The construction of the test track Hyperloop 5 miles long starts
Welcome to the pages of the blog iCover ! As expected, the situation with the project of the supersonic train Ilona Mask Hyperloop was continued: the office of Transportation Technologies in the person of the chief executive officer of the project Hyperloop announced the earliest launch of the construction of a full-size test track in Quay, California.
It is assumed that the Ilona Mask Hyperloop train will be able to cover the distance between Los Angeles and San Francisco at 561 km in just 30 minutes. The movement of cigar-shaped capsules, in each of which it is planned to accommodate 28 people, will occur due to the magnetic fields and the engine with a residual pressure in the pipe of 0.001 ... 1.0 mmHg. Art., created by fore pump. The planned Hyperloop travel speed on flat sections of the route should be 1,200 km (760 miles) / hour.
')
Rather contradictory information about the ongoing work, the fate of the project and the prospects for its implementation from time to time pops up in the leading media and is more confusing than it gives an objective idea. A pleasant exception to the emerging trend was the statement by Bibop Gabriele Gresta (Bibop Gabriele Gresta) - the chief executive director of the Hyperloop project to Dezeen correspondents about the nearest plans to launch the construction of a test 8-kilometer track in Quay (California). At the thematic conference held on October 21 in London under the pretentious slogan “Transport to the Future” he announced the tactical and strategic plans of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies for the coming years.
According to the information provided by Grest, the start of work on the construction of a test track in the Quay Valley will start just in the next few weeks. The place was not chosen randomly. As a source of electricity at the time of the test, it was decided to use solar cells from a nearby city in Kings County. Completion of construction is planned in 2016, after which, until 2018, tests will be conducted. If everything goes as planned, since 2018 the hyper-speed train Hyperloop will be able to serve passengers in normal mode.
Upon completion of the construction of the track at the initial stage of testing, it is planned to transport passengers at a speed of 160 miles per hour with its phased increase. Empty capsules in test mode are planned to drive at a maximum speed of 760 miles / hour. With the successful implementation of the project, Ilona Mask Hyperloop, delivering passengers along the planned route in just 30 minutes, will be able to lead the rating of the fastest passenger vehicles to date, overtaking the Japanese levitating Maglev , which set a speed record of 603 km / h in April this year.
In comparison, the flight on the route San Francisco - Los Angeles by the aircraft of the companies Virgin America, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines takes, on average, 1.20 hours, with a ticket price of $ 50 one way and $ 95 in both. It is possible to overcome the same way by car, on average, in 5-5.5 hours. Hyperloop also carries passengers in just 30 minutes, and, according to Grest's belief, is completely free.
The comparative assessment is impressive, but, as it always happens with the projects of the century, their implementation requires much more effort, time and money than expected at the start.
The news that the project is nearing its final stage and overgrown with flesh is good news. At the same time, according to Grest, there are moments that significantly complicate its implementation. One of them is the sharply increased estimated cost of work on the construction of a 5-mile test track, taking into account the requirements for seismic resistance and weather conditions. And, if initially the whole complex of construction works was estimated at $ 100 million, then according to the latest calculated data, this figure increased by 1.5 times, coming close to 150 million (ÂŁ 98 million). Accordingly, with the most superficial average calculation of the cost of construction and launch of the Hyperloop track along its entire length, the originally planned costs of $ 6 billion can also be increased by more than 1.5 times. At the same time, Gresta is absolutely sure that at the stage of introduction of serial samples the final cost of the project will be significantly reduced.
Other official information also came out somewhat unexpectedly: even in case of successful implementation of construction work on the site in the Quay Valley and subsequent successful testing of capsules, the Hyperloop project will most likely be implemented outside the United States. Moreover, Gresta made a reservation, at this stage preliminary negotiations have already been held with representatives of the government of a number of countries interested in investing in the construction of Hyperloop tracks on their territory. Such a decision, according to the executive director of the project, is primarily due to the availability of financial opportunities, lack of transport infrastructure facilities and high population density. “In addition, which is very important,” noted Gresta, “in these countries our company will be less subject to pressure from all kinds of regulatory and regulatory agencies.” Specifically about China, India or any other densely populated country that showed interest in the conceptual train, Bop did not mention.
