Transat

By Raff Rafferty

The Author has developed an interesting, innovative, and well developed mass transportation system that is essentially the ultimate such system. To give the impact of TRANSAT a coast-to-coast trip would take 11 minutes! New York to Boston would take less than three minutes! Significantly as well the technology required does exist today to design, develop, build and operate such a system.

The magnitude of effort required has dictated to the Author that it would require the formation of a dedicated Corporation to achieve the objective. Hence this book encompasses the formation of such a Corporation, and essentially presents it as a proposal to the readers to find their place --- if interested --- and actively pursue the objectives to fruition. The book consists of nine chapters. The first chapter A Ride on TRANSAT is at the moment a science fiction description of a ride on TRANSAT as envisioned by the Author. It provides an inviting introduction to the futuristic and manifold changes introduced by TRANSAT and its system implications for the entire World.

The second chapter TRANSAT Concepts --- The Proposal presents the essentials of the fundamentals of what is a TRANSAT system. It covers how the system works, and how it accomplishes the very high-speed travel. It elucidates many of the concepts required in the TRANSAT Corporation to not only design build and operate the system, but many of the necessary corollary functions required to make the system complete and functional. It touches on many of the inter disciplines that the Corporation must resolve before TRANSAT may be built. It also touches on many options that must be evaluated to determine the optimum one to be accepted.

The third chapter Basic Physics may be seen as the proof of concept section. It deals with the physics, formulas and mathematics required to make the TRANSAT concept successful. It is presented in such a way that full understanding of the formulas is not essential, as the associated text conveys the significant meaning. Deliberate study of the formulas will significantly increase the overall understanding of the presentation however. It will also allow the reader to apply the concept to trips they might be interested in so as to increase individual comprehension of the startling change available. It develops all this through three evolutions of the TRANSAT system as it progresses to the ultimate. This means that what is presented provides the fastest system that humans can effectively use. It is the ultimate optimum mass transport system! It also covers the possible undesirable side effects to such high speeds, and dispels the falsely implied concern that such speeds can produce unusual phenomenon such as flinging into orbit.

The fourth chapter Power Requirements addresses one of the major problems, as there are tremendous electrical demands to fuel TRANSAT. Special problems exist, as the power requirements are electrically dirty and essentially necessitate an independent self-contained system. This is further dictated by the reality that much power will be recovered during part of each trip, power again too dirty to be recycled normally. Also the location of the power demand dictates a self-contained system. The source of this energy is extensively discussed and justified here as well.

The fifth chapter Route Selection provides an extensive discourse on the general layout of TRANSAT routes. It is obvious that considerable study is required in this effort, as essentially it is reorganizing the Worlds routes of commerce. Like any other transportation system, cities and commerce develop along these corridors, as it becomes a dominant factor in their existence. Further here the need for independence with no outside location pressure dictates a new thinking and autonomy relating to these decisions. It also presents a striking example of how extensive governmental influence must be relegated to non-exis

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 13, 2004
• ISBN: 9781462804818

Raff Rafferty

Born in 1921, Willard “Raff” S. Rafferty earned his degree in electrical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. Trained under the Command and General Staff School, he served in World War II European Theater for forty-four months and retired from the Army Reserves as colonel. From 1949 to 1960, he worked at Sperry Rail Service in Danbury, Connecticut, as an engineer, ending as the supervisor of the Railroad Engineering Group. From 1960 to 1981, he worked at Perkin-Elmer Corporation as Senior Engineer in engineering and program management of numerous classified electro-optical space surveillance programs. He also participated in several proposals of such devices and projects as the Lunar Lander, specifically in engineering, management, and senior editing. Corporation sales grew during this period, from $15 million to a billion.

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Copyright © 2003 by Raff Rafferty.

