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International
Society on Underground Freight Transportation by Capsule
Pipelines and Other Tube/Tunnel Systems (ISUFT)
ISUFT
focuses on underground freight transport by automated transportation systems or
capsules, moving through underground tunnels or pipelines. The
purpose of ISUFT is to present, by organising events like the international
symposia, the research progress in developing underground freight and capsule
pipeline transportation concepts. Topics at
the international symposia include:
The
international steering committee welcomes new ideas or research on
underground freight transport and/or capsule pipelines. We invite you to join
the ISUFT network. An ISUFT
event is a good forum to present your results. It is also an excellent
opportunity to promote underground freight transport and capsule pipelines as
a sustainable mode of transport in your country. ========================================= NEWS June 2011 The second newsletter this year is
available. You can find it here! May 2011 Position
paper for the Strategic Transport
Technology Plan European members of ISUFT submitted a position paper for the Strategic Transport Technology Plan. The
Strategic Transport Technology Plan will be a strategic framework for future
transport research, innovation and deployment, based on a vision for an
integrated, efficient and environmentally friendly European transport system
by 2050, developed by the European Commission. This framework will be
presented by mid 2011. The
position paper can be found here. =========================================
The
Academy of Medicine, Engineering & Science of Texas recognised Steve
Catha, President & CEO, Smart Pipe, Inc as Leading Texas Innovator
for his contribution to revolutionary changes in technologies, medical
therapies, scientific applications and business practices with significant
proven or potential societal impact. Steve
Catha, President and CEO of Smart Pipe Company, Inc has over 35 years of
experience in the pipe industry. He began with Armco Steel where he spent 15
years. Next he became the originating founder of Flexpipe
a.k.a.Wellstream, Inc., the first US manufacturer
of high-pressure flexible pipe. Mr. Catha is also the principal founder of Pipeliners, the developer of the U Liner system (first
fold and form product) for trenchless rehabilitation of low pressure
underground lines. Presently, Steve is CEO/President of Smart Pipe. The 1st
large size high pressure composite pipe for replacement or stand along pipe.
Steve’s latest project is called T.E.A.L., a new concept in high speed
underground movement of full-size oceangoing containers via subterranean
pipelines. ========================================== 30th
of January 2011 FOODTUBES – THE TRANSPORT
INTERNET – GOODS-IN & WASTE-OUT FREIGHT TRANSPORT – RUNNER-UP IN THE ST.
ANDREWS PRIZE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT 2008: On the
21st January 2011, The Foodtubes Project applied
for a Regional Growth Fund (RGF) grant of
UK £1 million from the UK Department for Business, Innovation and
Skills in London. As announced by
government Minister Lord Heseltine three weeks ago, the RGF is allocating
£1.2 billion to about 1,000 projects that will create employment and expand
business. Foodtubes
estimates that to install and operate Circuits across the whole UK will
create 60,000 new jobs; will reduce Freight costs by 85%; will improve the
security of deliveries – whatever the weather; will significantly cut
street-level traffic pollution; and will reduce global warming gases and
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) by 8% or more every year. The
joint-inventor and project co-ordinator, Mr Noel Hodson,
says; “Foodtubes is the least polluting and most
efficient freight transport system yet devised.” Mr Hodson is also
a Director of US based ISUFT (International Society for Underground Freight
Transport). The £1
million grant will pay for the computer and desk-top modelling that the
FOODTUBES TEAM needs to produce two working Blueprints – The Engineering Specifications
Blueprints and The Commercial Business Plans Blueprints. The following stage
is to build a 2km to 5km full-sized demonstration Foodtubes
Circuit, in Oxford, UK, which will cost up to £6 million. The Demonstration
Circuit will be used to persuade City and local and national governments, and
private operators to build transport Circuits. For example: the Circuit
recommended to the inner London (dense-urban) district of Croydon, which has
130,000 homes and more than 100 food-outlets or shops, will be 80km of
pipelines and 400 entrances/exits (terminals) – it will cost £400 million to
install; will replace 700 lorries a day from the streets of Croydon; and will
make up to £60 million annual profits.
Foodtubes is applying to the European
Commission for the £6 million needed for the final stage. All such Circuits
will inter-connect to eventually form The Transport Internet. The
concept has been further developed by the 20 person Foodtubes
team since success at The St Andrews Prize for the Environment 2008
competition (May 2008). The innovative FOODTUBES system loads food and other
consumer products into computer addressed and controlled aluminium,
lightweight bullet shaped capsules 2 metres long by 1 metre high (1.57 cubic
metres), which are propelled through polyethylene pipelines by electric
linear induction motors (LIMs) at speeds from 1 kph
to 100 kph. Europe is very skilled at installing such pipelines. Europe
presently has more than 300,000 km of large diameter pipes carrying water,
oil and gas, on land, under cities and under sea. The USA has more than
500,000 km of such pipelines. Noel Hodson asks
“Would any sane transport planner suggest that all water, oil and gas
pipelines should be closed and their vital cargos put into vehicles to be
transported by road or rail? Food is
as vital as water and FOODTUBES makes it just as easy to transport through
pipelines.” CONTACTS:
Noel Hodson – Tel 00-44-1865-760994 noel@noelhodson.com COMMERCIAL
MODEL
http://www.noelhodson.com/index_files/ftubesfinancials_28Sep07_v15.xls ENGINEERING
http://www.noelhodson.com/index_files/Foodtubes-pipelaying-1dec09.pdf TWO
MINUTES ON YOU TUBE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0SgwSg3Q9E =========================================== In
Memoriam Dr. Henry
Liu, president of ISUFT died December 1st 2009. Dr. Liu
began teaching in the civil engineering department at MU in 1965 at age 29.
He started as an assistant professor,
eventually became a chaired professor and finally director of Capsule
Pipeline Research Center. He then took an
early retirement in 2001 to create the Freight Pipeline Co., a research and
development firm in Columbia. Dr. Liu was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and
the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He most recently helped organize the International Society for
Underground Freight Transportation and was the organization's president. A memorial service was held Dec. 19, at the Unitarian Universalist
Church of Columbia, Columbia (Missouri, USA)
Dr. Liu is
the first president and founding father of ISUFT. He was highly respected by us for his
knowledge, his friendship and for being the driving force behind ISUFT. Dr. Liu’s family wants us to continue
ISUFT. Dr. Liu was so proud of ISUFT and felt like as a group ISUFT could do
much to educate others and promote underground freight transportation
worldwide. Continuing the organization
will be a memorial in itself for Dr.
Liu. Although it will be very
difficult without Henry, we need to keep promoting underground freight
transport. According
to the Bylaws of ISUFT, as Vice President
dr. Johan Visser will serve as President Protem until the regular term of the office is expired
and a new President and Vice-President are elected. The regular term of
office is 4 years. |
