The Hyperloop : The Fastest Transportation Ever Designed
Friday, March 29, 2024
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The Hyperloop is by no means a new idea," says Rod Muttram, formerly of Bombardier Transportation and Railtrack "It has been previously suggested as a possible transatlantic transport system. The only novel feature I see is the proposal to put the tubes above existing roads." So what chance does Mr Musk have if so many others have failed?  "I don't see anything that violates fundamental laws of physics," writes John Hansman, a professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT.  He says the question is not "Could you do it?" but "Could you do it in a way that makes sense from an energy-efficiency standpoint and makes sense from an economic standpoint?" It is that economic side of Mr Musk's plans that have come under scrutiny since he announced his plans on Monday. Indeed, unlike some of the arguably more out-there entrepreneurs of yesteryear, most are in agreement that the science of the Hyperloop, although not yet demonstrated, at least makes a good deal of sense.

 

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Although not a vacuum tube, Hyperloop would need to operate at reduced pressure.   Mr Musk claims his plans would come in well under the cost of the high-speed rail infrastructure being built around the world.  

 

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But others are far from convinced: "From personal experience of high-vacuum systems," says Mr Muttram, "maintaining a high vacuum and the quality of alignment needed over such a long distance in an earthquake area would need some innovative engineering, and the infrastructure cost-quoted looked optimistic to me."  His concerns are shared by Pat Hanlon, a senior lecturer in transport economics at the University of Birmingham.  Passengers would undergo forces of gravity similar to an aeroplane, Mr Musk said  "Throughout history, almost all major transport innovations turn out to cost much more to develop than originally anticipated," he says.

 

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Even before investment in erecting the high-speed link could be considered, attention must be paid to research costs, says another expert.

"The technical problems involved in converting ideas like these into a commercial ground transportation system fully engineered to present-day safety standards are immense," says Alan Wickens, visiting professor at Loughborough University and a former director of research at British Rail. "Musk's estimate of the cost of the system at 6bn is also extremely optimistic, even if all the technology was off-the-shelf."

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