The description comprises the  1. Present Situation,   2. Conception of  Autoshuttle,   3. Environmental Friendliness,   4. Traffic Capacity and Space Consumption,   5. Acceptance,   6. Economical Study for a Sample Line,   7. Summary. The description is supplemented by annexes which contain the respective tables, calculations and results.

The most serious traffic problem world-wide is the abundant road traffic in highly populated areas and in highly sensitive corridors such as transit through mountain ridges. All recent traffic prognostics show that the major part of the traffic volume will remain on the roads in the future. The developing countries will show tremendously increasing values. Reasons for this are the high flexibility, commodity and individuality at acceptable cost of road transportation.

Figure 1: Traffic volume percentage of road traffic in Germany in 2010
Passenger traffic: red Mill.Passenger-km Goods traffic: green Mill.ton-km.
Traffic volume percentage of road traffic in 2010: Passengers: 89%, Freight: 62%.
Sources: StBA, BAG/KBA, DB/DR, DIW, Stat. Amt DDR, ifo

The road user experiences this problem mainly in the form of traffic jams and increased accident risks. Roadside residents and further environment suffer from the space consumption, the cutting effect, noise, energy consumption, emissions and the accident risks.

New technologies like alternative motor concepts for road vehicle and telematics are very useful, but in many points an important attenuation of the traffic problem can't be expected as long as the basic principle of individually moving road vehicles is kept. E. g. the traffic volume capacity of many arteries is reached with conventional traffic control, so that in these cases a telemetry traffic control system will lead to a modest decrease in specific space consumption only. Further on, consumer's behaviour still shows that safety, power and comfort are preferable features and not extremely low fuel consumption.

Therefore, alternatives leaving the basic principle of individually moving road vehicles during the move on the main arteries have been proposed. Car and lorry transporting railway trains theoretically allow for a low specific space consumption if the line is well used. With the operating schemes realised so far, the time and cost consuming loading and unloading of the trains and the low station density or alternatively low averaged speed just lead to a low traffic volume in urbanised areas. Especially in urbanised areas many stations are necessary, if a major part of the road traffic should be taken over. Additionally, the energy saving effect of a train is quickly absorbed if patronage is poor or if the travelling speed is considerably above the usual speed in road traffic.

A completely different solution is the convoy-concept developed by Volkswagen during the 1980s for densely used motorways . The driver enters the slow motorway lane and transmits control of the car to a computer by pushing a button. The car is steered to the overtaking-lane and will be caught up by a convoy, so that the car forms the new front end of the convoy. The cars follow each other in a distance of 2 meters sensor controlled. During the trip further cars will join to the front end. Pushing another button makes the car leave the convoy towards the slow lane. The driver resumes control of the vehicle. Remaining gaps in the convoy will be closed automatically by following cars. Traffic volume capacity is increased. Air resistance in the convoy is diminished by 35 % at 130 km/h (81 mph). Unfortunately, safety problems remain unsolved for this convoy concept. E. g. if a vehicle in the front section of the convoy experiences a tyre puncture and looses control, the following vehicle will possibly be affected. The concept is no more developed. DaimlerChrysler AG develops a similar concept for lorries. The energy saving effect is even lower however due to the prominent friction part of the total resistance of a lorry.

2.1 MAGLEV-Vehicles Figure 2: MAGLEV-vehicles in a convoy The safety problems of the convoys formed by self-driving road vehicles are avoided if the road vehicles are transported by magnetically levitated (MAGLEV) track guided cabins. Passengers may stay seated in their vehicles. The MAGLEV-vehicles are very simple. The plastic car body and the front upside hinged exit door are transparent. The rear two laterally hinged doors and the fuselage are opaque. Solar cells may be added to the roof. The front is streamlined.  The rear part of the cabin extends over the rear doors at the circumference and is flexible at the tips. During the trip in a convoy the following cabin closes up directly to the end of the preceding cabin. Since the end part is congruent to the front end of the following cabin, the flexible tips of the front cabin touch the following cabin so that a streamlined, almost even transition between the cabins with constant cross-section is achieved between the cabins.

Figure 3a: Bird's eye view of a MAGLEV-vehicle  The cabin sidings are pivotable and then form lateral corridors with auxiliary doors, so that the passengers may leave the road vehicle or the cabin in extraordinary conditions. Further on, remote controlled ventilation windows are provided.  There are cabins with a small cross-section for cars - 2,20 m internal width and 1,70 m internal height - and cabins with a large cross-section for lorries and buses - 3,30 m internal width and 4,30 m internal height. Both types are provided in different lengths - from 3,60 m to 5,60 m internal length for cars, and from 6 m to 19 m internal length for lorries and buses. All types ride on the same track and form convoys with vehicles of an identical cross- section. The usual operating speed is 180 km/h (112 mph) for all convoys. The uniform speed yields an optimised line capacity.

