Fact-Checking the "PRT Boondoggle" Blog
A project of the PRT NewsCenter

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Do these pants make his assumption look fatuous?

Today Ben Labridor's propaganda is based on his claim that Vectus, the Swedish-Korean PRT system, uses a "fat guideway" (right; he got the stills from this video report). Based on this claim he then goes on to write that "g-forces" are why Vectus is mounted on short posts, and that Vectus is "just like Raytheon."

We already disposed of the big "fat" lie in April -- you can read that here. Vectus is superficially similar to Raytheon, but is much smaller (plus the guideway will wear vertical stripes which, as everyone knows, are slimming!). As for g-forces, maybe it didn't occur to Ovendoor that an elevated system under assembly and testing conditions is simply easier to work on if within reach of people on the ground.

And since when do flags = phony? Don't tell the United Nations.



Addendum -- the Duh Factor

(June 7) Examine this statement by the Propagandist:
notice that [the Vectus guideway is] mounted on slim posts close to the ground. Why? Because G-forces would require heavier posts if it were up higher. Source
This is so vague that it suggests conclusions that result in the casual reader being led astray. First assumption: the posts are short because they are skinny. But if easy ground access is desirable for the test personnel's work, then the posts are skinny because they are short, i.e. they are as skinny as the present application requires.

Second assumption: Vectus isn't telling you taller posts are bigger. This is where the Duh Factor comes in: OF COURSE taller posts are bigger than skinnier ones. But simply blurting "g-forces" is a gross simplification. Some engineering background: post characteristics are a function of "load" on the guideway-- guideway weight, loaded vehicles, resistance to crosswinds, centrifugal force on curves equal to about 1/4 of vehicle weight, and earthquake codes of the locale. Load factors mean that taller posts need to be larger in diameter at their base, and larger foundations. But this is intuitive -- DUH!

The actual Duh Factor

Third assumption:
bigger tall posts would be too big. Humidor again recycles his guideway-over-street composite photo (shown last year to be inaccurate), with the words "UGLY PRT." But really now, we've already shown the Vectus guideway pipe is about half the diameter of Raytheon's, and there is less structure mounted on top of the pipe -- therefore the formula continues to be: smaller vehicles, smaller guideway, less weight, smaller posts than Raytheon.




gPRT
How many Ken Avidors does it take to screw in a light bulb? Trick question! Light bulbs are not needed because flaming torches are proven technology.

1 comment:

A Transportation Enthusiast said...

Basically, incandescent lighting is a stalking horse for the candle manufacturing industry. Light bulb proponents can say things that the candle boosters could never say, such as "People don't like gas lights." This anti-gas propaganda divides and conquers the opposition to gas-lighting projects.