By: Ajay V.
Edited by: Raiyan B. and Jeremy H.
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Neuhausengroup CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons |
What is a Hyperloop?
The hyperloop is a revolutionary transportation method first proposed by Elon Musk in 2013. The technology was intended to be an extremely fast transportation system that could whiz people from city to city in a matter of minutes through tube-like tunnels. Unlike conventional transportation systems, the hyperloop uses magnetic levitation to propel itself, similar to the super-speedy bullet trains that operate in Japan. The most amazing feature about this transportation system is an incredible speed it can travel at. The fastest a hyperloop can go is estimated by Virgin Hyperloop One (a hyperloop development company) to be around 670 mph. For context, that is a lot faster than the average jet airliner. Not only is the hyperloop fast, but it also offers extremely comfortable rides. Read on to learn more about how this transport system is able to achieve both amazing speed and comfort.
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| Image by Sam Churchill via Flickr |
How Does it Work?
MagLev
The hyperloop uses a relatively new type of technology called MagLev (magnetic levitation) to move. This type of technology is used in Japanese bullet trains, which is a public transportation system that can travel upwards of 300 mph. This technology has two parts: levitation and propulsion. The levitation part of the magnetic system is responsible for lifting the hyperloop vessel off the ground. This will dramatically reduce the friction, in turn, increasing the speed of the hyperloop drastically. The propulsion system of the hyperloop uses the attraction and repulsion force of magnets to move. There are magnets located at the bottom of the vessel a couple of feet apart from each other. They are powered by electricity and something unique about them is that they can repeatedly switch from being positive and negative. Because of the speed, more and more people are becoming interested in this new technology
In order to start the hyperloop, the magnets are set to negative in order to attract the positive magnets located on the bottom of the hyperloop. Because of the attraction of the two magnets, the hyperloop will begin to move forward until the magnets on the actual vehicle are right next to the magnets. Then the magnet on the tunnel switches to positive simultaneously as another magnet a few feet ahead of the hyperloop switches to negative. This causes both an attraction of the hyperloop’s magnet and the negative magnet on the tunnel which pulls the vehicle forward while also having the positive magnet in the tunnel repel against the magnet on the hyperloop also pushing the hyperloop forward. This method of using magnets in order to propel the hyperloop is extremely efficient and is a proven way to make high-speed transportation. But there is one other feature of the hyperloop that differentiates it from other magnetic levitation vehicles.
Airless Tubes
The hyperloop has airless tunnels specially designed to reduce drag. Drag exists due to air, objects that travel through air receive push-back force from that air which can significantly slow down a vehicle. The hyperloop solves this problem. The hyperloop pods travel through a specialized tunnel. These tunnels, in addition to having magnets, also have air pumps attached to the sides (to pump air out of the tunnels). Although a complete vacuum is impossible the amount of air is dramatically reduced. This allows the hyperloop to travel at near-supersonic speeds.
If you're still a little bit confused about how the hyperloop works check out the video below I found when I was researching the hyperloop:
Pros of the Hyperloop
Hyperloops Can Cut Down Travel Time By A Lot
There are many problems the Hyperloop can solve. One of which is travel time. With cities getting more and more congested, building a hyperloop between major cities will cut the travel time by over 1000%. Furthermore, people can start to live further away from the city or work since the travel time would be very fast. Humanity can become so much more productive will all the time saved traveling using hyperloops!
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| Camilo Sanchez CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons |
Comfort and Luxury are at the Forefront of Development
The hyperloop is not only fast but comfortable and luxurious! How? Well, as said before, the hyperloop is frictionless. It basically floats above the ground. This eliminates any bumps, turns, and any other factors that slow down efficiency. Additionally, the hyperloop also has no drag. No drag means no turbulence or anything else that can shake up the vehicle.
With all this in mind, you might wonder how it feels like to sit in a hyperloop. According to one of the first human riders, “you’d barely feel it”. This experience would be a wonderful break from crowded trains and bumpy cars. The various companies developing the hyperloop have made it clear that their intention is to make sure that their hyperloops are luxurious as well. This comfort is sure to attract customers and could revolutionize modern travel as we know it.
The Hyperloop is Environmentally Sustainable.
The hyperloop is also very environmentally sustainable. Almost every transportation system in our current day is dominated by gas-powered vehicles. There are a small minority of electric-powered vehicles, but that isn’t widespread. But the hyperloop is built differently. It doesn’t run on gas but runs on purely electric power. If most of this electric power is harnessed by solar panels and other environmentally sustainable energy sources, this would cut our global emissions by a whopping 30%. This is definitely a transportation system that is an extremely beneficial way to cut our emissions and save our dying planet!
However, the hyperloop is still not the perfect solution to all of our transportation problems. Read on to learn more about the cons of the hyperloop...
Cons of the Hyperloop
The Cost of the Hyperloops
Despite the hyperloop’s amazing speed and comforts, it will also have its cons. The major problem is the cost. The hyperloop system would cost billions (maybe trillions) of dollars to successfully connect every system worldwide. It's extremely expensive and is a risky investment, however, the cost is dramatically decreasing! Virgin Hyperloop One believes that the cost of the hyperloop would be recouped in just 5 years of operation, and with the amazing demand you would expect if you could move from city to city in minutes, this prediction seems pretty accurate. The cost won't be able to keep the hyperloop from becoming a reality. But, the extremely high demand might spell a different problem for hyperloop development companies... a problem that has always plagued cars… traffic...
Traffic
At first glance at the hyperloop, you would think that the problem of traffic and congestion might finally be gone. The goals of many hyperloop development companies include decreasing congestion, and with superfast speeds, this seems possible. Faster speeds mean people are on the road for less time, right?
Although that is true, faster speeds might also mean longer distances and more trips. Say for example someone from New York might want to visit Disneyworld in Orlando. New York and Orlando are quite far from each other, so a person might decide to go to Orlando once a year. But what if the trip wasn't that long? What if the trip was only an hour and wasn't as expensive as going on a plane…? Well, now the person in New York would go to Disneyworld once in a while.
This increase in demand calls for an increase in supply (as mentioned, hyperloops are expensive), so ultimately it results in more traffic. This is a problem still being worked out, so I’m sure we’ll hear alternative solutions for this in the future. I highly doubt that this would stop the hyperloop from being built. Even with traffic, the hyperloop would still have tons of benefits that would still be worth the investment into the hyperloop.
When will Hyperloops become a Reality?
Virgin Hyperloop One says that the hyperloop would become a norm by 2030. By norm, they mean that we would already be using hyperloop as normal modes of transport. Hyperloop companies are already planning commercial transportation routes in countries in India, UAE, and France. Hyperloops are expected to become normalized very soon, and with their amazing statistics, I assure you that you can expect this revolutionary technology to be available to you in the near future. It’s really an amazing technological invention that will revolutionize travel. So stay on the lookout for the supersonic Hyperloop coming to your local city soon!
Thanks for reading, I hope you’re as excited about hyperloops as I am! Please share /subscribe to/share this blog if you enjoyed the read!
Sources:
1. McFarland, Matt. “Watch: People Travel in Virgin Hyperloop for the First Time.” CNN, 9 Nov. 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/11/08/tech/virgin-hyperloop-passengers/index.html. Accessed 15 June 2021.
2. “Virgin Hyperloop.” Virgin Hyperloop, 2020, virginhyperloop.com/. Accessed 15 June 2021.
3. “Virgin Hyperloop One.” Designworks, Designworks, 28 Feb. 2019, www.bmwgroupdesignworks.com/case_studies/dubai-hyperloop-capsule/. Accessed 15 June 2021.