Hyperloop official technical specifications are unveiled
23.08.2013 11:08
Inventor and entrepreneur Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and SpaceX Founder, has finally unveiled the alpha design for Hyperloop on Monday, Aug 12. Hyperloop is a mysterious transport system that is supposed to connect Los Angeles and San Francisco and then could be used in other places. As it was announced before, the capsule will move at an average speed of about 1000 km / h, and the system will not require external power sources other than the one which itself will provide.
Elon Musk announced Hyperloop in June, 2012 as a reaction to California's high-speed rail project, which promises to be even more high-cost than high-speed. Musk promised to present a project that will cost only 10% from the budget announced.
Nevertheless, Musk’s proposal poses more questions than answers. It’s still not clear what kind of energy the 5th type of transport, as the inventor called it, is going to use. Musk calls it a cross between 'Concorde and a railgun and an air hockey table' and says that the project doesn’t need the use of rails and could be used both on and under the ground.
“After publishing the project’s official specifications on Aug, 12 Hyperloop will be an open project and anyone who wants to build it can do it, -said Musk several days ago.- It’s going to be a project without patents, under open source license. I might return to the project several years later if no one is able to build it.” Musk also added that Hyperloop is “ a unique open design concept, similar to Linux.”
Project’s technical specifications prove the analysts assumptions that Hyperloop is a vacuum-sealed high-speed transit system with car-sized capsules moving in rarefied air.
The capsules are accelerated by linear electric motors. Specifications read tunnel working pressure to be 100 pascals, which is close to pressure in high-level atmosphere. The 20mm space between them is kept by electromagnetic field.
Maximum speed is 1220 km per hour on the SF-LA route will be reached by 0,5g speed-ups for maximum comfort of passengers. Within the city the capsules will move relatively slow without reaching the maximum speed.
The capsules can be launched from the platform with a 30 second pause with 28 passengers inside them. This will allow to transfer up to 7,4 mln people between SF and LA per year. Taking into account the project’s cost and amortization period(20 years), the tickets will cost about 20 dollars.
Solar panels on the tunnel roofs will give more than enough energy as the system needs 21 MW while the panels produce 57 MW. Energy excesses could be stored up as compressed air during the sunny days.
Source: http://habrahabr.ru/post/189876/
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