Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 46 No. 1 (Mar. 2009)23“Crystal Mover” Automated People Moverfor Miami International Airport

TOSHIO HIRASAWA

MASAFUMI KAMODAKAZUTAKA SHIMIZUYOSHINORI MITSUI

ARATA YAMAMOTOMIHOKO SHIROYAMA|1. Introduction
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) received an order from the Miami-Dade County
Airport Authority for an automated people mover (APM) system to connect the terminal gates atthe Miami International Airport North Terminal. MHI’s successful APM delivery records in HongKong and Singapore were key considerations in the award of this contract. The newly introduced
Crystal Mover APM system offers safe and comfortable transportation with an unconventional
design. This paper provides an overview of the APM system and its vehicles.

|2. APM system outline
The APM system is a fully automated, driverless, medium-volume passenger transportsystem that utilizes rubber-tired vehicles, a signaling system, a power distribution system, acommunication system, stations, platform doors, exclusive tracks, and maintenance facilities. The
APM system, which is generally considered to exist on the scale between a bus and railway system,
and also is well-suited for operation in the range of 1,000–15,000 passengers per hour per direction(pphpd). The rubber tires of the APM set it apart from conventional railway cars because of its
silent operation, ride quality, and performance on gradients.

|3. Miami International Airport APM system
This APM system includes 0.7 miles (1.12 km) of double track connecting Concourses A
through D in the North Terminal, each with its own station. The system is rated at a transportcapacity of 9,000 pphpd. The system is located in a secured area (air side) after security checkpoints. There are four trains, each consisting of four cars, plus one standby train (20 cars in total) inservice. The platforms in each station are equipped with platform doors to ensure passenger safety.
This system is fully automated and driverless system that continuously operates for 19 hours perday (Figure 1).

Figure 1 Miami International Airport North Terminal

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 46 No. 1 (Mar. 2009)24|4. The Crystal Mover for Miami International Airport
The Crystal Mover is an APM vehicle developed for overseas markets. The basic
specifications and performance are based on standard design, the exterior color scheme, interior
design, and other features are tailored as per customer preference.
While the basic APM vehicle model uses a single vehicle configuration (operable as onevehicle alone), MHI has used a fixed married-pair vehicle for Miami International Airport toincrease the passenger volume. By combining two married-pair vehicles into a train, toaccommodate departing (domestic and international) passengers on one vehicle and international
arrivals (customs) on the other, the four-car train maintains the security status for the passengers
during operation. Table 1 shows the main features of the vehicle. Figure 2 shows a generalschematic of the vehicle. Figure 3 is a photograph of the exterior of the complete train set.
Table 1 Main vehicle features
Item
Train configuration
Capacity (passengers)
Tare weight/vehicle (tons)
Vehicle dimensions (mm)Guide system
Electrical system (VDC)
Track gauge (mm)Vehicle performanceControl system
Braking system

Particulars
Fixed married-pair vehicle
93 (including 8 seated)/car  2 car
16.8 tons
11 750 long  2 690 wide  3 725 highSide guided, two-axle, 4-wheel steering system
750
1,850
Maximum speed, 80 km/h
Acceleration, 0.97 m/s2
Deceleration: normal maximum, 0.97 m/s2; Emergency, 1.33 m/s2
Variable-voltage variable-frequency inverter vector control(VVVF)(load-sensing control with regenerative braking)Electrically controlled pneumatic brakes with regenerative braking(with safety brakes and parking brakes)

Figure 2 APM vehicle schematic

Figure 3 Photograph of two fixed married-pair vehicles

Since the people mover system operates only at the airport, the Crystal Mover takes less thana minute to travel the short distance from one station to the next. When a large aircraft arrives, it
can cope with the large volume of passengers very efficiently. Also Crystal Mover has eight seatsin the passenger compartment to provide more space for standing passengers. In accordance withthe requirements of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), there are two wheelchair spaces, andthe stanchion layout facilitates the passage of wheelchairs. Figure 4 shows the interior layout.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 46 No. 1 (Mar. 2009)
25Figure 4 Passenger compartment layout

The first Crystal Mover delivered to the USA complied with US codes and standards
including the ADA above. The basic structure and performance characteristics of the vehicle
complied with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE21-98) specifications and with theNational Fire Protection Association (NFPA130 and NFPA70) standards for fire resistance andelectrical fire prevention.
To meet vehicle collision safety requirements and avoid damage to the vehicle body, theCrystal Mover absorbs collision energy in two stages using shock absorbers in the couplers andbumpers on the body. Based on applied automotive techniques, MHI developed aluminum bumpersof its own design. Although the vehicles for the Miami International Airport meet the basic Crystal
Mover specifications, they are actually a model in a new series that exceeds current the U.S. codesand standards as well as meeting individual customer requirements.

|5. Conclusion
The contract for this APM system has contributed to further APM system orders such as for
Washington Dulles International Airport and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. MHI
has also received another contract for a second APM project at Miami International Airport,
proving that MHI’s APM system is highly regarded in the USA. MHI hopes that its APM system
will operate not only in the USA but also elsewhere in the world, so that it can offer safe,
comfortable passenger transportation.
The author expresses his sincere appreciates to those who have provided advice andextensive assistance with the successful completion of this APM.

Authors
Toshio Hirasawa
Manager,
Miami APM Project,
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
America, Inc.

Masafumi Kamoda
Manager,
Miami APM Project,
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
America, Inc.

Kazutaka Shimizu
Manager,Atlanta CONRAC APM Project,
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
America, Inc.

Yoshinori Mitsui
Transportation Systems &Machinery Engineering
Department,
Plant and Transportation
Systems Engineering &Construction Center

Arata Yamamoto
Transportation Systems &Machinery Engineering
Department,
Plant and Transportation
Systems Engineering &Construction Center

Mihoko Shiroyama
Transportation Systems &Machinery Engineering
Department,
Plant and Transportation
Systems Engineering &Construction Center