A Technical Seminar Report

On

HYPERLOOP TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement

for the award for the degree of

Bachelor of Technology

In
ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

By

R. SRINIVAS

15JN1A04B7

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

SREE VENKATESWARA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

NorthRajupalem, Kodavaluru, S.P.S.R Nellore, A.P India-524316

Affiliated to J.N.T.U, Anantapur

[email protected]

www.svcn.ac.in
 DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS & COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING
SREE VENKATESWARA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Northrajupalem, Kodavaluru, S.P.S.R Nellore A.P – India- 524316.
Affiliated to J.N.T.U, Anantapur
[email protected],
www.svcn.ac.in.

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that The Technical seminar report entitled that HYPERLOOP
TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGIY is being submitted by R. SRINIVAS (15JN1A04B7)
in partial fulfillment for the award of the Degree of Bachelor of Technology in Electronics &
Communication Engineering to the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Anantapur is a
record of bonafide work carried out under my guidance and supervision.

Seminar Incharge Head of the Department

P.Giri Prasad(P.HD)

Dept. of ECE, SVCN. Dept. of ECE, SVCN.

2015-2019
 ABSTRACT
Existing conventional modes of transportation of people consists of four unique types: rail,
road, water, and air. These modes of transport tend to be either relatively slow (i.e., road and
water), expensive (i.e., air), or a combination of relatively slow and expensive (i.e., rail).
Hyperloop is a new mode of transport that seeks to change this paradigm by being both fast
and inexpensive for people and goods. Hyperloop is also unique in that it is an open design
concept. If we are to make a massive investment in a new transportation system, then the
return should by rights be equally massive. Compared to the alternatives, it should ideally
be:
• Safer
• Faster
• Lower cost
• More convenient
• Immune to weather
• Sustainability self-powering
• Resistant to Earthquakes
• Not disruptive to those along the route
Hyperloop consists of a low pressure tube with capsules that are transported at both low and
high speeds throughout the length of the tube. The capsules are supported on a cushion of
air, featuring pressurized air and aerodynamic lift. The capsules are accelerated via a
magnetic linear accelerator affixed at various stations on the low pressure tube with rotors
contained in each capsule. Passengers may enter and exit Hyperloop at stations located either
at the ends of the tube, or branches along the tube length. The system consists of capsules
that travel between Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh and Bangalore, Karnataka. The total trip
time is approximately half an hour, with capsules departing as often as every 30 seconds
from each terminal and carrying 28 people each. This gives a total of 7.4 million people each
way that can be transported each year on Hyperloop. The total cost of Hyperloop in this
analysis is under $6 billion USD. Amortizing this capital cost over 20 years and adding daily
operational costs gives a total of about Rs.1250 (in current year dollars) plus operating costs
per one-way ticket on the passenger Hyperloop.

I
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT I

CONTENTS II

LIST OF FIGURES III

LIST OF TABLES IV

Chapter 1: Introduction 1

1.1 Hyperloop Transportation 1

Chapter 2: Literature Review 2

2.1 Open-Source Conceptual Sizing Models for the Hyperloop Passenger Pod 2

2.2 The Next Contender in High Speed Transport Elon Musk’s Hyperloop 3

Chapter 3: Hyperloop Transportation System 4

3.1 Capsule 6

3.2 Tube 16

3.3 Propulsion 21

3.4 Route 24

3.5 Safety and Reliability 28

Chapter 4: Future Work 31

Conclusion 32

References 34

II
 LIST OF FIGURES
NAME OF FIGURES PAGE NO

FIGURE 3.1: Hyperloop conceptual diagram 5

FIGURE 3.2: Hyperloop tube stretching from Los Angeles to San Francisco 5

FIGURE 3.3: Hyperloop Passenger Capsule 7

FIGURE 3.4: Hyperloop passenger transport capsule conceptual design sketch 7

FIGURE 3.5: Air streamlines for capsule travelling at high subsonic velocities 8

FIGURE 3.6: Compressor schematic for passenger capsule 11

FIGURE 3.7: schematic for air bearing skis that support the capsule 12

FIGURE 3.8: typical vacuum pump speed for functional pressure range 16

FIGURE 3.9: hyperloop capsule in tube cutaway with attached solar arrays 18

FIGURE 3.10: Rotor and stator 3D diagram 23

FIGURE 3.11: The hyperloop route was created using Google Earth 26

III
 LIST OF TABLES
NAME OF TABLE PAGE NO

Table 3.1: Crew capsule weight and cost breakdown 14

Table 3.2: Cargo and crew capsule weight and cost breakdown 15

Table 3.3: Largest cities in California by 2013 population 27

IV
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CHAPTER-1
INTRODUCTION

1.1 HYPERLOOP TRANSPORTATION

The general idea of trains or other transportation travelling through evacuated tubes
dates back more than a century although the atmospheric railway was never a
commercial success. Elon Musk's Hyperloop may make the idea economically viable. Musk
first mentioned that he was thinking about a concept for a "fifth mode of transport", calling it
the Hyperloop, in July 2012 at a Pando Daily event in Santa Monica, California. This
hypothetical high-speed mode of transportation would have the following characteristics:
immunity to weather, collision free, twice the speed of a plane, low power consumption, and
energy storage for 24-hour operations.

