For the first time, the idea of vacuum trains was voiced in Europe in the 19th century. In Russia, they worked on moving objects through a pipe in a vacuum in the early 1900s, but the First World War prevented the idea from being completed..
Today this type of transport does not seem unrealistic. All thanks to the initiative and perseverance of the main techno-romantic – Ilona Mask.
What is a Hyperloop Vacuum Train?
- Passenger Hyperloop is a pipeline with a diameter of 2.23 meters and wagons designed for 2 rows of seats (14 in each row).
- Passenger-freight is a track with a diameter of 3.3 meters, where people can travel with their cars (like on ferries).
Elon Musk proposed making the Hyperloop vacuum train in 2013, as a response to the idea of the US government to build a high-speed railway. By 2029, the California High-Speed Rail was due to link San Francisco and Los Angeles. It was assumed that trains would have reached speeds of 322 km / h with a total investment of about $ 68 billion. Musk called this project the most expensive and slowest railway in the world..
The entrepreneur promised to develop a new transport, which should move 2 times faster than the plane. Musk later said that the project will be 10 times cheaper than the state. According to him, Hyperloop is a cross between an airplane, an electromagnetic gun and an air hockey table..
Outwardly, the entire system resembles an elevated pipeline on supports, inside of which capsule wagons move. But while the project has not yet been finalized, the construction of routes and tunnels has not been completed.
How Hyperloop Works
Most likely, in reality, Hyperloop will be far from ideal. Now developers rely on several principles.
No friction and counter resistance
Not a full vacuum is maintained in the pipe, but a forevacuum — a preliminary vacuum with a maximum residual pressure (about 0.1% of atmospheric pressure). The vacuum train does not collide with the friction of the supports and the resistance of the oncoming air. Airtight tunnel minimizes aerodynamic losses, so the train overcomes the sound barrier.
Linear motor
The capsule is driven by a linear motor that creates an electromagnetic field. Stator – aluminum rail on the track floor. The rotor is in the capsule. To get electricity, they want to put solar panels on the roof of the train.
Oncoming flow – for the benefit of traffic
In front of the passenger capsule is a fan and compressor. Behind them is a compartment with people, and batteries are installed in the tail. The fan creates an air cushion. The basis of her work is the use of oncoming air flow, which the train still encounters due to its high speed. This flow is directed under the wagon to reduce friction and create a soaring effect over the rails..
Depressurization is not scary
An electric compressor in capsules collects compressed air on board in case of depressurization. In the event of a power outage, batteries will save that will give a reserve of 45 minutes of movement – enough to get to the next station.
What tasks should Hyperloop solve?
- Cheap transportation system. It is planned that a one-way ticket from Los Angeles to San Francisco will cost no more than $ 20, and total investment in the project – $ 7.5 billion – will pay off in 20 years..
- Bridging distances quickly. Elon Musk expects that the train will accelerate to 480-1220 km / h, which means that the road to San Francisco can be reached in half an hour (the same way will take from New York to Washington). The developers doubt the figure of the declared maximum speed, but they have already managed to reach the mark of 387 km / h in tests.
- Lack of traffic jams and lateness. Passengers do not need to wait long for the capsule to arrive and adjust to the schedule. Hyperloop will walk like a subway.
Tests and trial runs
On May 11, 2016, Hyperloop One first conducted a public engine test in North Las Vegas. A special rail section of the route was made in the desert. The prototype of the train (or rather, the electromagnetic cart) accelerated to 160-180 km / h in almost a second, drove 100 m, and then began to stop.
In 2017, it became known about the closed May tests on the DevLoop highway in Nevada. At a speed of 112 km / h on a 30-meter section of the landfill, the overload was 2g.
In July of that year, Hyperloop One organized another test on the same track (already extended to 500 m). In a vacuum, it turned out to accelerate the module to 310 km / h. At the test site, conditions were created similar to an altitude of 60 thousand meters above sea level (the upper boundary of the Earth’s atmosphere with minimal friction and air resistance).
In December 2017, the company dispersed the capsule to 387 km / h.
Risk and criticism
Overload
The main object of criticism of the entire project is overload. Elon Musk planned that the acceleration in capsules would not exceed 1g, so passengers should normally perceive movement.
In fact, if during a trip of Hyperloop people will feel as comfortable as the passengers of the liners, then during acceleration, braking, cornering of the train, unpleasant sensations may arise. Therefore, developers opt for straight and even tunnels, but you can’t lay them like this everywhere.
During overloads, the internal organs of a person by inertia move in the opposite direction, from which blood circulation is disturbed and there is a danger of injuries and exacerbation of diseases (from migraines and rupture of blood vessels to strokes and oxygen starvation).
Without preparation, an ordinary person is ready to withstand a maximum of 1.5g, but Hyperloop developers claim that in the final version the overload will not exceed 1.3g.
Seismic risks
Engineers have to solve the problem with seismic risks. Track supports must be stable against earthquakes and compensate for them.
Skeptics of the project note that there is no significant evidence of Hyperloop security yet. Moreover, there were no open tests in conditions close to an earthquake.
There are potential risks with obtaining land rights and protests by residents of certain areas against the construction.
Depressurization
If a gap occurs in any section of the pipeline, then a shock wave will pass through the entire pipe, which will propagate at the speed of sound. All passengers inside the transport system will die. For this reason, most likely, Hyperloop will first be experienced as a freight train..
Economic benefit
Skeptics say that the economic feasibility of the project is not guaranteed. Big investments are needed, there are many uncertainties and unresolved issues. No one knows how expensive the entire project will be, and how many years it takes to recoup it..
Hyperloop in Russia: we also know how?
There are also projects of quick and inexpensive travel links in Russia. At the St. Petersburg University of Railways, a magnetic cushion train is being designed. Without a vacuum track, but a speed of 400 km / h is planned.
The construction of a magnetic highway is being prepared from the Bely Rast logic center (Moscow region) to Ust-Luga (Leningrad region).
In 2016, Hyperloop One at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum signed an agreement with Summa Group on the development of Hyperloop. By design, the vacuum compounds should connect the new Moscow and airports. And the Ministry of Transport proposed to build a 70-kilometer highway in the Far East to create a logistics corridor with China.
As is known from the media, the idea is supported by Vladimir Putin. True, this is not about public funding, but about the formation of an investment environment.
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Can someone explain what exactly a Hyperloop Vacuum Train is? I’ve heard of it, but I’m not sure how it works and what makes it different from conventional trains or other modes of transportation. Any insights would be appreciated!