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Contents

Chapter 1 A Ride on TRANSAT

Chapter 2 TRANSAT Concept - The Proposal

Chapter 3 Basic Physics

Chapter 4 Power Requirements

Chapter 5 Route Selection

Chapter 6 Tunneling Requirements

Chapter 7 Economics

Chapter 8 TRANSAT Corporation Development

Chapter 9 Living Dynamics

Dedication

This book represents dedicated cooperation of a great many. First and foremost is my Wife Madeline, who suffered many we’ll do that later. The same goes for my Children, Scott, Dianna, Sherwood, and Richard along with their families. Special thanks to my Grandchildren for their reading, corrections and suggestions. A great big thanks to Charlie Shultz, and Frank Rudnik, as they braved the formulas and development in Chapter 3. Early contributors also were several former secretaries who volunteered to type after hours for a slight stipend before computer era put them out of business

Chapter 1

A Ride on TRANSAT

April 23, 2011. I just completed another exhilarating transit from the East Coast to the West Coast in less than 16 minutes. This is my first ride in the 2 g cars, which cut about 6 minutes from my prior 1 g transits. Somehow this disappointed me for I automatically assumed the 2 g cars would cut my time in half. With this disappointment I looked at the TRANSAT literature a wee bit closer and see that the 4 g cars planned for 2016 will cut the time to just under 11 minutes - that is if the environmental protesters permit it. If they would only allow those of us involved to make the decision - it’s really our risk - not theirs! More on that later. I’m going to dig out that TRANSAT and reread it again - guess I went through those calculations on basic physics a little too fast.

Also, I understand that the seating, if it really can be called that, is the only significant difference in the planned 4 g cars. With the 4 g, it’s not really a seat but a slit cylinder that completely encases 90% of the body with a so-called 0g envelope. I’ve heard that tests on those 4 g cars have been very successful. This is an evolution of the astronauts conforming couch seats, which proved so successful in reentry.

Now, some more facts on TRANSAT, and the wonder it really is. It seemed so visionary when first proposed at the beginning of the century. Yet, I’ve been using the first transcontinental link for a year already and what a way to travel! Jets and Airports seem a relic of the past. Oh well - that’s progress - and what an improvement. The really most noteworthy thing is that TRANSAT is the answer to the Worlds Mass Transit problem - a brilliant solution to a problem many said had no solution - and the solution to the declining oil reserves problem to boot! The problem that politicians and governments hassled, exercised, fought over, and never came close to solving - solved by private enterprise, the TRANSAT Corporation, which is really the peoples Corporation! I guess I’m a little euphoric on this, for almost every person has had a little part in the success of this Corporation. The World promises to be a much better place through TRANSAT and its concepts. This is the century of the TRANSAT net expansion, which will complete a transit network over the United States with a station within 100 miles of anywhere. Normally in populated areas stations will be sited within 10 miles of most locations. It is interesting to note the shift this has made in work-living areas, but more on that later. This network will allow transit from any Transterm to any other two Transterms by transfers within a 30-minute period. This makes every Transterm Terminal within 30 minutes of any other Transterm Terminal! That’s a maximum length transit - most will not take that much time. You can readily see the work-living area relationship impact. It has been a judgment of most people that 30 minutes was a reasonable commuting time to work. The impact of this decade then, is that, assuming the economics are right; one can live anywhere - and yet work anywhere else. This is forcing a real reassessment of the most desirable living areas regardless of where we work. In my own case this has kept me living in Los Angeles following my job transfer to New York, 1 year ago. This is wonderful for both my family and me. Our roots are deep in the LA area, and how nice not to have to move and tear them up. The United States is by far the most successful in the TRANSAT net implementation, but the significantly greater gain will come when all International impediments are finally removed.

It is attractive how easy it is to adjust to the time differential, and even how the whole Nation seems to have shifted it’s clock. New York, which really used to start work at 8 A.M., predominately now starts at 10 A.M. Los Angeles, which also started at 8 A.M., now normally starts at 7 A.M. The net result is that everyone is really starting and quitting at approximately the same time. It will truly be an improvement next year when we all adopt U. S. Standard Time - for we‘re all really living it now. This will simplify all schedules and eliminate that time zone confusion. I believe it will be another small step in unifying our country. The time zone difference has created confusion since instant communication and now almost instant transits are a reality. I guess it was a good thing back in the old days when it took days to travel and get news from coast to coast - but how senseless it is today.

