Hyperloop: The Future Of Transportation Soon To Be A Reality
Introduction
We have invented cars and trains to reduce the time to travel from one location to the other. We have invented superfast trains to cover a huge distance in no time. Is it the epitome of such transportation? No! There are limitless possibilities when it comes to land transport. One such futuristic concept is Hyperloop.
It is the brainchild of Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla. This concept has already been tested and proved to be very efficient. Hyperloop can be the next milestone of achievement in transportation we will achieve. Here is what we need to know about the Tesla Hyperloop project.
What is Hyperloop?
The Hyperloop is the proposed land transportation system designed by Tesla under the supervision of Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla. This is a unique concept where the passengers will be travelling in pods in a partially evacuated tube without suffering air resistance and rail friction. It will also have the maglev technology to reduce friction.
This concept has been designed including three prime elements which are pods, tubes, and terminals. The tubes will be at low pressure to reduce air friction. The pods will have a proper streamlined shape reducing air resistance to a minimum. The tubes will also have magnetically levitated rails to minimise rail friction.
The pods or coaches will experience normal atmospheric pressure as they will carry the passengers. The pods will be levitated and propelled using magnetic propulsion methods. This technology will make the coaches travel at a speed of 1100 km/hr or more.
The Elon Musk Hyperloop Blueprint
This new form of land transport will revolutionise transportation methods and will make our lives faster. Let us find out the features of the elements included in this project that make it unique.
The blueprint of this project contains two tubes connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco. It is the first design of this company tested to perfection. This project design comprises pods or coaches, terminals and tubes. The topping speed is expected t touch 1200 km/hr if everything goes as planned.
The tube will contain magnetic accelerators installed. These accelerators will propel a pod inside the tube forward using magnetic levitation technology. It is commonly called maglev technology and is currently used in Japanese bullet trains. These tubes will be mounted at a height of 100 feet from the ground. The design has considered the vibrations resulting from the movement of pods inside. In fact, the tubes will also be earthquake-proof.
Digital Representation of Hyperloop
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The tubes, as mentioned earlier, will be in low air pressure. It means that the pods will travel without facing any air resistance. One of the biggest drawbacks of land transport is air resistance. No air resistance will make the pods run fast, faster than bullet trains.
As per the design, the low pressure inside the tubes will create a cushion of air surrounding the pods for safe movement. These pods will not touch the inner surface of the tubes due to this cushioning effect of low-pressure air inside. The magnetic propellers will relay the pods forward resulting in attaining such a huge speed in a very short span of time. This is what is Hyperloop pod can be described as.
Elon Musk explains that this technology is the perfect fusion of Concorde, air hockey and rail guns. An air hockey table sends in a thin layer of air making the puck levitate. Rail guns use magnetic propulsion to shoot projectiles at a very high speed. Concorde is a supersonic flight service that flew at a low air resistance zone to achieve a high speed of 2160 km/hr.
Thus, Hyperloop is proposed mode of land transport that will make long-distance journeys less time-consuming and energy efficient when compared to the conventional transport systems we use.
Benefits of Hyperloop
These benefits mentioned below will clearly depict how Hyperloop outsmarts all the land transport systems developed and used in the modern days.
1. Air Pollution
Almost all land transport systems use fossil fuels and contribute to the huge carbon footprint generated by the engines. The massive use of fossil fuels results in an uncontrollable increase in carbon dioxide levels. This results in global warming and climate changes.
Hyperloop uses minimum energy to create magnetic levitation. The energy will be drawn from the solar panels set on the tubes. Hence, the carbon footprint will reduce considerably. Hence, this transportation system will be self-powering and an eco-friendly initiative that will help us fight air pollution and global warming.
2. Fastest known Land Transport
Due to the lowest air resistance and nil rail friction, Hyperloop Elon Musk will be the best land transport design we have achieved in modern times. Even the fastest bullet train had to minimise air resistance by following a kingfisher-beak design. In this case, the pods running inside a tube will feel less air resistance and will be able to carry more passengers faster.
The time taken to travel between major cities will reduce considerably. It will be an economic boon for modern countries.
3. Cost-efficient
This project is highly cost-efficient. Even if it sounds so futuristic, it will cost around US$ 60 billion to complete the proposed San Francisco-Los Angeles project. It is less than the California rail project offering a high-speed railways service (US$ 68 billion). Hence, Hyperloop will be faster and more cost-efficient than such latest rail projects.
Speeding to the Future
This brainchild of Tesla is not a new concept. It first appeared with the name ‘Vactrain’ (vacuum train) dating back to 1799. The modern version of this project with better designs and technological advancement is Hyperloop. On worldwide implementation, it can surely revolutionise land transport and the world economy with its benefits.
