Effects+of+the+Hyperloop

= Introduction =

toc The Hyperloop is a high speed “fifth mode of transportation” proposed by entrepreneur Elon Musk in 2013 [2]. The utilization of specialized pods traveling through reduced pressure tubes allow the Hyperloop to travel at speeds near the speed of sound making trips like San Francisco to Los Angeles only a half hour in length [2][ 8][10]. Since its proposal, Musk has encouraged university students and innovators alike to develop and improve upon the original ideas to see what else the idea can do other than just increase travel speeds. Research has shed light on how exactly the Hyperloop works and what advantages come from how it works as well as the resulting travel and environmental impacts from those advantages. = = = How It Works =

General Design
The general design can be described as pneumatic capsule transport. It operates by air under pressure, vacuum technologies, [|magnetic levitation] or air bearings, and linear accelerators [5]. The use of all those different components together allow the Hyperloop to significantly dampen opposing forces of movement and in turn give it the mentioned advantages [4].

Near Vacuum Tube
A near vacuum tube is exactly what it sounds to be, a tube that is pressurized to the point of near vacuum and in the Hyperloop’s case, 100 Pascals [5][6]. 100 Pascals is the most commonly used pressure specification amongst the many Hyperloop designs as it has proven to be advantageous by minimizing [|drag force] while maintaining the ease of creation of the pressurized tube [5]. Although the design for creating the pressurized tube differs from study to study, the general proposed method for making the pressurized environment is done with vacuum pumps in varying locations lying along the tube depending upon what company or group design is being examined [1][5][3]. The creation of the near vacuum environment contributes to the reduction of opposing forces by effectively removing the air that would originally create a resistive drag force [4][5].

Magnetic Levitation and Air Bearings
After the elimination of resistive drag force the only other significant resistive force that would act on the Hyperloop when moving is the friction force between the capsule and the tube itself. The two proposed methods to overcome this resistive force are magnetic levitation and air bearings. Magnetic levitation would be used by repelling the pod in all directions in the tube which would result in the capsule floating in the middle of the tube and thus eliminating any resistive friction force due to movement [1]. In nearly all current designs magnetic levitation is not used as its cost in terms of material, construction and maintenance all prove to be expensive [6][1]. The solution to the prohibitive cost aspects of magnetic levitation is found in the use of air bearings. In the tube, the air bearings would provide a cushion of air to directed areas around the pod making it float in the center of the tube [4]. The design of the pods is ultimately what will create the necessary air cushions. Pod design creates these cushions by a front mounted air compressor that has two main functions. It’s first function is to suck in incoming air when traveling down the tube and force it to specified areas that when hit with the compressed air result in the pod floating much like an air hockey table works [6].

This pod design, from Elon Musk’s Hyperloop Alpha design, shows a possible configuration of air bearings labeled as air cushions fed by the air compressor mounted on the front of the pod. The air compressors second function is to helps remove even more air from in front of the pod which in combination with the pressurized tube environment results in even less resistance in forward movement [6]. Air bearings allow for the space between pods and the tube to be very efficiently maintained as any reduction in the space between the tube and pod would result in large restoring forces that push the pod back to optimal ride height [1][6]. With the significant reduction of the two primary resistive forces, the pods would be able to essentially glide through the tube at a constant speed once accelerated.

Linear Accelerator
Linear accelerators are what will ultimately propel the pods of the Hyperloop. The accelerators are essentially unraveled electric motors that are placed along straight lengths of tube. The pods are accelerated by them when a rotor fin enters the track of the linear accelerators which then electrically induce forward movement by electrical current flowing through the accelerator tracks [5]. The image above gives a visual of the rotor in the tracks, or stator, of the linear accelerators. Although concepts of magnetic linear accelerators have been proposed, electric linear accelerators are much more commonly used as they result in much less money spent on materials and construction [1][5].

= Advantageous Effects Of Design =

Travel and Environmental Efficiency
In recent years, “advanced freight technology has led railways to be the most economically and environmentally efficient logistic (transit) system” but when implemented into the real world, the Hyperloop is projected to well surpass those efficiency limits [7][9]. The Hyperloop exceeds those limits not only in the obvious rate of transportation aspect by far surpassing freight, car and even train travel speeds, but also in regards to environmental factors and operation aspects [3]. Although there are [|supersonic jets] that may be able to travel faster than the Hyperloop, they are not necessarily more efficient. Seeing that the Hyperloop would be able to travel close to its maximum speed nearly the entire trip due to its design, and that supersonic jets require slower speeds for ascension and descendance, the Hyperloop is the more efficient option for sub hundred mile trips [9]. Since all components of the Hyperloop can be powered by clean energy, (solar, wind, nuclear etc.), and the Hyperloop can store energy in the form of compressed air, the Hyperloop clearly has the ability to reduce transport related carbon emissions [1][5][6][9]. The design of the Hyperloop also allows for solar panels to be mounted to the outside of the tube which results in it creating the energy necessary for it to operate [1][5][6].

