The first phase is done, and we are over half way through the second of 3 phases.
Necessary Participants:
ET3 Global Alliance Inc. (ET3GA) and/or subsidiaries: Supplies Evacuated Tube Transport Technologies (ET3) intellectual property license (many patents issued, more pending), specialized know-how, design services, and project management for a ET3 demonstration to operate at 400mph (650km/h).
Land (or ROW) Owner: Supplies a minimum of 3 mile (5km) of straight Right-Of-Way (ROW) 20′ (5m) wide, and space for ‘access portal’ – a 50’X100’ (15mX30m) building, and parking.
Contractor(s) / Supplier(s): Supply materials, components, construction know how, equipment, and labor required to build the required tube, capsule, and access portal infrastructure elements.
$20M Funding: Institutions, companies, governments, or accredited investors seeking opportunities in green transportation offering potential for attractive financial and/or social returns.
Key ROW Requirements: ET3GA requires a minimum of 3 miles (5km) of straight Right-Of-Way (ROW) for a full scale revenue producing demonstration of ET3GA’s patented ET3 system with a design speed of 400mph (650km/h). One third for acceleration, a third for coasting and interchange, and one third to slow to a stop.
Land Needs: Minimum of 3 miles (5km) long by 20′ (5m) wide results in a total land need of approximately 7.3 acres plus a minimum 50’X100′ (15mX30m) area for each access portal airlock building (minimum of one portal, with room for at least one more at the other end). Area needed for parking is a function of demand, and dynamics of the specific location. Land for operations areas at at least one end (and preferably both ends) of the demo will be required. Depending on parking needs (and /or on street parking availability), land needs will be an acre or two at each end. Portions of the 20′ (5m) wide ROW could be made available for other commercial operations or parking. Most if not all of the ROW should be accessible for construction, maintenance and service during the term of operation.
Location: ROW location must be capable servicing at least moderate traffic counts of people with a desire to experience a new mode of fast and green transportation. The location must also have good access to road, rail, and air transportation to facilitate construction and use. Accordingly, it is necessary to be located within reasonable commuting distance of a city offering services such as hotels, rental housing, restaurants, grocery stores, etc.. Flat topography is desired to minimize earth works, and/or foundation and support expense. If high or long spans are needed to cross gullies, wider ROW may be required. The ideal location will be: highly visible to many people, along a high demand (>50k vehicles per day) route, in or close to a large city (over 2M), high growth, and in a developed nation.
Surface Use: Exclusive surface use of the ROW is not required (except for building footprint and tube supports). Approximately 3% will be needed for the support structure leaving 97% of the area of the ROW available for many other normal uses such as: parking, agriculture, bike or pedestrian use, etc..
Construction: One tube of 1.5m (5′) diameter (comprised by joined sections) will be arranged along the length of the ROW. The tube will be supported with vertical columns at a typical clearance of 20′ (5m) above the ground. The span between each support column will typically be 82′ (25m). Supports will be sized to support a second tube (to be placed over or beside the first tube) as warranted to meet demand. The preferred foundation type in most locations will be of the ‘helical pier’ type. Helical piers can usually be installed in minutes with minimal labor and low cost equipment. Simple door or gate type airlocks will be used at each end (followed with one or more high capacity airlocks as warranted by demand). Some locations may require conventional pavement in parking areas, and/or conventional buildings may be used for weather protection (and/or ancillary uses) at access portal(s). Magnetic levitation, linear motor/generator, and safety equipment will be attached to the inside the tube(s). A vacuum system with emergency air admittance valves and power supply (for instance solar energy supply and storage) will be affixed to the tube. ET3 systems construction and testing will require one to two years prior to revenue service.
Costs: The minimum infrastructure cost of a single tube demo (with a simple low capacity airlock at one end only) is about $20M. This includes one maglev capsule, linear motor equipment, and an interchange zone operating at a design speed of 400mph (650km/h). A second tube and high capacity airlock, and 5 more capsules could be added for an additional $20M. More airlocks, and ancillary uses could exceed $50M total cost as warranted to meed demand. This does nor include land, survey, or permitting costs. There are many factors that will likely increase costs, such as: access to labor, electricity, supplies, and materials, proximity to road or rail, topography, soil types, wind loads, seismic activity, existing use structures or utilities to move, etc.
Ownership Structure: The demo could be owned (and operated) by:
* ET3 (or subsidiary) as a land and ROW leasehold tenant of ROW owner; or
* a third party as a licensee of ET3, and tenant of ROW owner; or
* land owner(s) (or subsidiary) as a licensee of ET3 (NOTE: ET3 could also own the land); or
* project equity investors as an ET3 licensee; or
* a joint venture of two or more of the above.
Use, Traffic, and Potential Expansion: Anticipated revenue use of the demo is for operation as an entertainment ride. The capacity of a single tube operating from one end only (round trips) is 6 passengers every 3 minutes, or 120 passengers per hour (pph). Operating at capacity for 8 hours per day, 5 days per week one way only: 240pph * 8hr/day * 5day/wk * 52wk/yr = 498,200 passengers per year. Adding a second tube and high capacity airlock with additional capsules would increase capacity to 1660 pph, or 3,452,800 passengers per year. Each additional airlock scales this capacity (Disney World is 18M/yr. = 5 airlocks). Use of the demo to expand ET3 potential to higher speeds is desirable. Future testing at higher accelerations is anticipated to demonstrate higher speed potential with limited length. The highest anticipated future design speed of ET3 is 4000 mph (6500 km/h). (NOTE: Achieving such speed will require much longer distances (over 200 miles (320km)), and is not necessarily a requirement of site selection for the initial demo.)
Other options and value enhancement potentials include:
* immediate or delayed purchase of land from land owner for ROW, and parking/operations areas;
* immediate or delayed purchase of demo by land owner;
* extending to other locations for mutual benefit of participants (for instance transportation to/from a mall, airport, sports arena, or other location with high traffic counts);
* expanding any successful commercial or test operations for mutual benefit of participants,
* advertising income: naming rights, external tube and building ads, internal building ads: audio, video, banner, etc.; capsule wraps; in capsule ads (video, audio, print, etc.); food container ads; etc.;
* speed record events; TV, movie, documentary, reality show rights, etc. ;
* promotional agreements with: hotels, casinos, airlines, shopping malls, developers, etc. ;
* high value and/or time sensitive cargo uses.
* ET3 can solve parking problems by connecting congested locations to low cost vacant land.
ET3, ‘Space Travel on Earth’ and the logos thereof are trademarks and service marks of ET3 Global Alliance Inc. For licensing contact: et3@et3.com www.et3.com www.et3.net +01-720-ET3-RIDE (+01-720-383-7433) (c) 2019-2020 all rights reserved.
The first phase is done, and we are over half way through the second of 3 phases.
The demo will operate at a design speed of 400mph (650km/h).
ET3 was founded in 1999, and has around 400 Licensees in 25 nations who been optimizing and developing the technology ever since.