Engineering news
Yesterday, Hyperloop One announced the completion of a full systems test of the magnetically levitating rail transport system. A prototype pod hit 112 kmh (70 mph) in a 5.3s test on a track in Nevada, the company said. The 8.5m vehicle reached nearly 2Gs of acceleration as it levitated in the specialised vacuum tunnel on 12 May.
The company, and many other teams which have developed the concept since it was suggested by Elon Musk in 2013, believes Hyperloop could be a brand-new form of transport, revolutionising travel by ferrying people between cities at speeds of up to 1,200kmh.
Despite the “excitement” of completing a first trial, Hyperloop One have many questions to answer over the vehicle’s operation, said Philippa Oldham, head of transport at IMechE.
“As an engineer there still seems to be some gaps in the information regarding the risks and safety of the system itself,” she said. “There remains a challenge of cost, both in terms of design, production and maintainability, with figures initially quoted from the team already escalating. Building a sophisticated, evacuated tube system that is elevated on columns and aligned to a standard suitable for 700mph operation will definitely be a challenge.”
One of the main engineering challenges is managing track alignment, Oldham said. Very long stretches of straight track are needed for Hyperloop’s high speeds and no existing transport corridors in the UK are straight enough, she added.
Safety is also critical if the new transport system is ever going to work, she added. “Travelling at those speeds means that any fault in the system would mean everyone on board would die - just as you would at 60,000m if you were rapidly decompressed.”
However, Hyperloop One bosses say the transport will make the world “cleaner, safer and faster”. The next tests will aim for speeds of 400kmh on longer tracks.