HYPERLOOP

The Future of Transportation

TO :- SRINIDHI SIR
ND
2 SEM , M SECTION
By - Hrishita R , Manish K Gowda, Tejaswini S, Varun R
 HYPERLOOP

Hyperloop is a proposed high-speed mass transportation system for

both passenger and freight transport. The term was invented to describe
the modern open-source project. Hyperloop is described as a sealed
tube or system of tubes with low air pressure through which a pod may
travel substantially free of air resistance or friction. The Hyperloop could
potentially move people or objects at airline speeds while being energy
efficient compared with existing high-speed rail systems. This, if
implemented, may reduce travel times compared to train and airplane
travel over distances of under approximately 1,500 kilometres (930
miles).

 CONCEPT ART OF HYPERLOOP INNER WORKINGS

It has three major components: a tube, pod, and terminal.

The tube is a large sealed, low-pressure system that can be constructed
above or below ground. A coach runs inside this controlled environment
and is often referred to as a pod.

The pod employs magnetic or aerodynamic levitation (using air-bearing

skis) along with electromagnetic or aerodynamic propulsion to glide
along a fixed guideway.
The terminals arrivals and departures.

The Hyperloop concept has its roots in a concept invented by George

Medhurst in 1799 and subsequently developed under the names
pneumatic railway, atmospheric railway or vactrain.
 Elon Musk mentioned the Hyperloop in 2012, bringing it back to public
attention.
His initial concept incorporated reduced-pressure tubes in which
pressurized capsules ride on air bearings driven by linear induction
motors and axial compressors.
The Hyperloop Alpha concept was first published in August 2013,
proposing and examining a route running from the Los Angeles region to
the San Francisco Bay Area, roughly following the Interstate 5 corridor.
The Hyperloop Genesis paper conceived of a hyperloop system that
would propel passengers along the 350-mile (560 km) route at a speed
of 760 mph (1,200 km/h), allowing for a travel time of 35 minutes, which
is considerably faster than current rail or air travel times.

 HISTORY

The vactrain concept was first proposed by Robert H. Goddard in 1904.

The concept was also depicted in the 1973 movie Genesis II where an
elaborate "sub shuttle" subterranean rapid transit system was
constructed to interlink cities and continents. [citation needed]
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. Musk envisions
the more advanced versions will be able to go at hypersonic speed. In
May 2013, Musk likened the Hyperloop to a "cross between a Concorde
and a railgun and an air hockey table".
In June 2015, SpaceX announced that it would build a 1-mile-long (1.6
km) test track to be located next to SpaceX's Hawthorne facility. The
track would be used to test pod designs supplied by third parties in the
competition.

By November 2015, with several commercial companies and dozens of

student teams pursuing the development of Hyperloop technologies, the
Wall Street Journal asserted that "The Hyperloop Movement", as some
of its unaffiliated members refer to themselves, is officially bigger than
the man who started it."

The MIT Hyperloop team developed the first Hyperloop pod prototype,
which they unveiled at the MIT Museum on 13 May 2016. Their design
uses electrodynamic suspension for levitating and eddy current braking.
A number of routes have been proposed for Hyperloop systems that
meet the approximate distance conditions for which an Hyperloop is
hypothesized to provide improved transport times (distances of under
approximately 1,500 kilometres (930 miles)). Route proposals range
from speculation described in company releases to business cases to
signed agreements.

 MISSION

The goal is to enable passengers to travel great distances in a short

amount of time. It has been estimated by Elon Musk that the system,
which would link Los Angeles and San Francisco would cost $6 billion
and provide passengers with tickets for as low as $20 a trip. Part of its
appeal is that the hyperloop could feasibly allow for safer travel than
cars provide as there would be no opportunity for collisions and far less
vulnerability to inclement weather.
 Supporters argue that hyperloop could be cheaper and faster than
train or car travel and cheaper and less polluting than air travel. They
claim that it's also quicker and cheaper to build than traditional
highspeed rail. Hyperloop could therefore be used to take the pressure
off gridlocked roads, making travel between cities easier and potentially
unlocking major economic benefits as a result.

 MODEL

The basic idea of Hyperloop as envisioned by Musk is that the

passenger pods or capsules travel through a tube, either above or below
ground. To reduce friction, most -- but not all -- of the air is removed from
the tubes by pumps.

Overcoming air resistance is one of the biggest uses of energy in

high-speed travel. Airliners climb to high altitudes to travel through less
dense air; in order to create a similar effect at ground level, Hyperloop
encloses the capsules in a reduced-pressure tube, effectively allowing
the trains to travel at airplane speeds while still on the ground.
In Musk's model, the pressure of the air inside the Hyperloop tube
is about one-sixth the pressure of the atmosphere on Mars (a notable
comparison as Mars is another of Musk's interests). This means 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.
The Hyperloop capsules in Musk's model float above the tube's
surface on a set of 28 air-bearing skis, similar to the way that the puck
floats just above the table on an air hockey game. One major difference
is that it is the pod, not the track, that generates the air cushion in order
to keep the tube as simple and cheap as possible. Other versions of
Hyperloop use magnetic levitation rather than air skis to keep the
passenger pods above the tracks.

