Let’s know about the future of the mass travel at a speed of more than 1080kph in a pod which moves in a long hollow tube with near 0 Aerodynamic drag. We could reach from New York to Washington DC in just 30 min. Impressive isn’t it.
HYPERLOOP:
Hyperloop, is a different creation all together. It resembles a conventional Train in its working, a maglev in its technology and an aeroplane in its speed. Hyperloop is a mode of landtransport in long giant tubes under very low pressure, reason for its high speed. The tubes could be above land, on land, or below land. The passengers will travel in a pod, something like a closed capsule. It could carry passengers from one station to another in a fraction of time taken today. The pods work on the magnetic levitation, further reducing friction. There are Solar Panels attached on the top of the tubes to power the tubes’ lighting and power.
Within some years, Hyperloop will be the future of mass travel by providing very fast, seamless connectivity across the cities. Elon Musk and Richard Branson are both working independently on this idea. The trial test have already been conducted by Richard Branson- founder of Virgin Group. It has achieved the speed of 670MPH(1080KPH), nearly ten times the speed of the fastest Magleev bullet train.
What are Pods?
Pods are capsule like structure carrying passengers from one place to another. These capsules will be powered by battery and will have a whole covers artificially developed air pressure inside for the passengers to travel comfortably. The pods will travel inside the tube and will accelerate gradually via electric propulsion through a low-pressure tube.
Working of Hyperloop:
In Hyperloop technology, a near Vacuum environment(air pressure similar at around 200,000ft from Sea) is created inside the tube which enables High speeds and low power consumption by eliminating the Aerodynamic Drag. The vacuum is created using giant Fans which push the air outside the tube. The tubes could be over land or even below land and have large solar panels attached to the top of the tube. This would reduce power consumption making it a good source of renewable transport.
The Hyperloop works on a modular design, i.e., unlike trains, the Pods are not physically connected. The Pods will float along the track using magnetic levitation(as in Maglev but much more efficient) and will glide at airline speeds for long distances without much loss of power. This is done by an engine containing an array of electromagnets lifting and guiding the pods on track. This feature allows the pods to take different directions and route at the desired diversions without vibrations and noise. These electromagnets will also help Pods to reduce speeds and come to a halt. will pull the pods in particular direction by maintaining correct polarity with the tracks and reaching the desired destination in a network of many other pods reaching different places.
This mode of transport will be super quiet as it will have no physical touch and will glide in tube. All this technology will lead to Hyperloop having a near zero emissions.
Features of a Hyperloop:
Speed:
Passengers could travel at the speed of aeroplanes while having the convenience like that of a train. It will travel at a speed 3x faster than that of a high speed Rail. The experimented speed could reach to a marvellous 670mph(1080kph). The acceleration will be very similar to that of a metro so as to make the ride as comfortable as possible. It will be so smooth that a person drinking coffee won't even spill a single drop. The Hyperloop could reach upto 1000kph in under 5minutes.
Ecological as well as Super Quiet:
The use of Solar panels above the long tubes will reduce the power requirements from other sources significantly. The company claims for a Net 0 direct emissions from Hyperloop hence making it an Ecological process.
The use of magnetic levitation, Vacuum, and other Aerodynamic structures has led to create it Super Quiet for the travellers. The noise will be similar to that of an electric car.
The operational benefits over others:
Since the pods will travel in a closed tube, the delays because of weather could be eliminated. The closed environment would also eliminate chances of interference by external factors.
The autonomous nature of Hyperloop will further eliminate chances of Human Error and provide a hassle free travel for its passengers. It also means its precise location and condition can be judged to provide assistance if needed.
The small pods carrying upto 28 passengers could switch its track at a very high speeds. This will disconnect it from the present network and reach its destination to pick other passengers. This would provide convenience of an on-demand car and increased efficiency compared to trains.
A portal could be made to connect Hyperloop to other modes of transport for seamless, end to end Journey.
Constructional Benefits over High Speed Rail:
The Hyperloop will require around half the cross-sectional area of the tunnel to accommodate pods compared to high speed rail network . It will also require less width and less turning radius to make a hyper loop tunnel. It could travel at much higher speeds even at a higher grade of slopes.
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