Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 47 No. 2 (June 2010)
6“Crystal Mover” Automated People Moverfor Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Tr a n s p o r ta t i o n S y s t e m s a n dAd va n c e d Te c h n o l o g y D i vi s i o n

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), with local partners including MHIA, received anorder for its APM (Automated People Mover) system, a passenger transport system connecting
the main terminal of Atlanta International Airport and the new rental car facility (CONRAC:Consolidated Rental Agency Complex), from the City of Atlanta, Department of Aviation, inOctober 2005. It was the third APM system project awarded to MHI in the U.S., following
similar systems at Miami International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport, andwas the first to enter into operational service, in December 2009. MHI's APM system andassociated technologies are introduced below.

|1. System overview
The APM system at Atlanta International Airport comprises of 2.2 km (1.4 miles) of elevateddouble tracked guideway connecting the airport main terminal (Airport Station) and the rental car
facility (Rental Car Center Station). There are three stations in total, including one intermediatestation (GICC/Gateway Center Station) (Figure 1). The system is used by customers of the rental
car facility, and by people visiting the convention center (GICC: Georgia International Convention
Center), which is adjacent to the intermediate station. At the west end of the system, there is avehicle Maintenance and Storage Facility (M&SF), which also accommodates the Central Control
Center for the operation and supervision of the system.

Figure 1

CONRAC APM system overview at Atlanta International Airport

The system is fully automated and unmanned, operating 24-hour per day in correspondencewith the operation of the airport. During peak daytime hours, four two-car trains are operated,
providing a line capacity of 2,868 pphpd (passengers per hour per direction). An additional train
can be added for five trains to run, in response to a temporary demand for increased line capacity.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 47 No. 2 (June 2010)
7

When multiple trains make traffic jam especially in the 5 trains operation, the automatic train
control (ATC) system will automatically adjust the distance between the trains to an interval thatwill allow smooth operation. Therefore, a train does not have to stop between stations until the train
running ahead leaves the station. During off-peak times, when there are fewer passengers, thesystem can be switched to ‘on-call’ mode, under which a single vehicle runs only when one of the‘on-call’ buttons, located on each station platform, is pressed, considering energy saving andflexible operation.
The station platforms are entirely equipped with platform screen doors and CCTV cameras
for remote monitoring and supervision from the Central Control Center to ensure passenger safety.
In order to prevent freezing of the track due to snow accumulation during winter weather, which
may cause slip and slide of rubber tired vehicles, electrical heating cables for melting snow areembedded in the concrete running surface throughout the guideway.

|2. Vehicles used in APM system at Atlanta Airport
The “Crystal Mover” vehicles are developed for the overseas markets (Table 1, Figure 2).
The basic model is a single car, able to run as a single-car train. The two-car coupled model(Married-pair model), which was developed for the Miami Airport APM system, was used because
it was most appropriate size for the Atlanta Airport APM system, based on the requirements of line
capacity and the maintenance plan.
In the development phase of the vehicle for the Atlanta Airport APM system, the basic
specifications of the “Crystal Mover” vehicle remained the same, with some modifications to meet
U.S. standards. Specifically, the vehicles comply with the "APM Standard" stipulated by ASCE21(American Society of Civil Engineers) in respect to the basic performance of the vehicle and theNFPA130 Standard stipulated by NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) in respect to fire
resistance properties and the prevention of electrical fires. The cars also comply with the ADA(Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements, which specify barrier-free requirements. Inaddition, the vehicle was designed suitable for cold regions intended for Atlanta Airport, includinginterior heating equipment, snow removal equipment and built-in heaters to prevent the freezing ofdevices (such as the brake systems and couplers). These specifications are not included in the basicmodel of the “Crystal Mover”, but were modifications made based on the devices developed for thevehicles intended for Washington Dulles International Airport, and parts used in vehicles forJapanese APM systems, aiming at standardization.
Table 1 Vehicle specification
ItemConfiguration
Capacity (passengers)
Tear weight
Vehicle dimensions (mm)
Guidance system
Power supply system
Track Gauge
Vehicle performance
Propulsion control system
Brake control system

Figure 2 APM vehicle schematicSpecification
Fixed married-pair vehicle(2-car consist train)
93 passengers (including 8 seats)/car x 2
17.2 ton/car
11,750 (L) x 2,690 (W) x 3,725 (H)Side-guided 2-axis, 4-wheel steering system
DC 750V
1,850 mmMax. speed:
80 km/h 2Acceleration:
0.97 m/s
Deceleration
Normal:0.97 m/s2
Emergency:
1.33 m/s2
Variable-voltage variable-frequency (VVVF) inverter vector control(with variable load control and regenerative brake)
Electrically commanded pneumatic brake with regenerative brake(with stand-by brake and parking brakes)

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 47 No. 2 (June 2010)8For passenger safety, in case of emergency evacuation, the emergency door release handles
are provided with an interlock to prevent passengers from unlocking cliff-side(*1) doors.
Technologies developed for the vehicle intended for the Asian market were used in this cliff-side
protection function, keeping standardization strictly in mind. As described above, the “CrystalMover” vehicle for Atlanta Airport was successfully customized by incorporating proventechnologies with a focus on the standardization of designs, satisfying required specifications
without sacrificing safety and reliability.
(*1) cliff-side: either side of the vehicle which does not have walkway for passenger evacuation|3. Operation and MaintenanceOperations and Maintenance (O&M) of the system are handled by Crystal Mover Services,Inc. (CMS). CMS, formed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Sumitomo Corporation ofAmerica and Sumitomo Corporation, is an O&M company established to execute operation andmaintenance contracts for MHI’s APM systems in the U.S. Through the test and commissioning
stage, training was provided for the CMS personnel to obtain necessary skills for the operation andmaintenance activities, by actually working with engineers, such as manipulating the system,
manually driving trains, etc. (Figure 3) A training program was established based on MHI's
experience and expertise obtained through the O&M business in Asia. Furthermore, after the startof service operation, periodical training is provided by engineers so that CMS can continue stable
operation. The "Availability" (100% when the system in complete conformance to the operationschedule) that indicates operating stability has remained at 99.8% or higher since the service
operation began. Atlanta Airport APM system has been providing stable services to passengers anddemonstrating the reliability and safety of our APM system, which is contributing to win the trustof the City of Atlanta, Department of Aviation.

Figure 3

Training program|4. Conclusion
MHI APM systems in the U.S. started service operation at Washington-Dulles International
Airport in January 2010, following the system at Atlanta International Airport, and is scheduled tostart service at Miami International Airport within this year. We have also received an order for asecond system in Miami (scheduled to start service in 2011). Our APM system “Crystal Mover” isexpected to be widely adopted across the United States. The achievements of our APM system atAtlanta International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world, will be a real test for ourAPM system to promote the system and associated technologies to the U.S. and, eventually, theglobal market. MHI intends to introduce our “Crystal Mover” system from Atlanta to every cornerof the world.
In closing, we would like to extend our gratitude to everyone who has contributed to thecompletion of this APM system.