Hyperloop
- 1. Introduction Hyperloopoffersapotential revolutionintransport.Itcouldtransformhow we perceivedistance by enablingaircraftspeedsatgroundlevel inanon-demandpoint-to-pointtransportsystem.Bristolcould become a suburbof Edinburgh!Frankfurt,Schiphol, Heathrow andCharliesde Gaullecouldbecome a newsuper-hubairportanditwouldopenupopportunitieswe can’tevenconceiveof yet. Hyperloop refers to the concept described by Elon Musk in his paper, Hyperloop Alpha1, published in 2013 and involves either passenger or freight carrying vehicles that operate inside tubes with air evacuated to create a low-pressure environment. The reduced air resistance resulting from the low- pressure environment could enable the vehicles to reach very high speeds; 2-3 times faster than high speed rail. Proponents also claim that the system can enable direct, on-demand travel rather than a scheduled service as provided by other forms of public transport, could be more environmentally friendlythanothermodesandcouldbe cheaperthanhigh-speedrail. The project team consulted with hyperloop developers, industry and academia to investigate the technical requirements and challenges of hyperloop. These challenges were mapped onto the capability of the UK supply chain, and prioritisation of those key areas where investment of public funding will stimulate UK Industry to provide future support to hyperloop and associated technology applications to the benefitof the UK economy. This project has not attempted to assess the technical feasibility of hyperloop. Hyperloop is relatively early in the R&D lifecycle, although the information presented to the project team suggests that there is no technical reason why a hyperloop cannot be built, and the more significant challenge is associated with minimising infrastructure cost. Some key system design decisions still appear to be yet to be finalised, and discussions suggest that there are technical areas where further development is needed. This includes energy storage, thermal management, propulsion and connectivity. Other areas that would assisthyperloopdevelopersinclude creatingenterprise businessmodels. BackgroundCONTEXT The idea of a mass transport system that involves propelling vehicles along low pressure tubes was discussed as long ago as the late 17th century following the invention of the world’s first artificial vacuum. Many subsequent configurations have been attempted for transporting both small parcels and messages, and even passengers, such as the following experimental system erected at the American Institute inNewYork. Throughout the mid-1850s, several more pneumatic railways were built in Dublin, London, and Paris. The London Pneumatic Despatch system was meant to transport parcels, but it was large enough to carry people,too.Tomark itsopening,the Duke of Buckinghamtraveledthroughitin1865.
- 2. Throughout the 20th century, scientists and science fiction writers imagined transit systems that would work like a Hyperloop. In the 1956 story "Double Star," for example, sci-fi author Robert Heinlein wrote about"vacutubes." In the early 2000s, transportation startup ET3 designed a pneumatic-and-maglev train. The design featurescar-sizedpodsthatwouldtravel inelevatedtubes.
- 3. Three years later, Elon Musk published his proposal for the Hyperloop in a 57-page white paper. According to his design, sealed pods containing 28 people each would whisk through tubes. A trip from NYC to DC wouldtake 29 minutes,he tweetedin2017. Objectives the purpose of hyperloop are reducing construction, great distance in short amount of time, travel at high speed and maintance costs of the rail. compared to the alternatives, it should ideally be: 1. safer 2. faster 3. lower cost 4. more convenient 5. immune to weather 6. sustainably self powering 7. resistant to earthquakes 8. controllability Why the need? Conventional means of transportation (road, water, air, and rail) tend to be some mix of expensive, slow, and environmentally harmful. Road travel is particularly problematic, given carbon emissions and the fluctuating price of oil. As the environmental dangers of energy consumption continue to worsen, mass transit will be crucial in the years to come. Rail travel is relatively energy efficient and offers the most environmentally friendly option, but is too slow and expensive to be massively adopted. At distances less than 900 miles, supersonic travel is unfeasible, as most of the journey would be spent ascending and descending (the slowest parts of a flight.) Given these issues, the Hyperloop aims to make a cost-effective, high
- 4. speed transportation system for use at moderate distances. As an example of the right type of distance, Musk uses the route from San Francisco to L.A. (a route the high-speed rail system will also cover). The Hyperloop tubes would have solar panels installed on the roof, allowing for a clean and self-powering system. scope