The name Hyperloop was chosen because it would go in a loop. It eliminates direct emission,
noise, delay, weather concerns, and pilot error. The energy required to run this system will be
supplied by itself which will be produced by the solar panels affixed to upper part of tube .The
energy consumed by the hyperloop to drive its system is almost 80% of the total energy
generated by the solar panels thus 20% energy will be add extra money into hyperloop pocket.
Hyperloop is a conceptual design and a lot new innovations are also combined with them.

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CHAPTER-2
LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Open-Source Conceptual Sizing Models for the Hyperloop Passenger Pod

Hyperloop is a new mode of transportation proposed as an alternative to California’s

high speed rail project, with the intended benefits of higher performance at lower overall costs.
It consists of a passenger pod traveling through a tube under a light vacuum and
suspended on air bearings. The pod travels up to transonic speeds resulting in a 35 minute
travel time between the intended route from Los Angeles and San Francisco. Of the two
variants outlined, the smaller system includes a 1.1 meter tall passenger capsule traveling
through a 2.2 meter tube at 700 miles per hour. The passenger pod features water -based heat
exchangers as well as an on-board compression system that reduces the aerodynamic drag as it
moves through the tube.

Hyperloop is a conceptual transportation system designed to lower costs and travel times
relative to California’s current high-speed rail project. Elon Musk and a team of engineers
from Tesla Motors and the Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)
proposed the idea in August 2013 as an open design to be vetted and further refined
through public contribution. The concept deviates from existing high-speed rail designs by
eliminating the rails, enclosing the passenger pod in a tube under a partial vacuum, and
suspending the pod on air bearings. Propulsion is handled by a set of linear electromagnetic
accelerators mounted to the tube with the entire system held above ground on concrete
columns maintaining a relatively straight trajectory. Although Hyperloop is similar to other
vacuum tube train (VacTrain) concepts, the soft vacuum represents a distinct difference. It
allows the pod to run on air-bearings, thus removing the need for a magnetic levitation system
used on other VacTrain designs. The air bearings require a source of pressurized air, which is
provided by a compressor powered by on-board batteries. Although the original proposal
looks very promising, additional engineering and economic analyses are markedly necessary
before a more complete design can be developed.

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2.2 The Next Contender in High Speed Transport Elon Musk’s Hyperloop

Elon Musk, progressive futurist and business magnate has proposed a fifth mode of
transportation called the Hyperloop. Just as he did with the resurrection of electric vehicle, and
the privatization of space flight, Musk is taking the established concepts of the vactrain and
maglev technology and is attempting to bring it back into the spotlight but with key
improvements. This paper attempts to provide a brief historical literature review of High
Speed Transport to Very High Speed Transit(VHST) and to discuss the limitations of the
existing and theoretical technologies of Maglev trains and evacuated tube transport. The
Hyperloop is proposed as the next contender in High Speed Transport, and a simplified energy
analysis is performed to aid in evaluating the feasibility of the Hyperloop. This paper also
attempts to highlight several features of the Hyperloop that distinguishes it from traditional
vactrains and evacuated tube technologies by using capsules or pods to travel in a medium
pressure environment as opposed to a difficult to maintain vacuum environment. A diffuser-
compressor-nozzle system has also been incorporated with it. This paper reviews the
Hyperloop concept and its specific advantages to the future development of a cost-effective
and sustainable high-speed mass transport technology.

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CHAPTER-3
HYPERLOOP TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

Hyperloop (Figure 3.1 through Figure 3.3) is a proposed transportation system for
travelling between Los Angeles, California, and San Francisco, California in 35 minutes. The
Hyperloop consists of several distinct components, including:

1. Capsule:

a. Sealed capsules carrying 28 passengers each that travel along the interior of the tube
depart on average every 2 minutes from Los Angeles or San Francisco (up to every 30 seconds
during peak usage hours).

b. A larger system has also been sized that allows transport of 3 full size automobiles
with passengers to travel in the capsule.

c. The capsules are separated within the tube by approximately 23 miles (37 km) on average
during operation.

d. The capsules are supported via air bearings that operate using a compressed
air reservoir and aerodynamic lift.
2. Tube:

a. The tube is made of steel. Two tubes will be welded together in a side by side
configuration to allow the capsules to travel both directions.
b. Pylons are placed every 100 ft (30 m) to support the tube.

c. Solar arrays will cover the top of the tubes in order to provide power to the system.

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3. Propulsion:

a. Linear accelerators are constructed along the length of the tube at various locations to
accelerate the capsules.

b. Linear rotors are located on the capsules to transfer momentum to the capsules via
the linear accelerators.

4. Route:

a. There will be a station at Los Angeles and San Francisco. Several stations along the way
will be possible with splits in the tube.

b. The majority of the route will follow I-5 and the tube will be constructed in the median.

Figure 3.1. Hyperloop conceptual diagram

Figure 3.2.Hyperloop tube stretching from Los Angeles to San Francisco.

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3.1. CAPSULE

Two versions of the Hyperloop capsules are being considered: a passenger only version and a
passenger plus vehicle version.

a) Hyperloop Passenger Capsule

Assuming an average departure time of 2 minutes between capsules, a minimum of 28

passengers per capsule are required to meet 840 passengers per hour. It is possible to
further increase the Hyperloop capacity by reducing the time between departures. The
current baseline requires up to 40 capsules in activity during rush hour, 6 of which are at the
terminals for loading and unloading of the passengers in approximately 5 minutes.

b) Hyperloop Passenger Plus Vehicle Capsule

The passenger plus vehicle version of the Hyperloop will depart as often as the passenger only
version, but will accommodate 3 vehicles in addition to the passengers. All subsystems
discussed in the following sections are featured on both capsules.