Figure 3b: Cross-sectino of a MAGLEV-vehicle Inside the cabin is a flat communication module movably mounted at the driver's side. The module moves towards the opened driver's window as soon as the driver moves something outside the window. At the communication module the driver enters the desired exit station by voice recognition or keyboard and pays by a credit card.  The type of the road vehicle is determined at the entrance station by a number plate identification system and an extract of the centralised road vehicle's registers databases. Fare is calculated with a table set up for each vehicle type including motor version and the corresponding operational cost. Fare is slightly lower than the fuel cost and if applicable additonally the heavy load tax. The fare of a small car is down to 0.04 EUR per kilometre. The road vehicle's dimensions are determined by light beam detectors, so that a suitable cabin is ordered. Furthermore, a fast exit button for exiting at the next station, an emergency call phone, a 12 V-supply for the road vehicle's equipment like heating and ventilation and a cabin ventilation and window remote control are provided. Alternatively to the 12 V-supply the road vehicle may idly run the engine for operating the heating or other on-board equipment.

2.3 Supporting and Guidance System and non-moving Point The figure shows the experimentally realised magnetic levitation and guidance system from the front end with two rails in the form of an upside-down L at each side of the cabin. Figure 5: Front view of the magnetic levitation and guidance system The levitation bogies of the cabins enter between the two rails at each side and engage from beneath the rails. Magnetic circuits are formed through the controlled hybrid permanent and electromagnets with minimised energy consumption and the rails.(See Annex A1 for details of the levitation, guidance and motor system). The configuration of the levitation system enables the levitation function even when one rail per side is omitted. This is the case at some parts of the non-moving point (see figure 6. For the dimensions of the non-moving point see Annex A2). Additionally, lateral movement control magnets are provided, which are short-term activated when entering a non-moving point. Time-dependent decrease of the rail's reactive surface is attenuated by early beginning of the surface reduction before and after the intersection parts of the point. Requirements for the air gap control therefore are diminished.

Figure 6: Non-moving point and levitation and guidance system  For example cabins turning to the left activate the control of the additional lateral movement control magnets. The cabin travels contact-free by its on-board magnet along the right-hand branch of the non-moving point. As an additional mechanical safety device vertical guidance sheets are mounted at the point in the centre of either the straight and deviating branch. Centred under the cabin at the front end a guidance pin, which is laterally moveable by 10 cm. The cabin approaching the point in diverting direction fixes the intended direction before the braking distance before the point is reached by activating the additional lateral motion magnet as described above and by additionally moving the guidance pin in the desired direction. The pin is latched at the end position. Emergency brake is applied on failure. The guidance pin travels contact-free laterally along the guidance sheets. Erroneous guidance is not possible even on magnet failure by this engaging mechanical safety device. Safety standard of this non-moving point therefore is at least as high as with conventional points.

AUTOSHUTTLE has a long-stator-linear-synchronous-drive with iron-free stator. In track sections, where cabins have to move with low distance from each other at different speed, motor sections reach short lengths down to 2,70 m. Each of the short motor sections is fed by an alternator, disposing a pole position sensor and stator current control. The motor has a simple configuration and reaches high efficiencies due to the low power demand of the convoys at constant speed and due to the short motor sections during the accelerated motion.

A control centre surveys control of the operations. Communication between the cabins and the control centre takes place by radio or high frequency leaking cable in the track bed. The control centre receives the following information from the cabins:

• cabin-id
• position
• desired exit station
• information related to the received fare
• emergency and failure information

• indication concerning the direction to be chosen at the next non-moving point
• specific fare of the transported road vehicle
• communication with the emergency phone

3.1 Energy Consumption

Energy consumption of AUTOSHUTTLE is composed by:
1. The cabin's consumption due to:

• Air resistance
• Eddy current losses in the rails
• Inductive energy transmission for on-board equipment

