Aérotrain
Encyclopedia
Hovertrain
A hovertrain is a type of high-speed train that replaces conventional steel wheels with hovercraft lift pads, and the conventional railway bed with a paved road-like surface, known as the "track" or "guideway"...
developed in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
from 1965 to 1977. The lead engineer was Jean Bertin.
The goal of the Aérotrain was similar to that of the magnetic levitation train: to suspend the train above the tracks so the only resistance is that of air resistance. Consequently, the Aérotrain could travel at very high speeds with reasonable energy consumption and noise levels, but without the technical complexity and expensive tracks of magnetic levitation.
This project was abandoned in 1977 due to lack of funding, the death of Jean Bertin, and the adoption of TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
by the French government as its high-speed ground transport solution.
Test Tracks
The track for most Aérotrains are ferroconcrete monorailMonorail
A monorail is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support and its guideway. The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system, or the vehicles traveling on such a beam or track...
in an upside-down T shape. To date, all tracks were built and used for experimental purposes.
- The first test track was built in February 1966 in Gometz-le-ChâtelGometz-le-ChâtelGometz le Châtel is a French commune in the Essonne department in a southern suburb of Paris 25 km from the center of Paris.-Geography:This village is nearby Les Ulis, Bures-sur-Yvette, Gif-sur-Yvette and Gometz-la-Ville, alone the old road from Paris to Chartres, crossing the...
, EssonneEssonneEssonne is a French department in the region of Île-de-France. It is named after the Essonne River.It was formed on 1 January 1968 when Seine-et-Oise was split into smaller departments.- History :...
, France, for Aérotrains 01 and 02, re-using an abandoned railway formation. The track was 6.7 km long. The track is still visible today, partially demolished for urban expansion, with most of the remaining track in ruins. A section was kept and restored as a memorial at a roundabout in Gometz.
- A second track made of aluminum and asphalt was built in 1969 for Aérotrain prototype S44 in Gometz-le-Châtel, built just meters away and parallel to the first track. The aluminium guide rail was disposed of after the tests, the rest of the asphalt track was kept intact and converted into a pedestrian path in 2008 and 2009.
- In 1969, a third, 18 km test track was built to test Aérotrain prototype I80. This test track was in Loiret, France, north from OrléansOrléans-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
, stretching between SaranSaran, LoiretSaran is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.Saran has, compared to its size, many sports facilities including two stadiums, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, one swimming pool and four gymnasiums. This is due to the policy of the communist mayor of Saran, Michel Guérin, that...
and RuanRuan, LoiretRuan is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France....
, a location that would enable it to be used in a future ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
-OrléansOrléans-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
line. The track was elevated 5 m above the ground, was supported by pillars and allowed speeds of 400 km/h. A platform stood at each end of the line to reverse the train, while a hangar on the central platform at ChevillyChevilly, LoiretChevilly is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France....
housed the test vehicle. This line, while abandoned, became a famous landmark subject to cosmetic disputes after the end of the Aérotrain programme, but it still exists today, and is clearly visible to the east of RN20Route nationale 20The Route nationale 20 is a trunk road between Paris and the frontier with Spain heading south through the heart of France and passing through the Cathedral City of Orléans and Toulouse. The road forks at Col de Puymorens with one branch being the Route nationale 22 which leads to Andorra...
and the Paris-Orléans railway line.
- Until 1974, a fourth, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) test track was built at the High Speed Ground Test CenterTransportation Technology CenterThe Transportation Technology Center, or TTC, is a railroad testing and training facility located northeast of Pueblo, Colorado. It originated as the Department of Transportation's High Speed Ground Test Center as a site to test several hovertrain concepts...
near Pueblo, USA. This test track was built for the UTACV prototype. Due to its length, it was suited only for a top speed of 145 mph (233 km/h).
Aérotrain prototypes
Five prototypes were built:- Aérotrain 01 was a 1/2 scale (10.11 m, 2.6 t) prototype. It was originally propelled by a three-bladed reversible-pitch propellerPropeller (aircraft)Aircraft propellers or airscrews convert rotary motion from piston engines or turboprops to provide propulsive force. They may be fixed or variable pitch. Early aircraft propellers were carved by hand from solid or laminated wood with later propellers being constructed from metal...
powered by a 260 hp aircraft engine, which was later replaced by a Turboméca MarboréTurbomeca Marboré|-See also:-References:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9-External links:* *...
jet engine. The air cushion is maintained by two 50 hp compressors. 01 had place for four passengers and two crew.
- Aérotrain 02 (shown in picture) was another sub-scale prototype, seating two crew. It was powered by a Pratt & Whitney JT12Pratt & Whitney JT12|-See also:-External links:*...
turbojet.