For travel at high speeds, the greatest power requirement is normally to overcome air
resistance. Aerodynamic drag increases with the square of speed, and thus the power
requirement increases with the cube of speed. For example, to travel twice as fast a
vehicle must overcome four times the aerodynamic resistance, and input eight times the
power.

Just as aircraft climb to high altitudes to travel through less dense air, Hyperloop encloses the
capsules in a reduce pressure tube. The pressure of air in Hyperloop is about 1/6 the pressure
of the atmosphere on Mars. This is an operating pressure of 100 Pascals, which reduces the
drag force of the air by 1,000 times relative to sea level conditions and would be equivalent
to flying above 150,000 feet altitude. A hard vacuum is avoided as vacuums are
expensive and difficult to maintain compared with low pressure solutions. Despite the low
pressure, aerodynamic challenges must still be addressed. These include managing the
formation of shock waves when the speed of the capsule approaches the speed of sound, and
the air resistance increases sharply. Close to the cities where more

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turns must be navigated, capsules travel at a lower speed. This reduces the accelerations felt
by the passengers, and also reduces power requirements for the capsule. The capsules travel at
760 mph (1,220 kph, Mach 0.91 at 68 ºF or 20 ºC).

The proposed capsule geometry houses several distinct systems to reside within the outer mold
line (Figure 4).

Figure 3.3.: Hyperloop passenger capsule.

3.1.1. GEOMETRY
In order to optimize the capsule speed and performance, the frontal area has been
minimized for size while maintaining passenger comfort (Figure 3.4 and Figure 3.5).

Figure 3.4. Hyperloop passenger transport capsule conceptual design sketch.

The vehicle is streamlined to reduce drag and features a compressor at the leading face to
ingest oncoming air for levitation and to a lesser extent propulsion. Aerodynamic

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simulations have demonstrated the validity of this ‘compressor within a tube’ concept
(Figure3.7).

Figure 3.5.Air streamlines for capsule traveling at high subsonic velocities.

a) Hyperloop Passenger Capsule

The maximum width is 4.43 ft (1.35 m) and maximum height is 6.11 ft (1.10 m). With
rounded corners, this is equivalent to a 15 ft2 (1.4 m2) frontal area, not including any
propulsion or suspension components.

The aerodynamic power requirements at 700 mph (1,130 kph) is around only 134 hp (100 kW)
with a drag force of only 72 lbf (320 N), or about the same force as the weight of one
oversized checked bag at the airport. The doors on each side will open in a gullwing (or
possibly sliding) manner to allow easy access during loading and unloading. The
luggage compartment will be at the front or rear of the capsule.

The overall structure weight is expected to be near 6,800 lb (3,100 kg) including the
luggage compartments and door mechanism. The overall cost of the structure including
manufacturing is targeted to be no more than $245,000.

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b) Hyperloop Passenger Plus Vehicle Capsule

The passenger plus vehicle version of the Hyperloop capsule has an increased frontal area
of 43 ft2 (4.0 m2), not including any propulsion or suspension components. This accounts for
enough width to fit a vehicle as large as the Tesla Model X.

The aerodynamic power requirement at 700 mph (1,130 kph) is around only 382 hp (285 kW)
with a drag force of 205 lbf (910 N). The doors on each side will open in a gullwing (or
possibly sliding) manner to allow accommodate loading of vehicles, passengers, or freight.

The overall structure weight is expected to be near 7,700 lb (3,500 kg) including the
luggage compartments and door mechanism. The overall cost of the structure including
manufacturing is targeted to be no more than $275,000.

3.1.2. COMPRESSOR

One important feature of the capsule is the on-board compressor, which serves
two purposes. This system allows the capsule to traverse the relatively narrow tube without
choking flow that travels between the capsule and the tube walls (resulting in a build-up of air
mass in front of the capsule and increasing the drag) by compressing air that is
bypassed through the capsule. It also supplies air to air bearings that support the weight of the
capsule throughout the journey. The air processing occurs as follows (Figure 3.8)

Hyperloop Passenger Capsule

1. Tube air is compressed with a compression ratio of 20:1 via an axial

Compressor.
2. Up to 60% of this air is bypassed:
a. The air travels via a narrow tube near bottom of the capsule to the tail.
b. A nozzle at the tail expands the flow generating thrust to mitigate some of
The small amounts of aerodynamic and bearing drag.

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3. Up to 0.2 kg/s of air is cooled and compressed an additional 5.2:1 for the

Passenger version with additional cooling afterward.

a. This air is stored in on-board composite overwrap pressure vessels.

b. The stored air is eventually consumed by the air bearings to maintain

Distance between the capsule and tube walls.

4. An on-board water tank is used for cooling of the air.

a. Water is pumped at 0.14 kg/s through two intercoolers (290 kg total
Mass of coolant).
b. The steam is stored on-board until reaching the station.

c. Water and steam tanks are changed automatically at each stop.