But, in addition to the plans optimistically described by Grest in his interviews, there are also realities. And these realities indicate that the time for the launch track project can be stretched. This is largely due to the possible need to refine the capsule design, although the final version, according to the project executive director at Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, already exists.
The safe density of passenger traffic during the test test of the Transportation Technologies, according to Grest, will be approximately 3,400 passengers per hour, which in terms of annual volume will exceed 24 million people. The total number of passengers scheduled to be transported on the track section in the Quay Valley during the test trials will reach 10 million.
Grest drew particular attention to the trajectory of the route, emphasizing that the straightness of the sections is connected with the need to reduce overloads, which at such speeds will approach 5g. “This is quite a big, but not a dangerous indicator ...” - he shares his thoughts. For our part, we note that the downforce equal to 5G acts on the Formula 1 pilot, dropping speed from 200 km / h to 0 in a time of 1.9 seconds! At the same time, seat belts put pressure on the body with a load of 375 kg. And here, inevitably, I remember the first project of Boris Weinberg’s high-speed vacuum train, where it was planned to use giant solenoids, about 3 km long, to launch the carriages into the pipe, with an emphasis on reducing dangerous overloads during acceleration. I want to believe that sufficient attention has been paid to this problem in the calculations of Mask and Transportation Technologies engineers.
"Hyperloop will consume less electricity than is produced by a combined power supply system that uses the capabilities of the sun, wind and kinetic energy of the train. So we can sell excess electricity to the consumer," Gresta believes. "This principle of organizing a business model will allow us to recoup the investment in this or a similar project in six to eight years, which will depend on where we decide to implement it. "
Thus, the combined system of renewable energy sources throughout the journey Hyperloop will not only cover part of the funds invested in the project and provide the train with the necessary energy system, but also make the trip free for passengers. In its final version of the window in capsules, playing in this case rather symbolic value and creating a certain psychological discomfort, it is proposed to replace the LCD screens, for which passengers can pass the time spent in transit with pleasure.
Such a rush of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies after a very long informational pause looks quite indicative, especially given the fact that under the watchful eye of SpaceX management in Texas in January 2016, regardless of the test track project in California , the first open stage of the university competition for the best capsule design will take place Hyperloop Pod. At the first stage, several teams will be selected, the capsules of which will be able to pass the track without failures for the best time. Teams that have passed the selection will be admitted to the second stage of the competition, where they will compete in the nominations:
Two winning teams from two different classes of capsules (with and without wheels) will be allowed to the final stage. Separately, the class options for mini-containers for teams that cannot afford to build a full-scale model will be considered.
Some of the fundamental requirements imposed by the competitive jury on the prototype test capsule have become known: the limit on total weight is 11,000 pounds. The total length limit is up to 14 feet. A prerequisite is the presence of a braking system, telemetry and communication systems. It is advisable to use a levitating scheme rather than a wheeled one. In this case, "Creating your own mechanism (s) for levitation from the applicant is actually not required. Wheel options (for example," electric car in a vacuum ") can compete, but are unlikely to win prizes." The amount of remuneration has not been disclosed.
For consideration are accepted the work of applicants who have proposed, as a general version of the design of the capsule, and the option of a successful solution for any particular element of its design. The summing up of the competition and the testing of life-sized prototypes created by this time are planned to be held in June 2016.
After the election of the winning team, the final version of the capsule will be used as the basis for the construction of a full-size commercial prototype.
Optimistic strategic outlook for the Hyperloop project in the United States in the event of successful testing
You can get acquainted with the original publication on the site dezeen.com .
Dear readers, we are always happy to meet and wait for you on the pages of the blog iCover! We will try to do our best to ensure that the time spent with us is spent with benefit. And, of course, do not forget to subscribe to our headings and we promise you won't be bored!
