What is Hyperloop
Hyperloop is a new form of ground transport currently in development by a number of companies, It could see passengers travelling at over 700 miles an hour in floating pod which races along inside giant low-pressure tubes, either above or below ground.
If you’re wondering how these things are supposed to work, here’s the nutshell version: sleek metal pods hurtle through low-pressure, windowless vacuum tubes with the help of magnetic levitation and electromagnetic propulsion — kind of like the pneumatic tubes used in libraries and bank drive-thrus, but not really; they’re far more powerful and sophisticated. Jet-like speeds could exceed 500 mph and top out around 670. (By comparison, a Boeing 747 cruises at 540 mph). And the ride, whether elevated or subterranean, will reportedly be much smoother — or so a company engineer told the New York Times earlier this year.
How would Hyperloop be powered?
The pods will get their velocity from an external linear electric motor — effectively a round induction motor (like the one in the Tesla Model S) rolled flat. Under Musk’s model, the Hyperloop would be powered by solar panels placed on the top of the tube which would allow the system to generate more energy than it needs to run.
What will it feel like to travel in a Hyperloop?
“Although Hyperloop will be fast, the systems we are building will accelerate with the same tolerable G-forces as that of taking off in a Boeing 747,” it said. Acceleration and deceleration will be gradual, it added, with no G-forces and turbulence.
Travelling in a concrete pipe in a windowless pod means there isn’t going to be much to look at; Musk’s original vision said that “beautiful landscape will be displayed in the cabin” and each passenger will have access their own personal entertainment system.
Will Hyperloop be a success?
If the technology is still in development, that’s also very true of the business models to support it. The success of Hyperloop will vary depending on the destinations, local economics, and geography. Trying to build a new line overland across England, for example, can prove an expensive and complicated business which can take many years (as the ongoing HS2 controversy has shown). In other countries where land is cheaper or where routes can travel through less populated areas, it may be easier to get services up and running faster.
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