5. The compressor is powered by a 325 kW on-board electric motor:
a. The motor has an estimated mass of 169 kg, which includes power
electronics. An estimated 1,500 kg of batteries provides 45 minutes of
on - board power, which is more than sufficient for the travel
time with added reserve backup power.
b. On-board batteries are changed at each stop and charged at the stations.

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Figure 3.6: Compressor schematic for passenger capsule.

3.1.3. SUSPENSION

Suspending the capsule within the tube presents a substantial technical challenge due to
transonic cruising velocities. Conventional wheel and axle systems become impractical at high
speed due frictional losses and dynamic instability. A viable technical solution is
magnetic levitation; however the cost associated with material and construction is
prohibitive. An alternative to these conventional options is an air bearing suspension. Air
bearings offer stability and extremely low drag at a feasible cost by exploiting the
ambient atmosphere in the tube.

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Figure 3.7: Schematic of air bearing skis that support the capsule.

Externally pressurized and aerodynamic air bearings are well suited for the Hyperloop
due to exceptionally high stiffness, which is required to maintain stability at high speeds.
When the gap height between a ski and the tube wall is reduced, the flow field in the gap
exhibits a highly non-linear reaction resulting in large restoring pressures. The increased
pressure pushes the ski away from the wall, allowing it to return to its nominal ride
height. While a stiff air bearing suspension is superb for reliability and safety, it could create
considerable discomfort for passengers on-board. To account for this, each ski is integrated
into an independent mechanical suspension, ensuring a smooth ride for passengers. The
capsule may also include traditional deployable wheels similar to aircraft landing gear for ease
of movement at speeds under 160 kph and as a component of the overall safety system.

3.1.4. ONBOARD POWER

The passenger capsule power system includes an estimated 2,500 kg of batteries to power
the capsule systems in addition to the compressor motor (using 1,500 kg of the batteries) and
coolant. The battery, motor, and electronic components cost is estimated to be near
$150,000 per capsule in addition to the cost of the suspension system.

The passenger plus vehicle capsule power system includes an estimated 5,500 kg of
batteries to power capsule systems in addition to the compressor motor (using 4,000 kg of the
batteries) and coolant. The battery, motor and electronic components cost is estimated to be
near $200,000 per capsule in addition to the cost of the suspension system.

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3.1.5. PROPULSION

In order to propel the vehicle at the required travel speed, an advanced linear motor
system is being developed to accelerate the capsule above 1,220 kph at a maximum
comfort. The moving motor element (rotor) will be located on the vehicle for weight
savings and power requirements while the tube will incorporate the stationary motor
element (stator) which powers the vehicle.

The overall propulsion system weight attached to the capsule is expected to be near 1,300 kg
including the support and emergency braking system. The overall cost of the system is
targeted to be no more than $125,000. This brings the total capsule weight near 33,000 lb
(15,000 kg) including passenger and luggage weight.

3.1.6. COST OF CAPSULE

The overall cost of the Hyperloop passenger capsule version (Table 3.1) is expected to be
under $1.35 million USD including manufacturing and assembly cost. With 40 capsules
required for the expected demand, the total cost of capsules for the Hyperloop system
should be no more than $54 million USD or approximately 1% of the total budget.

Although the overall cost of the project would be higher, we have also detailed the
expected cost of a larger capsule (Table 3.2) which could carry not only passengers but cargo
and cars/SUVs as well. The frontal area of the capsule would have to be increased to 4 m2 and
the tube diameter would be increased to 3.3 m.

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Vehicle Component Cost ($) Weight (kg)

Capsule Structure & $ 245,000 3100

Doors:

Interior & Seats: $ 255,000 2500

Propulsion System: $ 75,000 700

Suspension & Air $ 200,000 1000

Bearings:

Batteries, Motor & $ 150,000 2500

Coolant:

Air Compressor: $ 275,000 1800

Emergency Braking: $ 50,000 600

General Assembly: $100,000 N/A

Passengers & Luggage: N/A 2800

Total/Capsule: $ 1,350,000 15000

Table 3.1:Crew capsule weight and cost breakdown

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Vehicle Component Cost ($) Weight (kg )

Capsule Structure & Doors: $ 275,000 3500

Interior & Seats: $ 185,000 2700

Propulsion System: $ 80,000 800

Suspension & Air Bearings: $ 265,000 1300

Batteries, Motor & Coolant: $ 200,000 5500

Air Compressor: $ 300,000 2500

Emergency Braking: $ 70,000 800

General Assembly: $ 150,000 N/A

Passengers & Luggage: N/A 1400

Car & Cargo: N/A 7500

Total/Capsule: $ 1,525,000 26000

Total for Hyperloop: $ 61,000,000

Table 3.2: Cargo and crew capsule weight and cost breakdown

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3.2. TUBE

The main Hyperloop route consists of a partially evacuated cylindrical tube that connects
the Los Angeles and San Francisco stations in a closed loop system (Figure 3.2). The
tube is specifically sized for optimal air flow around the capsule improving performance and
energy consumption at the expected travel speed. The expected pressure inside the tube will
be maintained around 100 Pa, which is about 1/6 the pressure on Mars or
1/1000 the pressure on Earth. This low pressure minimizes the drag force on the capsule while
maintaining the relative ease of pumping out the air from the tube. The efficiency of industrial
vacuum pumps decreases exponentially as the pressure is reduced (Figure 3.8), so further
benefits from reducing tube pressure would be offset by increased pumping complexity.

