Solving Problems of Transportation

Over the years, I have written many articles on solutions to transportation problems. Here are some of the problems I have noticed and a summary of my solutions.

Modern transportation utilizes advanced vehicles and sophisticated terminals. Due to their complexity, only experts are involved in their development. I have not noticed a solution that approached the problem as a whole. Here, I am proposing a comprehensive solution to cover multiple aspects of human and goods transportation.

My main objectives in developing these ideas were to minimize the human factor, imported raw materials, and energy to enable the solution to be sustainable for a country in the long run, even during international disputes.

Let's start with long-distance air transportation. This is an inevitable means of transportation to cover long distances in a short time. The main benefit of air transportation is its lack of infrastructure between nodes. The same is true for sea transportation. Only the airports are infrastructure. There are no roads or railroads that require constant maintenance and infrastructure upgrades over the years. The biggest problem with air transportation is the requirement for very long runways and large airports. As a result, time gained in the air is often lost on the ground due to time spent inside or accessing giant airports. Airports are seen as architectural buildings rather than utility centers. This approach makes them more cumbersome and leads to passengers getting tired and losing time.

To solve this problem, I opt for VTOL planes. I also developed special, highly efficient VTOL airports that can be placed in city centers. Lately, I also noticed that short takeoff and landing (STOL) also provide a solution, especially for domestic transportation. A city-center STOL airport with a footprint no larger than a stadium or a shopping center is feasible.

I have proposed a liquid air powered STOL plane. Current development focuses on jet engines or electric powered planes and drones. Both have significant drawbacks. Turbofan engines are loud and cannot take off or land in city centers. They also require imported jet fuels which become a problem during oil crises. Additionally, they emit greenhouse gases. Electric powered planes and drones are also noisy. They have limited range and a major drawback because their weight remains constant even when they are depleted. For aviation, where every gram counts, an aircraft powered with a consumable energy source like liquid air is superior. Using compressed hydrogen converted into electricity is not energy dense and requires expensive fuel cells.

Liquid air is a consumable energy source. Therefore, the plane gets lighter as it flies, which extends the range. Its engine is a simple heat exchanger which can be placed under the belly of the plane to keep the wings clear of heavy engines. By utilizing advanced wing designs, such as a tandem bi-plane, a liquid air powered plane can reach ranges adequate for domestic flights. The simple engine design allows placement on the leading and trailing edges of the wings to achieve STOL. Liquid air propulsion is also the quietest of all powered aircraft. Even blimps utilize diesel engines to generate thrust, which is louder than the sound of expanding air.

The exhaust of a liquid air engine is cold air, which is environmentally positive for cities heated by modern lifestyles. This makes them a candidate for in-city air transportation. No noise, no pollution. The design allows a very short runway of around 100 meters. A city-center aviation hub reduces time lost on the ground, and the time gained in the air beats other means of transportation. Such STOL airports would cost less than a modern stadium or shopping mall. As a result, even small cities can have such airports, extending the coverage of air transportation.

The most important aspect of liquid air is its availability. Air is virtually free. Only the energy used to liquefy it is a cost. The waste product of this process is heat, which can be utilized by the city to heat homes or provide warm water. A country using liquid air would not need to import anything to use this technology. On the other hand, electric powered planes require imported battery chemicals, power electronics, and rare earth magnets. A liquid air engine is a heat exchanger that does not require importing.

If I compare air transportation with high-speed railroads, the gap widens. Building high-speed railroads requires expensive and time-consuming infrastructure. These require high maintenance costs and periodic upgrades. Air and sea routes do not have such problems. Railroad infrastructure requires imported raw materials and electronics. It also requires significant energy to build. Additionally, they make land unusable and restrict roads by blocking them. Even a tiny signaling problem can make the whole line inoperable and suspend all scheduled services. Finally, they are susceptible to sabotage, which is a great risk for many countries.

As a conclusion, we need transportation means that can be developed using local resources, operate with local energy sources, and optimize door-to-door transportation time as a whole.