Hyperloop

[brianman]

Don't know how Elon missed an important bit:
Will I still get my peanuts and beverage?!

I must admit I only skimmed but I am left with the question: Are there cupholders?

 

[Johan]

I must admit I only skimmed but I am left with the question: Are there cupholders?

The most relevant question so far. You should e-mail [email protected] and [email protected] immidiately!

 

[brianman]

The most relevant question so far. You should e-mail [email protected] and [email protected] immidiately!

I think Elon might take me off his Christmas card list if he isn't a humor-receptive mood.

 

[CapitalistOppressor]

I must admit I only skimmed but I am left with the question: Are there cupholders?

Only in the front row of seats...

 

[deonb]

That's it.

Mythbusters needs to build a prototype.

 

[CapitalistOppressor]

To me the uniqueness, or quality, lies more in the clever combination of components, each of which are relatively simple and cost-effective, rather than being unique in themselves. Although the aerodynamics of the pods are surely very tricky to get right. And "clever" is probably an understatement.

I totally agree. There is nothing scifi about this at all. A lot of the critical technology is basically modified Tesla components. The pods are basically built around the Model S battery and power electronics. It even utilizes battery swap.

I see real difficulties in integrating the air skis, the forward compressor fans and the aerodynamics, but those are extremely straight forward engineering issues. The tube itself, along with the linear induction motors could hardly be simpler. The guts of the system are the pods.

 

[Rodolfo Paiz]

As a footnote to the pod design, I'd add that each pod is going to need a restroom. Maybe it's mentioned at the end of the PDF, I'm only on page 37 so far...

 

[bonnie]

As a footnote to the pod design, I'd add that each pod is going to need a restroom. Maybe it's mentioned at the end of the PDF, I'm only on page 37 so far...

It' a 30-minute trip!

 

[teslasguy]

Brianman, maybe our friends at Teslaccessories are already secretly working on a new center console with cup holders along with a new nosecone.

 

[Rodolfo Paiz]

It' a 30-minute trip!

Tell that to a four-year-old who needs to go 10 minutes into the trip.

 

[deonb]

Tell that to a four-year-old who needs to go 10 minutes into the trip.

What does the 4-year old do on an airplane that's about to take off or land? Or on a subway between Brooklyn and Manhattan?

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

I don't think passengers would be able to unbuckle at all throughout the ride. It's too fast for that; standing up while enduring 0.5g would be intense, no?!

 

[Rodolfo Paiz]

What does the 4-year old do on an airplane that's about to take off or land? Or on a subway between Brooklyn and Manhattan?

Don't know about the subway, never had that particular case. As for an airplane, we've had that happen and it's never required more than 10 minutes of waiting. Asking the four-year-old to hold it in for 20-30 minutes may lead to accidents, though. And there are lots of other reasons why a restroom is valuable use of real estate. In a 28-passenger pod (for the pax-only tube), I see no significant challenge in reserving space for a minimalist restroom.

It's certainly possible that some operational characteristics, like g-loads, may preclude this from being an option. However, what I'm trying to say is that it's probably a very-high-value-added concept and should certainly be thoroughly studied (at least!) before being discarded. We've all had emergencies, from spilled drinks to nausea/motion sickness to upset stomachs to little kids, and stinking up the cabin for 28 people is not cool.

 

[Larry Hutchinson]

If you read the paper, the air bearings would be attached to the capsule with a spring/damper suspension and the bearings themselves would accommodate the roughness left by the internal tube grinder he describes. 1 mm is far from optically perfect (~300 nm)
Why do you think the expansion joints would be a problem? With the exception of the final end points that would take up the sum of the expansion/contraction, they would be distributed along the length of the tube so each would only have to handle a fraction of a mm change.

Yes I noted the spring/damper. But a car also has a spring/damper and I don't think you will be very comfortable in your MS going over a traffic calming hump if your MS is going at a scale speed of about 70000 mph. (Not quite the same thing but just trying to emphasize the idea of 700mph at 1mm.)

I just don't see how expansion joints can be designed that would not create a substantial roughness. If expansion joint were at every pylon, the expansion joint would have to accommodate a delta length of 10.8E-6*30m*80degK= 0.026m or about 1 inch. 80deg K comes from ambient temp swing of perhaps -20 to 120 deg F and the 10.8E-6 is the linear expansion coefficient of steel. Remember, these have to hold a vacuum.

I think making the tubes out of Aluminum and using superconducting magnetic levitation might work (yes, the paper said that is too expensive.)

 

[raymond]

Given the dimensions it's not unlike a model S in width and height. There simply is no way to get to the back of the pod once you're seated.

 

[Rodolfo Paiz]

From the PDF on page 54: "If a capsule were somehow to become stranded, capsules ahead would continue their journeys to the destination unaffected. Capsules behind the stranded one would be automatically instructed to deploy their emergency mechanical braking systems. Once all capsules behind the stranded capsule had been safely brought to rest, capsules would drive themselves to safety using small onboard electric motors to power deployed wheels."

How long would it take to "drive themselves to safety using small onboard electric motors to power deployed wheels"? And what does the four-year-old, or motion-sick, or whatever, person do in the meantime if he/she needs to go? Y'all can pooh-pooh this all you want, I think it's a real issue to be inserted as a consideration into the design process.

 

[gregincal]

From the PDF on page 54: "If a capsule were somehow to become stranded, capsules ahead would continue their journeys to the destination unaffected. Capsules behind the stranded one would be automatically instructed to deploy their emergency mechanical braking systems. Once all capsules behind the stranded capsule had been safely brought to rest, capsules would drive themselves to safety using small onboard electric motors to power deployed wheels."

How long would it take to "drive themselves to safety using small onboard electric motors to power deployed wheels"? And what does the four-year-old, or motion-sick, or whatever, person do in the meantime if he/she needs to go? Y'all can pooh-pooh this all you want, I think it's a real issue to be inserted as a consideration into the design process.

In an emergency you do what you can. I believe design precludes bathrooms and accommodating them isn't really possible without changing the design a lot. You are free to not use the hyperloop as a consequence.

 

[CapitalistOppressor]

Ahem... Not to toot my own horn, but - Toot!
:biggrin:

Impressive

 

[JRod0802]

Just thought I'd also point out that it should somehow be handicap accessible. The recline of those seats probably won't work for everyone.

 

[kevin99]

Just want to share this article:

• The Hyperloop Is About Attitudeat TheStreet(Tue 9:24AM EDT)

And more interestingly, a read at the end:
Dream other dreams, and better.

I am lost after the reading.