Study of pneumatic capsule transportation pipeline driven by electromagnetic force

Aimed at increasing transport capacity of freight pipeline, lowing energy consumption and reducing noise pollution, a pneumatic capsule pipeline for freight conveying based on the use of electromagnetic drive to propel capsules in pipeline was put forward in this paper. The transportation system is composed of a non-intrusive tubular linear motor, transportation pipeline, wheeled capsules and control equipment. The driving force is provided by tubular linear motor which consists of fixed tubular coil set (motor primary) and moving capsules (motor secondary). The wheeled capsules for carrying and transporting cargoes are injected into pipeline driven by electromagnetic thrust force from tubular coil set. In this paper the principle of pneumatic capsule pipeline transportation driven by electromagnetic thrust force and the mechanism of transmission and transformation of kinetic energy between capsules and air in pneumatic pipeline were studied, the relationships among parameters of pipeline system and pneumatic transportation were discussed, the equations about electromagnetic driving force, pipeline transportation, pipeline pressure drop and total system efficiency were deduced and established in steady state condition. Thus the theoretical foundation of the pneumatic capsule transportation pipeline driven by electromagnetic force would be settled and a new technique of freight pipeline transportation would be developed and put into practice in a large amount of cargoes transport.