Figure 3.8: Typical vacuum pump speed for functional pressure range.

In order to minimize cost of the Hyperloop tube, it will be elevated on pillars which
greatly reduce the footprint required on the ground and the size of the construction area
required. Thanks to the small pillar footprint and by maintaining the route as close as
possible to currently operated highways, the amount of land required for the Hyperloop is
minimized.

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The Hyperloop travel journey will feel very smooth since the capsule will be guided
directly on the inner surface of the tube via the use of air bearings and suspension; this also
prevents the need for costly tracks. The capsule will bank off the walls and include a control
system for smooth returns to nominal capsule location from banking as well. Some
specific sections of the tube will incorporate the stationary motor element (stator) which will
locally guide and accelerate (or decelerate) the capsule. More details are available for
the propulsion system in section 3.3. Between linear motor stations, the capsule will
glide with little drag via air bearings.

3.2.1 GEOMETRY

The geometry of the tube depends on the choice of either the passenger version of
Hyperloop or the passenger plus vehicles version of Hyperloop. In either case, if the
speed of the air passing through the gaps accelerates to supersonic velocities, then shock
waves form. These waves limit how much air can actually get out of the way of the
capsule, building up a column of air in front of its nose and increasing drag until the air
pressure builds up significantly in front of the capsule. With the increased drag and
additional mass of air to push, the power requirements for the capsule increase
significantly. It is therefore very important to avoid shock wave formation around the
capsule by careful selection of the capsule/tube area ratio. This ensures sufficient mass air
flow around and through the capsule at all operating speeds. Any air that cannot pass
around the annulus between the capsule and tube is bypassed using the on-board
compressor in each capsule.

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Figure 3.9. Hyperloop capsule in tube cutaway with attached solar arrays.

The inner diameter of the tube is optimized to be 2.23 m which is small enough to keep
material cost low while large enough to provide some alleviation of choked air flow
around the capsule. The tube cross-sectional area is 3.91 m2 giving a capsule/tube area ratio of
36% or a diameter ratio of 60%.It is critical to the aerodynamics of the capsule to keep this
ratio as large as possible, even though the pressure in the tube is extremely low.

As the capsule moves through the tube, it must displace its own volume of air, in a
loosely similar way to a boat in water. The displacement of the air is constricted by the walls
of the tube, which makes it accelerate to squeeze through the gaps. Any flow not displaced
must be ingested by the on-board compressor of each capsule, which increases power
requirements.

The closed loop tube will be mounted side-by-side on elevated pillars. The surface above the
tubes will be lined with solar panels to provide the required system energy. This
represents a possible area of 14 ft (4.25 m) wide for more than 563 km of tube length. With an
expected solar panel energy production 120 W/m2, we can expect the system to produce a
maximum of 285 MW at peak solar activity.

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3.2.2 TUBE CONSTRUCTION

In order to keep cost to a minimum, a uniform thickness steel tube reinforced with
stringers was selected as the material of choice for the inner diameter tube. Tube sections
would be pre-fabricated and installed between pillar supports spaced 30 m on average,
varying slightly depending on location. This relatively short span allows keeping tube
material cost and deflection to a minimum.

The steel construction allows simple welding processes to join different tube sections
together. A specifically designed cleaning and boring machine will make it possible to surface
finish the inside of the tube and welded joints for a better gliding surface. In addition,
safety emergency exits and pressurization ports will be added in key locations along the length
of the tube.

a) PASSENGER HYPERLOOP TUBE

A tube wall thickness between 20 to 23 mm is necessary to provide sufficient strength for

the load cases considered in this study. These cases included, but were not limited
to, pressure differential, bending and buckling between pillars, loading due to the
capsule weight and acceleration, as well as seismic considerations. The cost of the
tube is expected to be less than $650 million USD, including pre-fabricated tube sections
with stringer reinforcements and emergency exits.

b) PASSENGER PLUS VEHICLE HYPERLOOP TUBE

The tube wall thickness for the larger tube would be between 23 to 25 mm. Tube cost
calculations were also made for the larger diameter tube which would allow usage of the
cargo and vehicle capsule in addition to the passenger capsule. In this case, the cost of the
tube is expected to be less than $1.2 billion USD. Since the spacing between
pillars would not change and the pillars are more expensive than the tube, the
overall cost increase is kept to a minimum.

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3.2.3 PYLONS AND TUNNEL

The tube will be supported by pillars which constrain the tube in the vertical direction but
allow longitudinal slip for thermal expansion as well as dampened lateral slip to reduce the
risk posed by earthquakes. In addition, the pillar to tube connection nominal position will be
adjustable vertically and laterally to ensure proper alignment despite possible ground
settling. These minimally constrained pillars to tube joints will also allow a smoother
ride. Specially designed slip joints at stations will be able to take any tube length
variance due to thermal expansion. This is an ideal location for the thermal expansion
joints as the speed is much lower nearby the stations. It thus allows the tube to be smooth and
welded along the high speed gliding middle section.

The spacing of the Hyperloop pillars retaining the tube is critical to achieve the design
objective of the tube structure. The average spacing is 30 m, which means there will be
roughly 25,000 pillars supporting both Hyperloop tubes and overhead solar panels. The pillars
will be 6 m tall whenever possible but may vary in height in hilly areas or where obstacles are
in the way. Also, in some key areas, the spacing will have to vary in order to pass over roads
or other obstacles. Small spacing between each support reduces the deflection of the
tube keeping the capsule steadier and the journey more enjoyable. In addition, reduced
spacing has increased resistance to seismic loading as well as the lateral acceleration of the
capsule.