- Aérotrain S44 was a full-size passenger-carrying car intended for suburban commuter service at speeds of 200 km/h (in particular links between city centres and airports). It was equipped with a Linear Induction Motor (linear motorLinear motorA linear motor is an electric motor that has had its stator and rotor "unrolled" so that instead of producing a torque it produces a linear force along its length...
) propulsion system supplied by Merlin-Gérin.
- Aérotrain I80 was a full-size passenger-carrying car for intercity service. It was 25.6 m long, 3.2 m wide, 3.3 m high, had a mass of 11.25 t empty, and had 80 passenger seats. In its original configuration (as I80-250 for 250 km/h), it was propelled by twin Turboméca TurmoTurbomeca Turmo-External links:*...
III E3 turboshaftTurboshaftA turboshaft engine is a form of gas turbine which is optimized to produce free turbine shaft power, rather than jet thrust...
(1610 hp each) powering a ducted propeller, 2.3 m in diameter, with seven blades of variable pitchBlade pitchBlade pitch or simply pitch refers to turning the angle of attack of the blades of a propeller or helicopter rotor into or out of the wind to control the production or absorption of power. Wind turbines use this to adjust the rotation speed and the generated power...
. A Turboméca Turmastazou 14 turboshaft engine powered the air compressors (six horizontal for the support and six vertical for guidance). Braking was typically provided by reverse thrust of the propeller, and in emergencies by a friction brake on the central rail. External noise was 90-95 dBADecibelThe decibel is a logarithmic unit that indicates the ratio of a physical quantity relative to a specified or implied reference level. A ratio in decibels is ten times the logarithm to base 10 of the ratio of two power quantities...
at 65 yards (59.4 m). I80-250 was later rebuilt for 350 km/h and re-designated as the I-80 HV (Haute Vitesse = high speed). The main change was the new propulsion system, a JT8 D11 turbofanTurbofanThe turbofan is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used for aircraft propulsion. A turbofan combines two types of engines, the turbo portion which is a conventional gas turbine engine, and the fan, a propeller-like ducted fan...
from Pratt & WhitneyPratt & WhitneyPratt & Whitney is a U.S.-based aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation . Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation and military aviation. Its headquarters are in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA...
mounted on top. I-80 HV established the world speed record for overland air cushion vehicles on 5 March 1974 with a mean speed of 417.6 km/h (259.5 mph) and a peak speed of 430.4 km/h (267.4 mph).
- UTACV was a prototype built by Rohr Industries for the US DOTUnited States Department of TransportationThe United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
's TACV program, built under the Bertin Aérotrain licence in the USA.
The Rohr Aerotrain
In 1970, Rohr IndustriesRohr, Inc.
Goodrich Aerostructures Group, formerly Rohr, Inc., is an aerospace manufacturing company based in Chula Vista, California, south of San Diego...
decided to develop a tracked air-cushion vehicle as part of a project by the Urban Mass Transit Administration to sponsor development of new mass transit technology to meet future transit requirements.
The Rohr prototype, officially called the Urban Tracked Air Cushion Vehicle (UTACV) and colloquially the Rohr Aerotrain, was propelled by linear motor and was designed to carry 60 passengers at 150 mph (240 km/h). It had a length of 94 ft (28 m) and an empty weight of 46,000 pounds (20.8 metric tons).
A test track was built in Pueblo
Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The population was 106,595 in 2010 census, making it the 246th most populous city in the United States....
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, where the prototype reached speeds of 145 mph (constrained by the length of track). Funding from UMTA ceased and the Rohr Industries Aerotrain was never commercialized. The Rohr prototype aérotrain remained on the premises of the Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum
Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum
The Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum is a combination of the Weisbrod Museum and the International B-24 Memorial Museum, designed to honor the men and women who served during World War II with emphasis on the Pueblo Army Air Base and the B-24 Liberator bomber...
until July 2009. The prototype is now located at the Pueblo Railway museum. The museum plans to open an aerotrain exhibition within the test vehicle in the next few months.
Timeline
- 1963: Jean Bertin presents a 1/12 scale model, 1.4 meters in length, to the public authorities and to SNCFSNCFThe SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
. - 15 April 1965: creation of the Société d’étude de l’Aérotrain (Company for the study of the Aérotrain).
- 16 December 1965: completion of the construction of the first prototype, Aérotrain 01.
- 21 February 1966: official inauguration in Seine-et-OiseSeine-et-OiseSeine-et-Oise was a département of France encompassing the western, northern, and southern parts of the metropolitan area of Paris. Its préfecture was Versailles and its official number was 78. Seine-et-Oise was abolished in 1968....
(but now in EssonneEssonneEssonne is a French department in the region of Île-de-France. It is named after the Essonne River.It was formed on 1 January 1968 when Seine-et-Oise was split into smaller departments.- History :...