Our other articles
It is assumed that the Ilona Mask Hyperloop train will be able to cover the distance between Los Angeles and San Francisco at 561 km in just 30 minutes. The movement of cigar-shaped capsules, in each of which it is planned to accommodate 28 people, will occur due to the magnetic fields and the engine with a residual pressure in the pipe of 0.001 ... 1.0 mmHg. Art., created by fore pump. The planned Hyperloop travel speed on flat sections of the route should be 1,200 km (760 miles) / hour.
')
Rather contradictory information about the ongoing work, the fate of the project and the prospects for its implementation from time to time pops up in the leading media and is more confusing than it gives an objective idea. A pleasant exception to the emerging trend was the statement by Bibop Gabriele Gresta (Bibop Gabriele Gresta) - the chief executive director of the Hyperloop project to Dezeen correspondents about the nearest plans to launch the construction of a test 8-kilometer track in Quay (California). At the thematic conference held on October 21 in London under the pretentious slogan “Transport to the Future” he announced the tactical and strategic plans of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies for the coming years.
According to the information provided by Grest, the start of work on the construction of a test track in the Quay Valley will start just in the next few weeks. The place was not chosen randomly. As a source of electricity at the time of the test, it was decided to use solar cells from a nearby city in Kings County. Completion of construction is planned in 2016, after which, until 2018, tests will be conducted. If everything goes as planned, since 2018 the hyper-speed train Hyperloop will be able to serve passengers in normal mode.
Upon completion of the construction of the track at the initial stage of testing, it is planned to transport passengers at a speed of 160 miles per hour with its phased increase. Empty capsules in test mode are planned to drive at a maximum speed of 760 miles / hour. With the successful implementation of the project, Ilona Mask Hyperloop, delivering passengers along the planned route in just 30 minutes, will be able to lead the rating of the fastest passenger vehicles to date, overtaking the Japanese levitating Maglev , which set a speed record of 603 km / h in April this year.
In comparison, the flight on the route San Francisco - Los Angeles by the aircraft of the companies Virgin America, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines takes, on average, 1.20 hours, with a ticket price of $ 50 one way and $ 95 in both. It is possible to overcome the same way by car, on average, in 5-5.5 hours. Hyperloop also carries passengers in just 30 minutes, and, according to Grest's belief, is completely free.
The comparative assessment is impressive, but, as it always happens with the projects of the century, their implementation requires much more effort, time and money than expected at the start.
Perspectives and Realities from Transportation Technologies
The news that the project is nearing its final stage and overgrown with flesh is good news. At the same time, according to Grest, there are moments that significantly complicate its implementation. One of them is the sharply increased estimated cost of work on the construction of a 5-mile test track, taking into account the requirements for seismic resistance and weather conditions. And, if initially the whole complex of construction works was estimated at $ 100 million, then according to the latest calculated data, this figure increased by 1.5 times, coming close to 150 million (ÂŁ 98 million). Accordingly, with the most superficial average calculation of the cost of construction and launch of the Hyperloop track along its entire length, the originally planned costs of $ 6 billion can also be increased by more than 1.5 times. At the same time, Gresta is absolutely sure that at the stage of introduction of serial samples the final cost of the project will be significantly reduced.
Other official information also came out somewhat unexpectedly: even in case of successful implementation of construction work on the site in the Quay Valley and subsequent successful testing of capsules, the Hyperloop project will most likely be implemented outside the United States. Moreover, Gresta made a reservation, at this stage preliminary negotiations have already been held with representatives of the government of a number of countries interested in investing in the construction of Hyperloop tracks on their territory. Such a decision, according to the executive director of the project, is primarily due to the availability of financial opportunities, lack of transport infrastructure facilities and high population density. “In addition, which is very important,” noted Gresta, “in these countries our company will be less subject to pressure from all kinds of regulatory and regulatory agencies.” Specifically about China, India or any other densely populated country that showed interest in the conceptual train, Bop did not mention.