Automation and Safety
Due to the Hyperloop being a pneumatic capsule transport system, it is also a system that is highly susceptible to being fully automated [3]. Along with automation comes the increase in efficiency of transportation of goods and people. Automation will eliminate the need for human pilots or drivers which results in the riddance of human error. Without human error, not only does the hyperloop become much safer as there is no room for human caused accidents but it also becomes more efficient in transport in general as there would be no human intervention that could result in increased travel time or lost or stolen cargo [8]. Along with the ability to never experience crashes, the Hyperloop would also be immune to weather effects that pose dangerous travel conditions for other current modes of transportation [8]. = = = Conclusion =

The referenced research studies provide information on how the Hyperloop works and what advantages come with how it works. The Hyperloop has very real applications of very fast and environmentally conscious transportation of people and cargo [3]. With the Hyperloop still only being in stages of pod component refinement and design testing; station design, specific power requirement calculations, and tube material choice are all areas involving the Hyperloop that require further research and development [3][6]. = = = References =

[1]N. Mclean, "Comparative Analysis of the Hyperloop against High Speed Rail for commuting between Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne", 2017. [Online]. Available: https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/data/UQ_414714/MCLEAN_Nicholas_thesis.pdf?Expires=1499577756&Signature=dki4Qn8xD0vdYvTWMbGHOgWVmanNIcf9Srbok~P~FL5gF6EjtN2uYJpU~86QA8VbUTWdNVf5BRNqqprtkzllbwyCfXXAbDVo9kjIWSSBLe1otzgNIc74C47WRiZqUHNzC51LdWiMo-DE6gpMQK9aeT8NuOHV46OpYldFWyy4v8Ic2jOrK5NGSu3BH4fHbCdeTJJlmMZPFju4sJJJ1HjsZYc~MpHEXlT5Ec2hlxvK9xaNKN0WTsHc3EAWKUqEuR7mU~7Yaa~CwA5jnE1yTd26ITwJ4gguVBoE-Rq8dNC6SVz0LYhkxpcAvu7NDhW4uyUtRKQzq~9lA6YkFYsMlrCQLg__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJKNBJ4MJBJNC6NLQ. [Accessed: 09- Jul- 2017].

[2]M. O'Rourke, "Gale - Enter Product Login", Go.galegroup.com, 2017. [Online]. Available: http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA357757989&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=fulltext&issn=00355593&p=AONE&sw=w&authCount=1&u=regis&selfRedirect=true. [Accessed: 09- Jul- 2017].

[3]O. Belova and M. Vulf, "Pneumatic Capsule Transport - ScienceDirect", Ac.els-cdn.com, 2017. [Online]. Available: http://ac.els-cdn.com/S1877705816321154/1-s2.0-S1877705816321154-main.pdf?_tid=5b32daca-60d3-11e7-ae1d-00000aacb360&acdnat=1499184834_d1374b3382f937b87d1cdf15f724ee6e. [Accessed: 09- Jul- 2017].

[4]J. Torchinsky, Jalopnik.com, 2017. [Online]. Available: http://jalopnik.com/a-physicist-explains-the-three-biggest-challenges-for-t-1123562141. [Accessed: 09- Jul- 2017].

[5]M. Imran, Hyperloop Technology. The Passenger Transport System, 4th ed. 2016.

[6]S. Jadhav, Construction Details and Safety Features of Fastest Mode of Transportation ‘Hyperloop’, 2nd ed. Vadgaon, Pune, 2016.

[7]S. Kaewunruen, J. Sussman and A. Matsumoto, "Grand Challenges in Transportation and Transit Systems", frontiersin.org, 2017. [Online]. Available: http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fbuil.2016.00004/full. [Accessed: 09- Jul- 2017].

[8]I. Srivastava, "Predicting Markets for Hyperloop Technology", Scholar.colorado.edu, 2017. [Online]. Available: http://scholar.colorado.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2037&context=csci_techreports. [Accessed: 09- Jul- 2017].

[9] SpaceX.com. (2017). //Hyperloop Alpha//. [online] Available at: http://www.spacex.com/sites/spacex/files/hyperloop_alpha-20130812.pdf [Accessed 3 Jul. 2017].

[10] Takaya, S. (2017). WARR Hyperloop - winning technology made in Munich (S2). [online] https://www.linkedin.com. Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/warr-hyperloop-winning-technology-made-munich-s2-takaya?articleId=6233074552407228416 [Accessed 3 Jul. 2017].

Hyperlinks

1.[|magnetic levitation] 2.[|drag force] 3.[|supersonic jets]