) of the 6.7 km trial track for Aérotrain 01 between Gometz-le-Châtel and LimoursLimoursLimours is a commune the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France.Inhabitants of Limours are known as Limouriens.-References:** -External links:* * *...
(on the abandoned easementEasementAn easement is a certain right to use the real property of another without possessing it.Easements are helpful for providing pathways across two or more pieces of property or allowing an individual to fish in a privately owned pond...
of the Paris-Chartres via Gallardon line). That day, in front of the press, Aérotrain 01 reaches 100 km/h. Days later it reaches 200 km/h. - 23 December 1966: with the addition of a rocket, giving a combined power of 1700 hp, the Aérotrain 01 reaches a speed of 303 km/h.
- 1 November 1967: equipped with a jet engine, Aérotrain 01 reaches a speed of 345 km/h.
- 1967: construction of Aérotrain 02.
- May 1967: tests start with Aérotrain 02 on the Gometz-le-Châtel trial track, 300 km/h is attained.
- 22 January 1969: with the addition of a rocket, Aérotrain 02 reaches the record speed of 422 km/h.
- 1969: construction of an experimental 18 km track between RuanRuan, LoiretRuan is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France....
, to the north of ArtenayArtenayArtenay is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France....
, and SaranSaran, LoiretSaran is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.Saran has, compared to its size, many sports facilities including two stadiums, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, one swimming pool and four gymnasiums. This is due to the policy of the communist mayor of Saran, Michel Guérin, that...
(Orléans) in the LoiretLoiretLoiret is a department in north-central FranceThe department is named after the river Loiret, a tributary of the Loire. The Loiret is located wholly within the department.- History :...
. - 7 July 1969: the Aérotrain I80 prototype for 250 km/h is presented to the public.
- September 1969: tests start with Aérotrain I80 on the Orléans test track. 250 km/h is attained on the 13th.
- 1969: construction of the Aérotrain S44. In tests from December 1969 to January 1972, it achieved 170 km/h on a 3 km long test track.
- 7 March 1970: release of a postage stamp honoring the Aérotrain.
- 1970: Rohr Industries starts the construction of the UTACV prototype in the USA.
- October 1973: Reconstruction of the Aérotrain I80 for 350 km/h as the I80 HV.
- 1974: The government abandons the project for the construction of an Aérotrain line between the OrlyOrlyOrly is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.The name of Orly came from Latin Aureliacum, "the villa of Aurelius"....
and Roissy airports for another between La DéfenseLa DéfenseLa Défense is a major business district of the Paris aire urbaine. With a population of 20,000, it is centered in an orbital motorway straddling the Hauts-de-Seine département municipalities of Nanterre, Courbevoie and Puteaux...
and CergyCergyCergy is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris, in the "new town" of Cergy-Pontoise, created in the 1960s, of which it is the central and most populated commune....
in the Paris metro area. - 5 March 1974: The Aérotrain I80 HV breaks the land speed record for rail vehicles for air cushioned vehicle at 430.4 km/h.
- 21 June 1974: The contract about a commercial line between La Défense and Cergy is signed.
- 17 July 1974: The government abandons the La Défense-Cergy project.
- September 1975: Announcement of a TGVTGVThe TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
line to be constructed between ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and LyonLyonLyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
. - 1974: start of testing with the Rohr Industries UTACV prototype at the High Speed Ground Test CenterTransportation Technology CenterThe Transportation Technology Center, or TTC, is a railroad testing and training facility located northeast of Pueblo, Colorado. It originated as the Department of Transportation's High Speed Ground Test Center as a site to test several hovertrain concepts...
near Pueblo, USA. - October 1975: the Rohr Industries UTACV prototype is mothballed after funding for the programme runs out.
- 21 December 1975: Jean Bertin dies.
- 17 July 1991: A fire destroys the Aérotrain S44 in its hangar at Gometz.
- 22 March 1992: A fire destroys the Aérotrain I80 HV and the hangar at Chevilly. After clean-up operations, only the platform is left.
- July 2004: The memory of the trials on the Gometz line is commemorated by the dedication of a roundabout in Gometz and a sculpture by Georges Saulterre representing the Aérotrain.
- February 2007: A 120-meter-long section of track is destroyed north of the Chevilly platform during the A19 highway construction.
Comparison with TGV
The aérotrain was abandoned by the French government in favour of TGVTGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
. A short comparison is given below.
Advantages of TGV
- Unlike aérotrain, TGV could use existing rail lines in metropolitan areas. Aérotrain would have required new lines, easements and stations in metropolitan areas.
- As developed, the aérotrain had much lower capacity.
- After the first oil shock1973 oil crisisThe 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
, the fuel used by the Aérotrain I80 and TGV alike became costly for a time. The TGV switched to using cheap electricity from France's abundant nuclear power. The aérotrain could have done the same with further development by using a linear motorLinear motorA linear motor is an electric motor that has had its stator and rotor "unrolled" so that instead of producing a torque it produces a linear force along its length...
