Hyperloop is a proposed method of transportation that would transport passengers in pods or capsules traveling through low-pressure tubes at over 700 mph. The pods float on air skis or magnetic levitation to reduce friction, allowing much higher speeds than traditional trains. Supporters argue Hyperloop could provide cheaper, faster, more sustainable travel between cities than planes, trains, or cars. The first Hyperloop systems may be operational by 2020, with potential initial routes including New York to DC and cities in India, Europe, and elsewhere. Key to Hyperloop is maintaining low pressure within tubes to reduce air resistance similar to high-altitude air travel.
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Hyperloop
Hyperloop is a proposed method of transportation that would transport passengers in pods or capsules traveling through low-pressure tubes at over 700 mph. The pods float on air skis or magnetic levitation to reduce friction, allowing much higher speeds than traditional trains. Supporters argue Hyperloop could provide cheaper, faster, more sustainable travel between cities than planes, trains, or cars. The first Hyperloop systems may be operational by 2020, with potential initial routes including New York to DC and cities in India, Europe, and elsewhere. Key to Hyperloop is maintaining low pressure within tubes to reduce air resistance similar to high-altitude air travel.
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What is Hyperloop?
Hyperloop is a new form of ground transport currently
in development by a number of companies, It could see passengers travelling at over 700 miles an hour in floating pod which races along inside giant low- pressure tubes, either above or below ground.
What makes Hyperloop different?
There are two big differences between Hyperloop and traditional rail. Firstly, the pods carrying passengers travel through tubes or tunnels from which most of the air has been removed to reduce friction. This should allow the pods to travel at up to 750 miles per hour. Secondly, rather than using wheels like a train or car, the pods are designed to float on air skis, using the same basic idea as an air hockey table, or use magnetic levitation to reduce friction. What are the benefits of Hyperloop? 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 high-speed 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. When are the first Hyperloops going to be available? A number of different companies are working to turn the idea into a functioning commercial system. Hyperloop technology is still in development even though the basic concept has been around for many years. At the moment, the earliest any Hyperloop is likely to be up and running is 2020 but most services are expected to be later, as trials of the technology are still in their early stages. Where will Hyperloop services run? It's still not clear where Hyperloops will actually be established but a number of companies have sketched out routes in the US, Europe, and elsewhere. Potential routes include New York to Washington DC, Pune to Mumbai, Kansas City to St Louis, Bratislava to Brno, Vijaywada and Amaravati, and many more. How does a Hyperloop tube work? 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.