What is Hyperloop and is it the future of transport?

With its superiority compared to the old transport protocols, Hyperloop is expected to be the future of transport and tourism.

According to the Telegraph, the future transport system named Hyperloop has come a long way since businessman Elon Musk proposed a fifth mode of transport (after roads, waterways, airways and rails). ) in 2012. With the idea of ​​moving people in a pipe system with a speed of more than 700 miles per hour (1126 km / h), Hyperloop developed quickly thanks to the support of inventors. and investors.

Hyperloop is a transport system that is intended to use high-speed moving chambers or containers.

While it is still like a sci-fi movie, there are still many reasons to be skeptical about this "future of transport" , plans for Hyperloop and its supporters are moving toward the goal of First tunnel to operate.

But what is Hyperloop? Why does Elon Musk support this idea? Who are the companies pushing this technology forward?

What is Hyperloop and how does it work?

Hyperloop is a transport system that is intended to use high-speed compartments or containers through pipelines that are almost vacuum. The hulls will emerge by using electromagnetic fields or air "wheels" , similar to the way ice needs (hockey equipment used to be equivalent to football) moving on. the yard.

The Hyperloop tunnel will be built on high or under ground.

With little friction, the compartments will be able to move at a maximum speed of 760 mph (339m / s or more than 1220km / h, roughly equal to the speed of sound).

The vessel compartment will be launched by electric motor before the electromagnetic field performs its role, then they will be able to surf at high speed in low pressure environment. The Hyperloop tunnel will be built above or below the ground, with a diameter of only about 3m, much less space than regular rail or road.

Many designs are currently developing features that make the hulls start automatically with a 20-second cycle. There are also designs that bring environmental-friendly features to the forefront, powering pressure pumps with clean energy such as solar energy.

The ships will be able to move at a maximum speed of 760 miles per hour.

Where did this idea come from?

The idea of ​​moving with vacuum tubes has existed more than 100 years ago. In fact, some of the first underground railways in the UK run on air pressure systems. But the current idea for Hyperloop comes from Elon Musk , the boss of Paypal, Tesla and SpaceX in 2012.

Speaking at an event in California, he proposed a transport system unaffected by weather factors, traveling at twice the speed of civilian aircraft and lower power consumption. After that, he described his technology as the interference between an electromagnetic gun, Concorde and an air hockey table.

Elon Musk claims that high-speed rail lines are too expensive and slow on an article published in 2013. With a distance of up to 900 miles, a Hyperloop pipeline will be a protocol for transporting people and objects. much more fruitful.

From the beginning, Hyperloop has become an open source project. Elon Musk's SpaceX can be used to research and fund ideas, but they won't create the first Hyperloop system directly. That work will be given to private investors and wealthy businessmen.

The idea of ​​Hyperloop is from genius Elon Musk.(photo: Reuters).

Who is developing the first Hyperloop system?

There are a number of companies that are looking for ways to conduct commercialization of Hyperloop and the technology development race that this transportation system will come true.

SpaceX held design competitions for the construction teams and tested the hulls that could be used for Hyperloop. Since 2015, more than 1000 large and small groups participated in the competition to design this system, including a team from Edinburgh University who reached the final round, expected to be held in August. next.

Since the launch of the competition, companies have competed to participate in the race to develop this technology. In particular, the two most brilliant "athletes" are Hyperloop Transportation Technologies and Hyperloop One.

The original design for Hyperloop.(photo: SpaceX).

Where will the first Hyperloop system be built?

There were tests done in Nevada by Hyperloop One, when they built a 500m long road to deploy the first compartments. But the first Hyperloop system will most likely not be built in the US, because the routes proposed by Elon Musk from Los Angeles to San Francisco were unable to work.

Most of the needs developed and tested Hyperloop come from outside the United States. The Netherlands and Finland are countries that show particular interest in becoming the next site to test Hyperloop One's tunnels. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are not out of play either, as Dubai's DP World is also a major investor of the technology.

Other proposed routes include a Hyperloop system capable of cutting the time from London to Edinburgh to 50 minutes, and the US and India will also conduct trials in different locations.

One of the three Hyperloop systems is expected to be deployed in the UK.(photo: Hyperloop One).

Some running tracks are expected to include:

The expected run of Hyperloop.

How will Hyperloop cost?

One of Hyperloop's strengths is its cost-saving potential . Compared to high-speed rail lines, Hyperloop needed less ground space to build tunnels and needed less energy to transport ship compartments than conventional trains.

Elon Musk expects the Los Angeles route will cost about $ 6 billion, equivalent to $ 11.5 million for every 1.6 kilometers, compared with $ 68 billion for a high-speed rail line. However, according to leaked documents from Hyperloop One, a 172km route can still cost $ 13 billion, or $ 121 million each 1.6km.

One of Hyperloop's strengths is its cost-saving potential.

Will Hyperloop succeed?

Although the project still has a long way, Hyperloop has achieved certain achievements. Many people have expressed support for the theory behind Hyperloop, including governments and grants from General Electric transport group and French railway mining giant SNCF, but the price and The feasibility of this technology is still something that needs further verification

In 2017, Hyperloop One began their first tests of the new technology, "firing" their cabin at a 500m run in Nevada with a measured speed of more than 112km / h after 5.3. seconds.

The company's ambition includes launching 3 Hyperloop systems to serve people in 2021. If developers can keep their progress, the day when the official Hyperloop system comes first. will be closer than you think.