Due to the sheer quantity of pillars required, reinforced concrete was selected as the
construction material due to its very low cost per volume. In some short areas, tunnelling may
be required to avoid going over mountains and to keep the route as straight as
possible.

The cost for the pillar construction and tube joints is anticipated to be no more than $2.55
billion USD for the passenger version tube and $3.15 billion USD for the passenger plus
vehicle version tube.

The expected cost for the tunneling is expected to be no more than $600 million USD for the
smaller diameter tube and near $700 million USD for the larger diameter tube.

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3.2.4 STATION CONSTRUCTION

Hyperloop stations are intended to be minimalist but practical with a boarding

process and layout much simpler than airports.

Due to the short travel time and frequent departures, it is envisaged that there will be a
continual flow of passengers through each Hyperloop station, in contrast to the pulsed
situation at airports which leads to lines and delays. Safety and security are paramount, and so
security checks will still be made in a similar fashion as TSA does for the airport. The process
could be greatly streamlined to reduce wait time and maintain a more continuous
passenger flow.

3.2.5 COST OF THE TUBE

The overall cost of the tube, pillars, vacuum pumps and stations is thus expected to be around
$4.06 billion USD for the passenger version of the Hyperloop. This does not include
the cost of the propulsion linear motors or solar panels. The tube represents
approximately 70% of the total budget.

The larger 3.3 m tube would allow the cargo and vehicle capsules to fit at a total cost
including the tube, pillars, vacuum pumps, and stations around $5.31 billion USD. This
minimal cost increase would allow a much more versatile Hyperloop system.

3.3 PROPULSION

The propulsion system has the following basic requirements:

1. Accelerate the capsule from 0 to 480 kph for relatively low speed travel in
urban areas.
2. Maintain the capsule at 480 kph as necessary, including during ascents over
the mountains surrounding Los Angeles and San Francisco.
3. To accelerate the capsule from 480 to 1,220 kph at the beginning of
the long coasting section along the I-5 corridor.
4. To decelerate the capsule back to 480 kph at the end of the I-5 corridor.

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The Hyperloop as a whole is projected to consume an average of 21 MW. This includes the
power needed to make up for propulsion motor efficiency (including elevation changes),
aerodynamic drag, charging the batteries to power on-board compressors, and vacuum pumps
to keep the tube evacuated. A solar array covering the entire Hyperloop is large enough to
provide an annual average of 57 MW, significantly more than the Hyperloop requires.

Since the peak powers of accelerating and decelerating capsules are up to 3 times the
average power, the power architecture includes a battery array at each accelerator. These
arrays provide storage of excess power during non-peak periods that can be used during
periods of peak usage. Power from the grid is needed only when solar power is not
available.

This section details a large linear accelerator, capable of the 480 to 1,220 kph. Smaller
accelerators appropriate for urban areas and ascending mountain ranges can be scaled
down from this system.

The Hyperloop uses a linear induction motor to accelerate and decelerate the capsule.
This provides several important benefits over a permanent magnet motor:

Lower material cost – the rotor can be a simple aluminium shape, and does
not require rare-earth elements.
Lighter capsule.
Smaller capsule dimensions.

The lateral forces exerted by the stator on the rotor though low at 13 N/m are inherently
stabilizing. This simplifies the problem of keeping the rotor aligned in the air gap.

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Figure 3.10: rotor and stator 3D diagram.

Each accelerator has two 70 MVA inverters, one to accelerate the outgoing capsule, and one to
capture the energy from the incoming capsule. Inverters in the 10+ MVA power range are not
unusual in mining, drives for large cargo ships, and railway traction. Moreover, 100+
MVA drives are commercially available. Relatively inexpensive semiconductor
switches allow the central inverters to energize only the section of track occupied by a capsule,
improving the power factor seen by the inverters. The inverters are physically located at the
highest speed end of the track to minimize conductor cost.

3.2.1 ENERGY STORAGE COMPONENTS

Energy storage allows this linear accelerator to only draw its average power of 6 MW (rather
than the peak power of 55 MW) from its solar array. Building the energy storage element out
of the same lithium ion cells available in the Tesla Model S is economical. A

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battery array with enough power capability to provide the worst-case smoothing power has a
lot of energy – launching 1 capsule only uses 0.5% of the total energy – so
degradation due to cycling is not an issue. With proper construction and controls, the
battery could be directly connected to the HVDC bus, eliminating the need for an
additional DC/DC converter to connect it to the propulsion system.

3.3.2 COST OF PROPULSION

As described above, the propulsion elements on the capsule are limited to the rotor and not
expected to cost any more than $3 million USD for the overall system. The bulk of the
propulsion cost is for the stator elements connected to the track and for the inverters to drive
the stator. All tube-side propulsion costs together for all linear accelerators add up to $140
million USD.

This cost is roughly divided as followed:

Stator and structure materials = 54%

Power electronics (traction inverters, grid tie inverters) = 33%
Energy storage = 13%

The solar array and associated electronics provide the required average power of 21 MW
and are expected to cost approximately $210 million USD.

