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With Elon Musk back in the news due to his forced purchase of Twitter, we thought it would be a prime time to discuss one of his other projects, Hyperloop. Hyperloop is a modern mode of passenger or cargo transportation that was first proposed by a joint team from Tesla and Space X. Hyperloop can be defined as a sealed cylindrical trackway that allows the container vehicles to move through it without experiencing opposing forces of motion, e.g., air resistance or friction.
It is always intriguing to know how such wondrous inventions work. The basic principle applied here is linear motors. Pumps in the loop keep pushing air outward with the pods. In addition, an air compressor and fans push the air down and out, causing the pod to levitate. The magnetic effect of a linear motor will also result in pod levitation.
Hyperloop is a transport solution for traveling extensive distances like airplanes since it can allow tremendous speeds of around 1000-1200km/h, which is surprisingly more than some airplanes can achieve. Not only is it high-speed, but it is also environmentally friendly since it doesn’t emit any greenhouse gases and uses low amounts of energy. Another jaw-dropping feature of Hyperloop is that it would create no noise! However, compared with the other modes of transportation in its league, i.e., airplanes and high-speed rails, its capacity is less. One significant advantage of a hyperloop is that since it is a closed tube, it will be resistant to weather changes and will hence offer no delays due to changing weather.
Some have wondered if it is even possible for human bodies to handle the speed Hyperloop promises. Hyperloop will reach its top speed by accelerating like other forms of transportation, taking some time so that safety is somewhat mitigated. However, the security of the braking system is currently debated among authorities.
Hyperloop is expected to be cheaper than Airplanes and other transportation means. For example, the proposed ticket price by Elon Musk is around $20 for a trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles, a distance of approximately 350 miles, compared to $50 for a High-Speed Rail and approximately $80 for an airplane.
Multiple companies are developing Hyperloop, like Space X, Tesla, Virgin Hyperloop, TransPod, Arrivo, etc. The timeline for Hyperloop’s release has been pushed back from time to time, but the latest news is that Virgin Hyperloop is expected to be released by 2030. So, are you ready for the LOOP, the Hyperloop, that is?