• Air resistance has been calculated by two methods (see Annex A3): 1. Application of the air resistance formula for rail vehicles of the Deutsche Versuchsanstalt for Luft- and Raumfahrt (German Research Company for Air- and Spacecrafts). 2. Numerical analysis using aerodynamic similarity to the MAGLEV-vehicle Transrapid TR08. Both methods yield cw = 0.69 for a 177 m long convoy with 38 cabins for cars. This value diminishes for shorter convoys and reaches cw = 0.28 for a single cabin.
• Eddy current losses in the rails strongly depend on the choice of material and the distances between the cabin-borne supporting and guiding elements of each cabin during the trip in a convoy (calculation of energy consumption see Annex A4). It is assumed that a convoy of 177 m length bears a propagation resistance caused by eddy currents of 10% of the total propagation resistance. This value is doubled for cabins travelling singly.
• On-board energy demand is caused by the road vehicle's equipment, the cabin's air gap control, the communication module and the cabin window control. The road vehicle has a power demand for heating or ventilation and further equipment of averaged 1.5 kW. Air gap control requires 0.2 kW/t. With the vehicle's empty weight of 3 t and a load of 2 t the gap control's demand is 1 kW. Further on-board equipment yields an averaged 0.2 kW. Averaged on-board equipment consumption sums up to 2.7 kW.

A typical realistic trip with the following parameters will be examined :

• Trip length 35 km (22 m)
• Acceleration phase with several cabins starting together
• Every 5 km (3 m) an exit, at which every tenth cabin leaves the convoy
• Braking phase with individually travelling cabins
• Empty runs are conducted in order to dispatch the cabins. These empty runs have the following parameters: acceleration phase as an additional cabin behind occupied cabins, further parameters like with occupied cabins, but no on-board consumption of a road vehicle
• Every 5 km (3 m) there is a station with each having a power demand for illumination, cabin door actuation, shunting movements and optical recognition systems of 20 kW
• Efficiency from entrance to the sub-station and the motor air gap is dependent on the power demand of the motor section and the coverage ratio. For the typical trips as described above efficiency varies between short term 70% during braking and 91% during the trip of the convoy at a constant 180 km/h (112 mph) on the level. Averaged efficiency from the power plant to the air gap is assumed to be 32%.

In Annex A5 the resources consumption considering the building and operation of AUTOSHUTTLE is calculated and compared to ordinary road traffic. Concluding, AUTOSHUTTLE has a significantly lower resources consumption.

From the energy consumption the following emission result for passenger transportation. The results are compared to ordinary car traffic and the German Railways ICE high-speed train :
 

Patronage is 1,4 passengers per car for the car and AUTOSHUTTLE in a private car. AUTOSHUTTLE bus occupancy is 40%. For the ICE data from German Railways (Calculations according to E. Jänsch, eb 93 (1995) 1/2, 25) were used. Unit for emissions is g/100 Passenger-km. It is assumed that no radioactive emissions occur, since the emission values of AUTOSHUTTLE and ICE were augmented assuming that no energy was produced by nuclear power plants. Concluding, AUTOSHUTTLE's emission are much lower than those for car and high speed train ICE.

Related to the measurements of the TR 07 MAGLEV-vehicle a noise emission of a convoy at 180 km/h (112 mph) of 74 dB in 25 m distance can be expected. With usual convoy frequencies of 80/h and 4 s passing times, this is a very low value, making noise reduction measures generally obsolete. AUTOSHUTTLE may therefore easily be built through populated quarters without causing unacceptable noise annoyance.

In case of maximum exploitation the main line is fully engaged by convoys except the gaps for new starting cabins and tolerance intervals. Passenger car convoys follow every 2 minutes and lorry and bus convoys every 6 minutes. The result is a traffic capacity of 15.000 transported road vehicles per hour and direction or 30.000 road vehicles per hour on a double lane (see Annex A6). This corresponds to about three six-lane motorways. Overall space consumption, i. e. for track, stations and storage yards then is 3,6 times lower. (see Annex A7) Even if only the traffic of a well exploited six-lane motorway has to be taken over, specific space consumption is half of the motorway's. AUTOSHUTTLE main and braking tracks could be built at the centre of an existing motorway. The stations could be build between the motorway and ramps. They are connected to the main tracks via short ramps and bridges, on which the braking or accelerating cabins travel at low speed. In this way, there is almost no new space required. The remaining conventional motorway lanes would be sufficient for the remaining conventional traffic. Assuming a starting scenario of a six-lane motorway, which due to overcharging has to be extended to eight lanes, it becomes evident that with less space consumption AUTOSHUTTLE could be built instead of the enlargement. The remaining motorway would then be reduced to four lanes due to the lower exploitation. The combined structure would have a far higher traffic capacity than the eight-lane motorway.

