System 21 ^® Monobeam Technology

2-Direction Traffic on 1 "Monobeam"

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• The Name "System 21" - Derived from the technology's primary feature:2-direction traffic on 1 slender, triangular "monobeam". The system is a major breakthrough which should significantly influence the transit market in the 21st century.
  
  
• Affordability & Creative Financing - Conservatively estimated at $30-35 million per mile, including guideway, stations, power substations, vehicles, maintenance facility and train control , System 21 compares very favorably with the capital costs of  competing systems , normally ranging between $40-200 million per mile. Operating cost will be comparable or superior to other fixed guideway systems carrying comparable passenger volumes. System 21's portability may allow it to be the first fully leasable transit system, making it affordable to communities that heretofore could not assemble the large up-front capital payment required for expensive transit infrastructure projects.
  
  
• Elevated Guideway - System 21's slender triangular steel, concrete or composite guideway design   is normally 7 feet wide at the base and [5-1/2] feet high, is supported on 16-foot columns, but it can be higher or lower as required. It does not require significant dislocation of homes and businesses and does not partition communities. Life goes on uninterrupted underneath, and the guideway profile does not block out sunlight. It's ideal for installation above roadway medians. System 21 guideway will be designed to International seismic standards.
  
  
• Modular Construction - System 21 beams, columns and wayside components are pre-fabricated in a factory setting and shipped to the site for installation. The community experiences no prolonged disruption during installation. Because the system is modular, and essentially "portable", it can be relocated to meet changing demand, and expanded into networks.
  
  
• Branching - With an innovative switch design based on a standard railroad switch with few moving parts, System 21 provides grade separated, tight turn branching, and the ability to form efficient transit networks.
  
  
• Minimum Curve Radius - Minimum turning radius is 90 feet horizontal, 300 feet vertical.
  
  
• Average Foundations - 7' x 7' x 2' precast concrete foundations below the surface are anchored to four pilings of varying depth, depending on soil conditions. Foundations support a 4' x 6' pedestal which protrudes 18 inches out of the ground, serving as the anchorage for columns.
  
  
• Average Beam Span And Column Spacing - 84 feet. Longer (100+ feet) and shorter spans are possible.
  
  
• Stations - A typical four-car station requires a 12' x 120' landing at grade. Stations are modular and pre-fabricated off-site, or can be built on-site to client specifications. Island platform loading is standard through inboard (beam side) vehicle doors, and loading through outboard vehicle doors to side platforms can be accommodated. Stations are accessed by stairs and elevator, and can vary in length to accommodate the longest trains operated.
  
  
• Accessibility To The Disabled -System 21 is fully accessible to the disabled.
  
  
• Vehicle Capacity - Each 28-foot vehicle has nominal design load of 52 passengers - 24 seated and 28 standing. Vehicle interiors can be reconfigured to suit client needs (i.e. greater standee capacity, luggage racks, etc.)
  
  
• Train Length And System Capacity - Train length can consist of one to as many as ten vehicles, depending on available berthing space at station platforms. System 21 can accommodate potentially more than 20,000 passengers per hour per direction, and trains may be able to operate at headways of as little as 90 seconds.
  
  
• Vehicle Suspension System - Side-mounted, cantilevered vehicle suspension places majority of the weight on steel drive wheels (2 per vehicle at 18-foot separation) which ride directly atop a steel rail at either side of the base of the triangular beam. To add upright stability, upper outrigger mechanisms (2 per vehicle mounted over the drive wheels ) capture and ride along a steel rail located on either side of the top of the beam.
  
  
• Vehicle Design Weight - Approximately 11,500 lbs. empty, 20,000 lbs. fully loaded with 52 passengers.
  
  
• Maximum Grade -System 21 vehicles are designed to negotiate 10% grades. The unique vehicle suspension configuration will provide sufficient traction from a standing start to accomplish this in all weather conditions.
  
  
• Maximum Vehicle Speed - Initially 70 mph; later versions may reach 100+ mph.
  
  
• Vehicle Operation And Train Control - Using proven, state-of-the-art train control technology, System 21 will safely operate in either a fully automated or manual control mode. Central control will monitor all operations, activities and passenger handling.
  
  
• Vehicle Evacuation - A number of train evacuation methods are offered, including vehicle-borne stairways and emergency slides, and a cantilevered, guideway-mounted walkway with deployable handrail. Passengers will also be able to move from car to car to flee a hazardous or uncomfortable situation. Over waterways and busy highways, or at exceptionally high elevations, FUTREX offers an open truss guideway configuration which incorporates an emergency walkway within the beam.
  
  
• Traction Power And Propulsion - 750v DC wayside power is distributed along a contact rail mounted under the outrigger rail on either side of the beam. A power substation will be installed approximately every three miles. Wayside power is drawn into the vehicles through outrigger-mounted contact shoes. DC power is converted on-board to drive two independent three-phase, brushless AC motors.The segmented system power grid will be monitored and operated by Central Control.
  
  
• All-Weather Operation - System 21 is well suited for all weather conditions. Weather tested vehicle and guideway components are specified to function in ambient temperature ranges between -40F and +120F, and under high precipitation and humidity conditions. The triangular shaped beam and weather guards will prevent the accumulation of snow and ice. Design wind load, with vehicles mounted on the guideway, is 150 mph.