Hyperloop trains.

C

Craig72

New member
Seems that someone called Elon Musk(nice name), has come up with the idea of a Hyperloop train, it's along the lines of a vacuum train.

Read more here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23681266

What do you guys think?

I think it would be a good idea if it could be built, saves sitting in an 'plane, being bored for hours.

Craig.
 
Imagine what you are in an airplane: In a 100m long tube (but with wings) in a low pressure environment (see the similarity with hyperloop?).
Big difference with hyperloop is that if something goes wrong you don't first drop 30.000 feet / 10km and/or freeze to death (as it is -50 Celsius / -58 Fahrenheit at the height airplanes fly).
 
POS. He wants this to take the place of California HSR and HSR in general. I'm sticking with my Corridor Trains, thank you. :eek:
 
Personally I think its all a gigantic publicity stunt. He's not exactly reclusive, lol.

Possible? - Probably. Practical? - Probably not.

NIMBY would immediately raise its ugly head. Right-of-way would be difficult to obtain. Government would put so many roadblocks, safety regulations, etc. in the way it might not ever get built. Then there are the engineering considerations. Magnetic levitation is already in use but not at 700 MPH. Maintaining sufficient vacuum in a tube that big would be very difficult. A wreck at that speed would turn the human body into jelly. This system would be great on the moon. No tube required - just the magnetic guide and propulsion rails. On earth - I have my doubts.

Ben
 
Frankly ... the cost of building a tunnel, that has exact measurements, to provide a sealed vaaccuumm, that withstands water, thawing seasons would cost thousand of dollars per foot, as a RR or a maglev, or an above ground frictional guideway might only cost hundreds of dollars per foot. what is the Earths techtonic plates move a fraction of an inch, or there is a series of minor earthquakes, or water seepage, and heaving and thawing, it would ruin the vaaccuumm seal in short order, over time.

Maintenance and repairs would be astronomical in cost !
 
Last edited:
cascaderailroad said:
Frankly ... the cost of building a tunnel, that has exact measurements, to provide a sealed vaaccuumm, that withstands water, thawing seasons would cost thousand of dollars per foot, as a RR or a maglev, or an above ground frictional guideway might only cost hundreds of dollars per foot. what is the Earths techtonic plates move a fraction of an inch, or there is a series of minor earthquakes, or water seepage, and heaving and thawing, it would ruin the vaaccuumm seal in short order, over time.
Click to expand...
The idea of Elon Musk is not to build tunnels but to build pipes high above ground with a solar panel roof.

_69257095_69257094.jpg
 
Seems to me everything cascaderailroad said applies to above the ground construction as well. Earthquakes, rain, water seepage, thermal expansion & contraction plus add tornados and hurricanes to the mix as well. Finally above ground is far more vulnerable to a nut job with a case of dynamite or a box of C-4.

As I said earlier - on the moon yes on the earth no.

Ben
 
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bendorsey said:
Seems to me everything cascaderailroad said applies to above the ground construction as well. Earthquakes, rain, water seepage, thermal expansion & contraction plus add tornados and hurricanes to the mix as well. Finally above ground is far more vulnerable to a nut job with a case of dynamite or a box of C-4.

As I said earlier - on the moon yes on the earth no.

Ben
Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing. The tolerance is too tight for wiggles like we have with traditional rails and guide ways.

Speaking of tolerance issues...

The Rocks Village Bridge http://www.historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=massachusetts/rocksvillage/ is currently closed and being rebuilt. It was supposed to have opened two years ago, but due to a very small miscalculation, the draw mechanism was too big by .00001 of an inch. Someone rounded something somewhere and with the bridge out of tolerance, they can't install the draw otherwise it will cause wear and ruin the bridge so it's off to the drawing boards to revise and rebuild the part.

Now imagine a tolerance issue such as this with the vacuum system.

John
 
Remember the booboo with the Hubble Space Telescope?

The eggheads decided a very tried and true simple method of checking the curve of the mirror was to old fashioned to use even though amateur astronomers had been using it for 100's of years with excellent results. I have been an amateur astronomer for over 50 years and have telescope with a 30 inch diameter mirror ground as an f-3.95. I know exactly what the test was as its always shown in every book I've every read about telescope making and mirror grinding. Older folks at the facility kept trying to get the big wheels to let them run the test as it only took a few hours but the eggheads prevailed. We all know the results. A mirror ground with chromatic aberration which generated a fuzzy image until a corrective lens was installed.

Sounds like the bridge guys are related to the egghead guys, lol.

Ben
 
PVC is great stuff but I doubt it has anywhere near the tensile strength needed for a tube that large with a vacuum inside. He shows it as transparent but I'd guess that's more for show then reality.

Ben
 
Look for high speed rail (comming to your town, maybe in your great great grand childrens lifetime) ... Vaaccuumm tube RR's ... The year 2237 ... Not in your lifetime !
 
This gent is a billionaire but unlike many he has done some fantastic things. Darned smart things too. Most folks with that much wealth come in two flavors - very reclusive or just the opposite. I'm certain you can figure out which flavor he is, lol. This is more about publicity and keeping his name in the news rather then a truly serious venture. That doesn't mean it isn't a fantastically neat concept - just not practical for many years (or generations) to come.

Ben
 
You guys need to do a search on Tesla Motors to know what this guy has done. How's about a 300 mile range all electric luxury sedan hit you?

Motor Trends car of the year
Consumer reports highest achievement rating for an electric or gas powered car.
Paid off Government loan 9 years early.

Not to bad. Check out Tesla....it's the future.
 
gfisher said:
If he's so smart how come his all electric car has a big radiator grill in the front?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if your comment is worth commenting on, but I will give it a shot.

Ah, It's decorative? It' solid, not a grill. The car has the lowest coefficient rating than anything on the market.
 
gfisher said:
If he's so smart how come his all electric car has a big radiator grill in the front?
Click to expand...
My guess is electric engines also get warm and for the air of the air conditioner to get into the car and pass the engine.

As for some of the other comments: Men would never have travelled in space if everyone kept saying it could not be done ;). This world needs different thinking people; both for making fun off as for technological development :).
Sure, I see the "getting some attention" argument, but with his list of awards and achievements I doubt that was his only reason; he actually might think it is possible and his companies might actually have to knowhow to realise it.
I doubt the technology at this moment in time is the real limitation; money is more likely the showstopper.
 
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