But, in addition to the plans optimistically described by Grest in his interviews, there are also realities. And these realities indicate that the time for the launch track project can be stretched. This is largely due to the possible need to refine the capsule design, although the final version, according to the project executive director at Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, already exists.
The safe density of passenger traffic during the test test of the Transportation Technologies, according to Grest, will be approximately 3,400 passengers per hour, which in terms of annual volume will exceed 24 million people. The total number of passengers scheduled to be transported on the track section in the Quay Valley during the test trials will reach 10 million.
Grest drew particular attention to the trajectory of the route, emphasizing that the straightness of the sections is connected with the need to reduce overloads, which at such speeds will approach 5g. “This is quite a big, but not a dangerous indicator ...” - he shares his thoughts. For our part, we note that the downforce equal to 5G acts on the Formula 1 pilot, dropping speed from 200 km / h to 0 in a time of 1.9 seconds! At the same time, seat belts put pressure on the body with a load of 375 kg. And here, inevitably, I remember the first project of Boris Weinberg’s high-speed vacuum train, where it was planned to use giant solenoids, about 3 km long, to launch the carriages into the pipe, with an emphasis on reducing dangerous overloads during acceleration. I want to believe that sufficient attention has been paid to this problem in the calculations of Mask and Transportation Technologies engineers.
"Hyperloop will consume less electricity than is produced by a combined power supply system that uses the capabilities of the sun, wind and kinetic energy of the train. So we can sell excess electricity to the consumer," Gresta believes. "This principle of organizing a business model will allow us to recoup the investment in this or a similar project in six to eight years, which will depend on where we decide to implement it. "
Thus, the combined system of renewable energy sources throughout the journey Hyperloop will not only cover part of the funds invested in the project and provide the train with the necessary energy system, but also make the trip free for passengers. In its final version of the window in capsules, playing in this case rather symbolic value and creating a certain psychological discomfort, it is proposed to replace the LCD screens, for which passengers can pass the time spent in transit with pleasure.
Texas SpaceX Interpretation Alternative
Such a rush of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies after a very long informational pause looks quite indicative, especially given the fact that under the watchful eye of SpaceX management in Texas in January 2016, regardless of the test track project in California , the first open stage of the university competition for the best capsule design will take place Hyperloop Pod. At the first stage, several teams will be selected, the capsules of which will be able to pass the track without failures for the best time. Teams that have passed the selection will be admitted to the second stage of the competition, where they will compete in the nominations:
- "Final Design and Construction" (Final Design and Construction).
- Safety and Reliability.
- Performance in Operations.
- Performance in Flight.
Two winning teams from two different classes of capsules (with and without wheels) will be allowed to the final stage. Separately, the class options for mini-containers for teams that cannot afford to build a full-scale model will be considered.
Some of the fundamental requirements imposed by the competitive jury on the prototype test capsule have become known: the limit on total weight is 11,000 pounds. The total length limit is up to 14 feet. A prerequisite is the presence of a braking system, telemetry and communication systems. It is advisable to use a levitating scheme rather than a wheeled one. In this case, "Creating your own mechanism (s) for levitation from the applicant is actually not required. Wheel options (for example," electric car in a vacuum ") can compete, but are unlikely to win prizes." The amount of remuneration has not been disclosed.
For consideration are accepted the work of applicants who have proposed, as a general version of the design of the capsule, and the option of a successful solution for any particular element of its design. The summing up of the competition and the testing of life-sized prototypes created by this time are planned to be held in June 2016.
After the election of the winning team, the final version of the capsule will be used as the basis for the construction of a full-size commercial prototype.
Optimistic strategic outlook for the Hyperloop project in the United States in the event of successful testing
You can get acquainted with the original publication on the site dezeen.com .
Dear readers, we are always happy to meet and wait for you on the pages of the blog iCover! We will try to do our best to ensure that the time spent with us is spent with benefit. And, of course, do not forget to subscribe to our headings and we promise you won't be bored!
Our other articles
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/368797/
All Articles