3.4 ROUTE
The Hyperloop will be capable of traveling between Los Angeles and San Francisco in
approximately 35 minutes. This requirement tends to size other portions of the system. Given
the performance specification of the Hyperloop, a route has been devised to satisfy this design
requirement. The Hyperloop route should be based on several considerations,
including:
1. Maintaining the tube as closely as possible to existing rights of way (e.g.,
following the I-5).
2. Limiting the maximum capsule speed to 1,220 kph for aerodynamic
considerations.

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3. Optimizing locations of the linear motor tube sections driving

the capsules.
4. Local geographical constraints, including location of urban areas,
mountain ranges, reservoirs, national parks, roads, railroads, airports, etc.
The route must respect existing structures.

For aerodynamic efficiency, the speed of a capsule in the Hyperloop is typically:

480 kph where local geography necessitates a tube bend radii < 1.6 km
1,220 kph where local geography allows a tube bend > 4.8 km or
where local geography permits a straight tube.

These bend radii have been calculated so that the passenger does not experience inertial
accelerations too much. This is deemed the maximum inertial acceleration that can be
comfortably sustained by humans for short periods. To further reduce the inertial
acceleration experienced by passengers, the capsule and/or tube will incorporate a
mechanism that will allow a degree of ‘banking’.

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Figure 11: The Hyperloop route was created using Google Earth.

3.4.1 ROUTE OPTIMIZATION

In order to avoid bend radai that would lead to uncomfortable passenger inertial
accelerations and hence limit speed, it is necessary to optimize the route. This can be
achieved by deviating from the current highway system, earth removal, constructing
pylons to achieve elevation change or tunnelling.

The proposed route considers a combination of 6, 15, and 30 m, respectively pylon

heights to raise and lower the Hyperloop tube over geographical obstacles. A total tunnel
length of 24.5 km has been

included in this optimization where extreme local gradients (>6%) would preclude the
use of pylons. Tunnelling cost estimations are estimated at $50 million per mile ($31

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million per km). The small diameter of the Hyperloop tube should keep tunnelling costs to a
far more reasonable level than traditional automotive and rail tunnels.

3.4.2 STATION LOCATIONS

The major stations for Hyperloop are suggested based on high traffic regions
between major cities. The largest cities by metro population in California according to
2010 to
2012 estimates from various sources (Table 3) are considered for station locations.

City Population(millions)

Los Angeles 18.1

San Francisco 8.4

San Diego 3.1

Sacramento 2.6

Table 3.3: Largest cities in California by 2013 population.

Stations at these major population centers are considered for Hyperloop. One additional traffic
corridor to consider is between Los Angeles, California and Las Vegas, Nevada with a metro
population of 2.1 million. Significant traffic is present through this corridor on a weekly basis.

The traffic between Los Angeles, California and San Francisco/San Jose, California is
estimated to be at least 6 million travellers per year. This possibly represents the busiest
corridor of travel in California. Travel along this corridor is anticipated to increase with
completion of the Hyperloop due to both decreased travel time and decreased travel cost.

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3.5 SAFETY AND RELIABILITY

The design of Hyperloop has been considered from the start with safety in mind. Unlike
other modes of transport, Hyperloop is a single system that incorporates the vehicle,
propulsion system, energy management, timing, and route. Capsules travel in a carefully
controlled and maintained tube environment making the system is immune to wind, ice, fog,
and rain. The propulsion system is integrated into the tube and can only accelerate the capsule
to speeds that are safe in each section. With human control error and unpredictable
weather removed from the system, very few safety concerns remain.

Some of the safety scenarios used is unique to the proposed system, but all should be
considered relative to other forms of transportation. In many cases Hyperloop is
intrinsically safer than airplanes, trains, or automobiles.

3.5.1 ONBOARD PASSENGER EMERGENCY

All capsules would have direct radio contact with station operators in
case of emergencies, allowing passengers to report any incident, to request help and to
receive assistance. In addition, all capsules would be fitted with first aid equipment.

The Hyperloop allows people to travel from San Francisco to LA in 30 minutes.

Therefore in case of emergency, it is likely that the best course of action would be for the
capsule to communicate the situation to the station operator and for the capsule to finish the
journey in a few minutes where emergency services would be waiting to assist.

Typical times between an emergency and access to a physician should be shorter than if an
incident happened during airplane take-off. In the case of the airplane, the route would need
to be adjusted, other planes rerouted, runways cleared, airplane landed, taxi to a gate,
and doors opened. An emergency in a Hyperloop capsule simply requires the system to
complete the planned journey and meet emergency personnel at the destination.

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3.5.2 POWER OUTAGE

The vast majority of the Hyperloop travel distance is spent coasting and so the capsule
does not require continuous power to travel. The capsule life support systems will be
powered by two or more redundant lithium ion battery pack and so would be unaffected by a
power outage. In the event of a power outage occurring after a capsule had been
launched, all linear accelerators would be equipped with enough energy storage to bring all
capsules currently in the Hyperloop tube safely to a stop at their destination. In
addition, linear accelerators using the same storage would complete the acceleration of all
capsules currently in the tube. For additional redundancy, all Hyperloop capsules would be
fitted with a mechanical braking system to bring capsules safely to a stop.

In summary, all journeys would be completed as expected from the passenger’s

perspective. Normal travel schedules would be resumed after power was restored.