It is a remarkable coincidence that the time zones were established late in the 1800’s at the momentum of the Railroads. As they tried to establish meaningful schedules, the individual Towns time - based on the Sun - created an impossible degree of confusion. To simplify this problem the various time zones were adopted with all the towns in the zone on the same time. This worked well for the slow speed trains, cars, airplanes, and even jets, but started to fall apart in the space era. Now TRANSAT - another Mass Transit System, provides the real motivation for change again. To U. S. Standard Time! Only five years ago it seemed we could video-talk to our New York Office from 8 A.M. to about 8:30 A.M. and they were gone for lunch. The next best time then was 1 to 2 P.M., and then they were gone for the day. The time shifting and U. S. Standard Time will make our operation much more effective.

A little now about the experience of riding TRANSAT. The smoothness of the ride is a pleasant change from most any ground or airborne ride which are some of the obvious comparisons. It gives an emotion that it must be a ride in space - and indeed it is - a ride in inner space. The Transcar is really magnetically suspended or levitated by the same magnetic force that propels it. So then, except for its rest and first move position, it really does not contact any surface, nor is there anything to buffet it. The buffeting was a distinct distraction to jet travel, and I might add, an increase risk element, as it is a real shock to a planes mechanical structure and systems. So it is pleasant not to have this effect in TRANSAT. Once the Transcar is in the Transtube it then has no contact with any surface, and from then on, it is a really smooth ride. In most cases if it weren’t for the display, you really might not realize you are moving except for the distinct thrust feeling.

The sensation most memorable is from the sustained acceleration.

The most noteworthy description of this one peculiar experience of TRANSAT can best be described in words, I’ve heard many times describing it. It’s just like the sensation you note as a jet plane starts its takeoff and you feel yourself thrust back into your seat. However with TRANSAT this continues to the transition point (midway). At transition you experience a gradual lessening of this as the seat rotates, then the thrust back into your seat sustained again to the end. This of course is due to the reverse acceleration or deceleration to zero at the terminus. It is noteworthy how at transition your body actually feels lighter - like you’re falling out of the seat - for that short moment until it starts again. That falling out of the seat sensation which is much more apparent at the end, is what, I believe, gives me that exhilarating feeling. Just makes me feel real good - like I’ve just finished a good exercise session. It only lasts for a half hour, although I’ve heard others comment they notice some sensation for a full day. The best part of this is they say it really does give your internal body - heart and lungs - a workout which can be beneficial. Exercise without the strain of exercising!

The quietness of the ride is another very pleasant sensation. No other high-speed travel has ever been as quiet. I guess this is largely due to the vacuum environment of the TRANSTUBES and the complete freedom of any Transcar contact with any surface during a transit. This quietness certainly adds to the secure feeling I have of TRANSAT safety - as it indicates the engineering design attention given even to support equipment. The quietness also enhances the audio-visual presentation presented on each transit.

To me, the most impressive of this audio-visuals is still the real time space view, or simulated clear space view. I always watch the real time space view channel unless it’s cloudy - then I switch to simulated. I’m continually fascinated with the ability to see my track along the ground as I progress underneath, just as if I was looking down from space. Maybe I’m just a frustrated astronaut at heart! I think it’s fascinating too how the synchronized audio and visual accenting can point out surface features that are universally interesting. Another feature on the real time channel that I enjoy is the zoom capability allowing me the ability to zoom in on some of the sights and areas that have some real significance to me. Interestingly, this NY to LA transit goes over both the town that was born in and another nearby town that I lived in as a child. Now you caught me as obviously it goes under, but my perception is that it goes over, as that is what I see! Anyhow it is most interesting to me to zoom in on those areas, and relive some old memories. Somehow this allows me the fantasy of riding in space and adds a real fascination that I find hard to beat. I understand this view comes from commercial satellites in space and