Hyperloop

[Beati Dogu]

Nice footage of the competition venue and the SpaceX factory:

https://vimeo.com/201610485

Spot the falcon 9 gate guard.


As for the results:

"The Delft Hyperloop team, of Delft University in the Netherlands, got the highest overall score. Technical University of Munich, Germany secured the award for the fastest pod. And MIT placed third overall in the competition, which was judged by SpaceX engineers."

http://uk.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-hyp...

[Beati Dogu]

A journey onboard a hyperloop ...err...train.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYxgfpWW5Q8


Best played alongside this video in another window:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvuvljREPlI

[Monty Python]

So to design the pods they got students rather then professional engineers (shows how much confidence there must be in the concept). It took ages to get the pods in and evacuate the less then 1 mile long tube. Top speed was 80km/h.

Still a long way to go....literally.

[Einion Yrth]

Musk posited Hyperloop as a concept, but said that he would not develop it himself; subsequent to that he has paid for the development of a mile of, admittedly subscale, evacuated track, and sponsored (as in cash money) a bunch of teams to see what they can do with the concept. Professional engineers were not disbarred from the competition as far as I know. What do you want, blood? The man's trying to make something from spaceflight.

[Monty Python]

Einion Yrth said:

Musk posited Hyperloop as a concept, but said that he would not develop it himself; subsequent to that he has paid for the development of a mile of, admittedly subscale, evacuated track, and sponsored (as in cash money) a bunch of teams to see what they can do with the concept. Professional engineers were not disbarred from the competition as far as I know. What do you want, blood? The man's trying to make something from spaceflight.

I'm not after anyone's blood - I want to see a genuine proof of the concept, and so far they're not even close. If it's as easy as those involved make it seem, then they should put their money where their mouths are and build something that demonstrates that the whole thing is feasible.

[Beati Dogu]

Musk is just trying to spur interest and help get the party started. There are commercial organisations developing it as well, such as Hyperloop One and Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrh_pWIgEVQ

[Monty Python]

Even so, how hard would it be to build a scaled-down working version of it, rather than going all-out on full-scale demonstrations that have, to date, proved virtually nothing except Musk is a great showman.

[Beati Dogu]

The technology isn't even settled yet. There's various ways to implement magnetic levitation for example. Others teams were using wheels for slow speed and air bearings for fast. I don't have a problem encouraging a bunch of students to put their minds to experimenting with this stuff.

[jammy-git]

Monty Python said:

Even so, how hard would it be to build a scaled-down working version of it, rather than going all-out on full-scale demonstrations that have, to date, proved virtually nothing except Musk is a great showman.

I didn't think the demoes were full scale?

[Monty Python]

jammy-git said:

I didn't think the demoes were full scale?

The pipes were full size - the prototype "vehicles" weren't.

[xRIEx]

Monty Python said:

jammy-git said:

I didn't think the demoes were full scale?

The pipes were full size - the prototype "vehicles" weren't.

The pipes look to be about 1m diameter, judging by the people standing near.

[Beati Dogu]

6 foot diameter pipes actually and 0.75 of a mile long.

[hyphen]

Branson and co have now invested in Hyperloop One, terms and value of their stake not disclosed. To be renamed Virgin Hyperloop One now of course.

London to Edinburgh being touted in 50 minutes being touted.

[Beati Dogu]

As demonstrated by 007 in The Living Daylights back in 1987.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCm3ZZBae6I


Not to mention The World is Not Enough and Diamonds are Forever, which was set in the desert outside Las Vegas, just like Hyperloop One's test track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1kqpFqgyyo

[dudleybloke]

It won't work.

[gadgetmac]

hyphen said:

Branson and co have now invested in Hyperloop One, terms and value of their stake not disclosed. To be renamed Virgin Hyperloop One now of course.

London to Edinburgh being touted in 50 minutes being touted.

Looking at how long it took to get HS1 up and running and how long its taking to get HS2 to the same situation an (as yet unproven) Hyperloop from London to Edinborough must be at least 20 years away.

[anonymous-user]

This^^^

I just don't get it. Do people want to get from one end of the country to the other in a short period? Are they willing to pay to do that, especially when the cost of a ticket will have to be enormous to cover the massive extra installation and running costs. I mean, rail tickets are expensive already, and all you need is a couple of steel rails, a lot of stone ballast and some carriages.


Concorde vs the 747 pretty much proved that cost is the most important factor in mass transit.......

[Einion Yrth]

Certainly I can see issues. Do I want to get from London to Edinburgh in 50 minutes? I don't live in either city so /branch lines?/ (yes I'm taking the p1ss). Even if I were in a position to want to make such a trip 50 minutes in what is effectively a coffin doesn't tempt me. I think it'll likely be a niche market.

[Toaster]

Einion Yrth said:

I think it'll likely be a niche market.

Agreed just like battery operated Trikes (I'm thinking of the C5)

[Toaster]

Max_Torque said:

This^^^

I just don't get it. Do people want to get from one end of the country to the other in a short period? Are they willing to pay to do that, especially when the cost of a ticket will have to be enormous to cover the massive extra installation and running costs. I mean, rail tickets are expensive already, and all you need is a couple of steel rails, a lot of stone ballast and some carriages.


Concorde vs the 747 pretty much proved that cost is the most important factor in mass transit.......

Hasn't any one told Musk that there are a lot of towns between London and Edinburgh......