, an electric motor driven fan or wheel propulsion system. It is uncertain whether it would have been more expensive than the wheel based propulsion used by TGV. - The rail world was totally unfamiliar with the technology used by the aérotrain.
Advantages of Aérotrain
- Less pressure on track, with possible lower construction and maintenance costs.
- Less friction, with possible lower energy requirements.
- Less noise, because it had no wheels and transmitted less vibration to the track.
Aérotrain shares these advantages and disadvantages with the magnetic levitation train and thus may have been a competitor where maglev has been used.
Other experimental hovercraft trains
- Grumman also developed an air-cushion transportation prototype (also known as tracked air cushion vehicle or TACV), tested within the same facility in Pueblo, which also stopped when UMTA funding ceased in the 1970s.
- In Britain a similar technology was developed under the name of Tracked HovercraftTracked HovercraftTracked Hovercraft was an experimental high speed train developed in the United Kingdom during the 1960s. It combined two British inventions, the hovercraft and linear induction motor, in an effort to produce a train system that would provide 250 mph inter-city service with lowered capital...
.
See also
- HovertrainHovertrainA hovertrain is a type of high-speed train that replaces conventional steel wheels with hovercraft lift pads, and the conventional railway bed with a paved road-like surface, known as the "track" or "guideway"...
- Tracked HovercraftTracked HovercraftTracked Hovercraft was an experimental high speed train developed in the United Kingdom during the 1960s. It combined two British inventions, the hovercraft and linear induction motor, in an effort to produce a train system that would provide 250 mph inter-city service with lowered capital...
- Ground effect trainGround effect trainA ground effect train is an alternative to a magnetic levitation train. In both cases the object is to prevent the vehicle from making contact with the ground...
- Otis HovairOtis HovairOtis Hovair Transit Systems is a type of Hovertrain that replaces conventional steel wheels with hovercraft lift pads, and the conventional railway bed with a paved road-like surface, known as the "track" or "guideway". The concept aims to eliminate rolling resistance and allow very high...
- N500 NaviplaneN500 NaviplaneThe N500 Naviplane was a French hovercraft built by SEDAM in Pauillac, Gironde.- Manufacture :Two models were built:...
- Transrapid 03TransrapidTransrapid is a German high-speed monorail train using magnetic levitation. Based on a patent from 1934, planning of the Transrapid system started in 1969. The test facility for the system in Emsland, Germany was completed in 1987...
- SchienenzeppelinSchienenzeppelinThe ' or rail zeppelin was an experimental railcar which resembles a zeppelin airship in appearance. It was designed and developed by the German aircraft engineer Franz Kruckenberg in 1929. Propulsion was by means of a propeller located at the rear, it accelerated the railcar to setting the land...
, a 1930s German train using a propeller but on a conventional track - Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport TramsMinneapolis-St. Paul Airport TramsThe Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport Trams consist of a pair of automated people movers that serve travelers of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. The Hub Tram is the older of the two systems opening in 2001 with the 'C' Concourse People Mover opening in 2004...
- SkymetroSkymetroSkymetro is an airport people mover at Zurich International Airport in Switzerland which opened in 2003.The 1.1-kilometre long system connects the airport's main Airside Center with Terminal E, taking just under three minutes to travel in each direction. Rather than on-board motors, it is...
- Huntsville Hospital Tram SystemHuntsville Hospital Tram SystemThe Huntsville Hospital Tram System is an automated people mover system located as part of the Huntsville Hospital System complex in Huntsville, Alabama, United States. Operating on a concrete guideway, the trams serve to connect the Huntsville Hospital with the Huntsville Hospital for Women &...
- Duke University Medical Center Patient Rapid TransitDuke University Medical Center Patient Rapid TransitDuke University Medical Center Patient Rapid Transit or Personnel Rapid Transit was an automated people mover system located at the Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina, in the United States. The system was in operation from 1979 to 2009, and service is now discontinued...
- Narita Airport Terminal 2 Shuttle SystemNarita Airport Terminal 2 Shuttle SystemThe is an automated people mover used in Narita International Airport, Narita, Japan. This system started its operation on December 6, 1992.Narita International Airport, the international airport of the Greater Tokyo Area, opened the current Terminal 2 in 1992, as well as the shuttle system. The...
,These cars do not have wheels; instead, they float on a 0.2-millimetre layer of pressured air.The system is made by Otis Elevator.
External links
- Aérotrain photo library and forum
- Aérotrain and Naviplanes
- SHONNER Studios: The Rohr Aerotrain Tracked Air-Cushion Vehicle
- Aero-Train ~ a high-speed traffic system of zero emission~
- Sonicbomb videoclip