3.5.3 CAPSULE DEPRESSURIZATION

Hyperloop capsules will be designed to the highest safety standards and

manufactured with extensive quality checks to ensure their integrity. In the event of a minor
leak, the on-board environmental control system would maintain capsule pressure using
the reserve air carried on-board for the short period of time it will take to reach the
destination. In the case of a more significant depressurization, oxygen masks would be
deployed as in airplanes. Once the capsule reached the destination safely it would be
removed from service. Safety of the on-board air supply in Hyperloop would be very
similar to aircraft, and can take advantage of decades of development in similar systems. In
the unlikely event of a large scale capsule depressurization, other capsules in the tube would
automatically begin emergency braking whilst the Hyperloop tube would undergo rapid re-
pressurization along its entire length.

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3.5.4 CAPSULE STRANDED IN TUBE

A capsule becoming stranded in the Hyperloop tube is highly unlikely as the

capsule coasts the majority of the distance at high speed and so there is no propulsion required
for more than 90% of the journey.

If a capsule were somehow to become stranded, capsules ahead would continue their
journeys to the destination unaffected. Capsules behind the stranded one would be
automatically instructed to deploy their emergency mechanical braking systems. Once all
capsules behind the stranded capsule had been safely brought to rest, capsules would
drive themselves to safety using small on-board electric motors to power deployed
wheels.

All capsules would be equipped with a reserve air supply great enough to ensure the
safety of all passengers for a worst case scenario event.

3.5.5 STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE TUBE

A minor depressurization of the tube is unlikely to affect Hyperloop capsules or

passengers and would likely be overcome by increased vacuum pump power. Any minor tube
leaks could then be repaired during standard maintenance.

In the event of a large scale leak, pressure sensors located along the tube would
automatically communicate with all capsules to deploy their emergency mechanical
braking systems.

3.5.6 EARTHQUAKES

California is no stranger to earthquakes and transport systems and all built with
earthquakes in mind. Hyperloop would be no different with the entire tube length built with
the necessary flexibility to withstand the earthquake motions while maintaining the Hyperloop
tube alignment.

It is also likely that in the event of a severe earthquake, Hyperloop capsules would be
commanded remotely to actuate their mechanical emergency braking systems.

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3.5.7 HUMAN RELATED INCIDENTS

Hyperloop would feature the same high level of security used at airports. However, the
regular departure of Hyperloop capsules would result in a steadier and faster flow of
passengers through security screening compared to airports. Tubes located on pylons
would limit access to the critical elements of the system. Multiple redundant power
sources and vacuum pumps would limit the impact of any single element.
3.5.8 RELIABILITY

The Hyperloop system comprising all infrastructure, mechanical, electrical, and software
components will be designed so that it is reliable, durable, and fault tolerant over its service
life (100 years), while maintaining safety levels that match or exceed the safety standard of
commercial air transportation.

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CHAPTER-4
FUTURE WORK

Hyperloop is considered an open source transportation concept. The authors encourage all
members of the community to contribute to the Hyperloop design process. Iteration of the
design by various individuals and groups can help bring Hyperloop from an idea to a reality.

The inventors recognize the need for additional work, including but not limited to:

1. More expansion on the control mechanism for Hyperloop capsules,

including attitude thruster or control moment gyros.
2. Detailed station designs with loading and unloading of passenger and passenger
plus vehicle versions of the Hyperloop capsules.
3. Trades comparing the costs and benefits of Hyperloop with more
conventional magnetic levitation systems.
4. 4. Sub-scale testing based on a further optimized design to demonstrate the
physics of Hyperloop.

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CHAPTER-5

CONCLUSIONS

A high speed transportation system known as Hyperloop has been developed in this
report. The work has detailed two versions of the Hyperloop: a passenger only version and a
passenger plus vehicle version. Hyperloop could transport people, vehicles, and freight
between Los Angeles and San Francisco in 35 minutes. Transporting 7.4 million people each
way every year and amortizing the cost of $6 billion over 20 years gives a ticket price of $20
for a one-way trip for the passenger version of Hyperloop. The passenger only version
of the Hyperloop is less than 9% of the cost of the proposed passenger only high speed
rail system between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

An additional passenger plus transport version of the Hyperloop has been created that is only
25% higher in cost than the passenger only version. This version would be capable of
transporting passengers, vehicles, freight, etc. The passenger plus vehicle version of the
Hyperloop is less than 11% of the cost of the proposed passenger only high speed rail system
between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Additional technological developments and further
optimization could likely reduce this price.

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REFERENCE

1. Conceptional design of a hyperloop capsule with linear induction propulsion

system, Ahmed E.hodaib,samar f.Abdel Fattah,international journal of mechanical,
Aerosapce,Mechatronics and Manufacturing Engineering vol:10 no:5,2016.
2. Hyperloop Alpha pdf, Elon Musk.
3. Open-Source Conceptual Sizing Models for the Hyperloop Passenger Pod, Jeffrey
C. Chin et.al. NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH.
4. The Next Contender in High Speed Transport Elon Musks Hyperloop, Mark
Sakowski, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, Journal of Undergraduate
Research 9, 43-47 (2016).
5. http://www.spacex.com/sites/spacex/files/hyperloop_al.pdf
6. http://www.spacex.com/hyperloop
7. http://hyperloop.tamu.edu

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