Acceptance has roughly been estimated by an almost representative survey among 125 people (see Annex A8). Part of the survey was conducted among public in the pedestrial zone of Cologne. The question asked was: "Would you use AUTOSHUTTLE instead of the ordinary motorway ?" Important parameters are:

• Fare is averaged slightly lower than the operation cost of driving (see Annex A9)
• Averaged speed close to 180 km/h (112 mph)
• Individual determination of the desired destination during the trip
• Convoy frequency during daytime two minutes for cars and six minute for lorries and buses

• If the fare was significantly higher than the operational cost of self driving, acceptance would be lowered more than proportionally as compared to the price increase
• Approximately 50% of the inquired people assumed that the operating cost of the road vehicle encompasses fuel cost only. After short explanation this group accepted however that wear and tear, mileage dependent reselling value losses, oil and tyres have to be included as well
• Lorry operators would even accept a higher fare than the lorry operational cost, since staff cost is reduced by using AUTOSHUTTLE and the fast transportation directly translates into a monetary profit.

The part of the survey conducted in public in the center of Cologne yielded 92% acceptance and therefore no significant difference to the other part of the survey

An economical study has been conducted for the sample line Breitscheider Kreuz (Germany, between Duisburg and Düsseldorf)-Cologne-Cologne Airport. Length is 56 km (35 m). (see Annex A10) Target figure of the calculation is:

What is the minimum percentage of road vehicles switching from the parallel motorway over to AUTOSHUTTLE in order to make possible a subsidiary-free profit for the building and operating company ?

According to the lowest prediction an averaged 124.000 road vehicles will travel on this motorway per day in the year 2010, the assumed inauguration date of AUTOSHUTTLE. Averaged fare for cars, lorries and buses is 5% lower than the fuel cost and if applicable the heavy load tax of driving on the ordinary motorway and results as 0.07 EUR/km for cars and 0.30 EUR/km for lorries and buses at 2002 price level. Expenses for the construction of the line are estimated referring to the financial concept of Thyssen, Siemens and AEG company for the Transrapid-line Hamburg-Berlin and cost tables for railway construction of Deutsche Bahn AG. AUTOSHUTTLE is financed entirely private and not subsidised. Summarised results are:
 

This figure represents a changeover rate from the motorway to AUTOSHUTTLE of 33% of the mileage or 27% of the journey, since average journey
length is longer on Autoshuttle than on the conventional motorway. Considering the promising result of the preliminary survey, this changeover rate will probably be exceeded. Cost coverage ratio rises in the following operational years and reaches 263% in the 26th year of service. This extremely good economical result not only renders AUTOSHUTTLE independent of subsidises but makes it one of the most profit-prone large industries world-wide. AUTOSHUTTLE can be operated on less frequented itineraries as well. As a comparison, the meanwhile no more realisation-prone project Transrapid Hamburg-Berlin yields a cost-coverage-ratio in the first operational year of 60% only

The proposed new transportation concept AUTOSHUTTLE is capable to mitigate the problems of abundant road traffic in congested areas and highly sensitive corridor like passes over mountain ridges. AUTOSHUTTLE is

• Very safe due to the total derailment protection of the MAGLEV-configuration and the modern safety and control system
• Fastest and easiest door-to-door-means of transportation in a door-to-door range between 28 km and 400 km (18 m and 250 m) for passenger traffic and between 22 km and 670 km (14 m and 420 m) for freight (see Annex A11).
• Fares are lower than the operation cost for the road vehicle when driving on the motorway.
• Energy consumption, noise, further emissions and space consumption are better than the corresponding values of concurrent systems.
• A building and operating company expects high profits without the need of subsidises.
• In case of a temporary overcharge at a station, users may simply go on to the following station. However, financial studies consider a sufficient number of cabins to negotiate even unexpectedly high demand. Technical reliability is extremely good.

• Higher safety by: track guidance, better survey of the technical state of the cabins as compared to privately owned road vehicles
• Shorter door-to-door travelling times due to: higher ecologically reasonable speed: 180 km/h (112 mph) for cars, lorries and buses
• Better environmental friendliness due to: lower energy consumption, lower space consumption, almost no noise
• Lower cost due to: fare lower than the vehicle operational cost of driving on the motorway, no further road vehicle equipment necessary

• Frequent stations combined with an averaged speed almost as high as the maximum speed
• The user gets an individual door-to-door-transportation without changing or load transfer
• Fast loading and unloading of road vehicles with individual cabins, loaded from behind and unloaded through a front door
• Ecologically and economically reasonable uniform travelling speed 180 km/h (112 mph) for passenger cars and freight enables maximum line capacity in mixed service for passenger and freight

Annex A15 shows a table comparing features of several realised or proposed transportation concepts.