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IMPACT - The beneficial impact Terreplane technology will have is far greater than obvious benefits of saved money, saved time, and reduced environmental impact. Terreplane will: |
Slideshows on this page:
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Provide Social Security - Terreplane will make living better ... less expensive (costs of cars and car insurance can be eliminated, commuting farther is easier which keeps families together, lower cost competition to current dominance of cell phone markets and cable TV/data, lower cost travel/vacations). Social security should not be a check the government distributes; social security should be a quality life at a reasonable cost. Families need to stay together ... not being separated by job opportunities that are hundreds of miles away.
FAMILY is important!
Provide Energy Security - Terreplane is perhaps the only cost-effective technology that will substantially eliminate use of petroleum for jet fuel and will allow most of gasoline and diesel to be directly displaced with grid electricity.
Provide National Security - Nations will have energy security and total control of which countries benefit from their cash flow.
Provide Improved Health Care Access - Links from rural communities to metro center hospitals will be much faster and much better. Even small rural communities can have transportation capabilities on par with the major cities.
Provide Improved Higher Education Access - Costs of higher education will decrease by making it easier to live tens of miles from campus and due to inter-connectivity of campuses.
Provide Improved Parcel Service - Same-day parcel service will become common (sorry AMAZON, it is about parcel service and not internet pages).
Provide Aesthetic Cities and Neighborhoods - Broad streets, parked vehicles, parking garages, concrete driveways ... will be replaced with parks and trails. The noise/vibration of automobiles, trucks, busses, and trains will be substantially eliminated.
Provide Sustainability - The cost of $2-4 million per mile versus $30-50 million (Hyperloop and High Speed Rail) makes all the difference in the world. Both may reduce travel times versus current alternatives; however, the latter can cripple an entire nation by draining resources for their construction and putting in place an infrastructure/system that is too costly to maintain (requiring continued subsidy).
Innovations - Patent Pending (as slideshow)
FAMILY is important!
Provide Energy Security - Terreplane is perhaps the only cost-effective technology that will substantially eliminate use of petroleum for jet fuel and will allow most of gasoline and diesel to be directly displaced with grid electricity.
Provide National Security - Nations will have energy security and total control of which countries benefit from their cash flow.
Provide Improved Health Care Access - Links from rural communities to metro center hospitals will be much faster and much better. Even small rural communities can have transportation capabilities on par with the major cities.
Provide Improved Higher Education Access - Costs of higher education will decrease by making it easier to live tens of miles from campus and due to inter-connectivity of campuses.
Provide Improved Parcel Service - Same-day parcel service will become common (sorry AMAZON, it is about parcel service and not internet pages).
Provide Aesthetic Cities and Neighborhoods - Broad streets, parked vehicles, parking garages, concrete driveways ... will be replaced with parks and trails. The noise/vibration of automobiles, trucks, busses, and trains will be substantially eliminated.
Provide Sustainability - The cost of $2-4 million per mile versus $30-50 million (Hyperloop and High Speed Rail) makes all the difference in the world. Both may reduce travel times versus current alternatives; however, the latter can cripple an entire nation by draining resources for their construction and putting in place an infrastructure/system that is too costly to maintain (requiring continued subsidy).
Innovations - Patent Pending (as slideshow)
A detailed paper under peer review on this topic is available per this link!
Terreplane is a tethered glider craft that would operate at a narrow range of pitch; this gives Terreplane distinct advantages in attaining high L:D ratios. Gliders have the best ratios; ranging from 15 (hang glider) to 70 (Eta glider). A L:D ratio of 21 is a reasonable target; this would increase the 5X fuel economy estimate to 7.5X (where the 5X estimate was based on a reference 14:1 ratio for a prop-aircraft operating with the engine going at standard flight velocity). A 7.5X value would put the fuel economy of Terreplane at an outstanding 330* person-miles per GGE. *This 330 value is based on comparison to a aircraft that is, on the average, half full of fuel.
The height of the passenger compartment is a primary factor that creates the challenge in obtaining higher L:D ratios. For parcel service, this height constraint is not present; and the certainty of obtaining fuel economies (per pound of parcel) greater than 7X that of commercial jet parcel service is quite high. While it is true that travel in evacuated tubes can result in near-zero aerodynamic drag, such travel would require magnetic levitation suspension resulting in magnetic drag that has been reported to considerably exceed the low aerodynamic drag at these high L:D ratios.
Terreplane is a tethered glider craft that would operate at a narrow range of pitch; this gives Terreplane distinct advantages in attaining high L:D ratios. Gliders have the best ratios; ranging from 15 (hang glider) to 70 (Eta glider). A L:D ratio of 21 is a reasonable target; this would increase the 5X fuel economy estimate to 7.5X (where the 5X estimate was based on a reference 14:1 ratio for a prop-aircraft operating with the engine going at standard flight velocity). A 7.5X value would put the fuel economy of Terreplane at an outstanding 330* person-miles per GGE. *This 330 value is based on comparison to a aircraft that is, on the average, half full of fuel.
The height of the passenger compartment is a primary factor that creates the challenge in obtaining higher L:D ratios. For parcel service, this height constraint is not present; and the certainty of obtaining fuel economies (per pound of parcel) greater than 7X that of commercial jet parcel service is quite high. While it is true that travel in evacuated tubes can result in near-zero aerodynamic drag, such travel would require magnetic levitation suspension resulting in magnetic drag that has been reported to considerably exceed the low aerodynamic drag at these high L:D ratios.
Five Common Myths (Errors) On Aerodynamics
Most of the more-developed theories in aerodynamics serve the primary purpose of either a) providing convenient equation formats for teaching and quick calculations or b) supporting known trends of aircraft that have been well studied. These simplified presentations of aerodynamics lead to considerable error when used outside their intended purpose, such as when used to identify L:D ratios possible with Terreplane. The 5 most-common myths/errors are:
Most of the more-developed theories in aerodynamics serve the primary purpose of either a) providing convenient equation formats for teaching and quick calculations or b) supporting known trends of aircraft that have been well studied. These simplified presentations of aerodynamics lead to considerable error when used outside their intended purpose, such as when used to identify L:D ratios possible with Terreplane. The 5 most-common myths/errors are:
- Wing vortexes generate drag. False! When air proceeds around the tip of the wing from the high pressure underside to the low pressure upper side lift is lost where the resulting lowered L:D ratio manifests as increased drag. The vortex is a result of this action. The vortex is an effect, not a cause.
- A high aspect ratio is needed for a high L:D ratio. False! Winglets can compensate for larger wing span. With proper incorporation of winglets, other factors become more important for obtaining high L:D ratios.
- Low pressure (e.g. 0.2 atm at 40,000 ft. elevation) is needed for low drag. False! The best L:D ratios are obtained by glider aircraft operating at near-atmospheric pressure.
- Rounded wing fronts are needed for high L:D ratios. False! Rounded airfoil fronts are needed to allow a smooth change of pitch with increased lift as is needed for lower takeoff velocities of commercial aircraft. Supersonic aircraft have sharp fronts to the airfoils where maneuverability (based on shape of airfoil front) is reduced in priority to reduce the energy of the shock wave.
- Steeply pitched undersides of wings cause high drag. False! High drag is caused by turbulence, and highly pitched wing undersides only cause increased drag to the extent that proper airfoil shapes are not incorporated to reduce turbulence.