program Budget | |
| Design | $Thousands |
| Safety & Reliability | $288 |
| Control System | $480 |
| Guideway, Posts, Foundations | $64 |
| Vehicle Dynamics | $48 |
| Chassis and Cabins | $464 |
| Station/Maintenance Facility | $80 |
| Power Supply | $24 |
| Total | $1,448 |
|---|---|
| Fabrication & Procurement | |
| Control System | $1,200 |
| Guideway | $1,088 |
| Chassis and Cabins | $900 |
| Station/Maintenance Facility | $1,300 |
| Power Supply | $150 |
| Total | $4,638 |
| Testing | $960 |
| Marketing | $768 |
| Sub-total | $7,814 |
| Contingency | $1,954 |
| Grand Total | $9,768 |
Since leaving Taxi 2000 in 2005 Anderson has spent his time developing what he describes as "an improved network control system" for PRT. He also released his paper The Future of High Capacity PRT. At the time that paper seemed a summation of Anderson's life's work, but it is now shaping up as a manifesto of sorts: in a recent message to to Get On Board!PRT, Anderson called it the description of the procedure he will follow in creating his new PRT system.
Anderson described his test track as a 409 x 632-foot oval with 2100 feet of elevated guideway, one large curve, two small curves, and a siding with station/maintenance building. Vehicles will test at speeds up to 35 mph in the large curve and deceleration to 20 mph in the small curves. Six acres will be required—although Anderson writes that land not needed for PRT infrastructure can be used "for other purposes."
To do the work he intends to contract a number of engineering firms to develop the final plans and specifications for the vehicles and test track. Each firm will specialize, working separately on the guideway, chassis, cabin, station facility and control system.
He believes he can do it because he has already done it once, designing Skyweb Express and supervising the prototype's construction.
"I can get the whole job done for under $10 million," Anderson wrote. In addition to his Skyweb experience he cited availability of adequate design software as reasons for his confidence.