The pod would get its initial velocity from an external linear
electric motor, which would accelerate it to 'high subsonic velocity' and
then give it a boost every 70 miles or so; in between, the pod would
coast along in near vacuum. Each capsule could carry 28 passengers
(other versions aim to carry up to 40) plus some luggage; another
version of the pods could carry cargo and vehicles. Pods would depart
every two minutes (or every 30 seconds at peak usage).
The pods will get their velocity from an external linear electric motor --
effectively a round induction motor (like the one in the Tesla Model S)
rolled flat. Under Musk's model, the Hyperloop would be powered by
solar panels placed on the top of the tube which would allow the system
to generate more energy than it needs to run.

 THE PROBLEMS PLAGUING THE HYPERLOOP

Constructing a tube hundreds of kilometres long would be an

engineering marvel in of itself. However, introducing a tube hundreds of
kilometres long that operates at a near perfect vacuum which can
support the force of capsule weighing thousands of kilograms as it
travels hundreds of kilometres an hour is nothing short of sci-fi fantasy.

Small scale experiments reveal the fundamentals of the idea are sound.
Although, in the real world, there are too many factors that cannot be
accounted for with a small-scale design.

In the real world, there are tens of thousands of kilograms of

atmospheric pressure which threatens to crush any vacuum chamber.
There is also the problem with thermal expansion which threatens to
buckle any large structure without proper thermal expansion capabilities.
The Hyperloop would also be stupendously expensive. There are many
unavoidable problems facing the Hyperloop that threaten the structural
integrity, and every human life on board. The problems can be
addressed, but at a great cost.

Below are the most compelling problems engineers must still address
before any full-scale vacuum train system will carry a human life.

 PRESSURE

Continuously lingering above the near perfect vacuum tubes of the

proposed Hyperloop is thousands of kilograms of atmosphere.

Before the Hyperloop becomes operational, the transportation tubes that

will stretch hundreds of kilometres across the US will have to support
the entire weight of the atmosphere above it. Essentially, the weight will
accumulate about 10,000 kg per meter squared. That is, for every square
meter of tube, there will be over 10,000 kg crushing down on it.

Since the proposed Hyperloop will extend 600 km with a diameter of

about two meters, it will maintain a surface area of
about four million meters squared. Given one square meter will
experience 10,000 kg of force, the Hyperloop will have to endure
nearly 40 billion kilograms of force over its entire surface.

A small compromise in the structure of the tube would result in a

catastrophic implosion. If the tube became punctured, external air would
tear into the tube, shredding it apart as it violently rushes in to fill the
void. The effects would be similar to the railroad tank car vacuum
implosion displayed below - only many times more violent.

 HIGH SPEED SWITCHES

In the hyperloop network all hubs are connected with links. However,
there are multiple ways to connect to a hub using the links. An option is
to directly connect all hubs similar to a metro system. All links pass
through the stations, where the pods have to stop. Another option is to
use a highway system, using ramps towards and from the station. This
allows pods to cruise past the station and direct links throughout the
whole network can be created. For the latter option, high speed switches
are required to switch onto the ramps.
High speeds switches can be valuable for the hyperloop as it can
increase the efficiency of the system and reduce the average travel
times. The technological development of high speeds switches is in its
infancy and feasibility needs to be proven.

 EMERGENCY EXITS

Emergency exits in some form are required for the hyperloop. There are
always emergencies that could occur in the tube and people must be
evacuated. However, designing an emergency exit system that both
accommodates sufficient safety and acceptable costs is complex.  What
emergencies are critical and to what emergencies the system needs to
be designed, is unclear.
A hyperloop has never been built and operated before, so practical
experience and data is not readily available. It is hard to determine what
is acceptable in terms of safety.
  FINANCING THE HYPERLOOPS

The hyperloop will cost a good amount of money, but someone has to
finance it. The maglev is a technology that makes use of magnetic
levitation and is mainly used in Japan and China. However, the maglev is
hardly getting momentum due to its high costs. Although the hyperloop
does have quite some advantages over the maglev, the same problem
should be averted. Whether the governments, companies or private
investors will pay is unsure. But a combination of parties is likely.
The challenge that lays here is closely related to the business case
mentioned earlier. The hyperloop is promising, but if there are no
financers for the project, it is not going to be realised.
FUTURE PLANS

A number of routes have been proposed for Hyperloop systems that

meet the approximate distance conditions for which hyperloop is
hypothesized to provide improved transport times. Route proposals
range from speculation describe in company releases to business cases
to signed agreements.

In India Hyperloop transportation technologies are in process to sign

a letter intent with the Indian Government for a proposed route between
Chennai and Bangalore. If things go as planned, the distance of 345 km
could be covered in 30 minutes. HTT also signed an agreement to build
India’s first Hyperloop project connecting Amaravati to Vijayawada in a
6minute ride.

On 22nd February 2018, Hyperloop one has entered into a MOV with
the Government of Maharashtra to build a hyperloop transportation
system between Mumbai and Pune that would cut the travel time from
the current 180minutes to just 20minutes.