The Evil Overlord Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 2 minutes ago, Draggendrop said: He may not want a ticket now....my bad! was funny though 4 minutes ago, DocM said: The acceleration and deceleration use linear electric motors, with passive magnetic and mechanical brakes as backup. 90% of the time it's coasting on either a magnetic or pneumatic bubble, similar to an air hockey puck. A mail tube on steroids. I understand that, I just remembered recent disasters with travel (the high speed train, Richard Hammond Pilotting Vampire, various commercial aircraft failures (deliberate or not)) so it made me question the forces and distances required for a transport to accelerate, and decelerate, at an acceptable degree of force-comfort ratio, and the 'what if' factor... Victor Rambo, Draggendrop and DConnell 3 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted January 23, 2017 Author Share Posted January 23, 2017 Life is not safe, none of us survive it. The Evil Overlord, Draggendrop, Unobscured Vision and 1 other 4 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Overlord Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 1 minute ago, DocM said: Life is not safe, none of us survive it. Oh god, you just reminded me 'The sick part of the game called life, is no one gets out alive' (or similar) DConnell, Victor Rambo and Unobscured Vision 3 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted January 27, 2017 Author Share Posted January 27, 2017 Emn1ty, The Evil Overlord and Unobscured Vision 3 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted January 28, 2017 Veteran Share Posted January 28, 2017 Bits and bytes... Emn1ty 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted January 28, 2017 Veteran Share Posted January 28, 2017 Elon Musk's Hyperloop contest is happening this weekend — here's a look at all the competing pods http://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-hyperloop-competitions-teams-2017-1/#mit-hyperloop-1 A lot of good images at the above link... Emn1ty 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted January 28, 2017 Veteran Share Posted January 28, 2017 This is the only Canadian entry.... Waterloo team gears up for hyperloop competition at SpaceX video is 1:31 min. ---------------------- Track Sat overhead of full length track Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beittil Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 Go Team NL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted January 28, 2017 Author Share Posted January 28, 2017 And no matter who wins, the whole world gains by improving the practical skills of thousands of young engineers. (And Musk gets to closely evaluate potential recruits ) Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Montage Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 21 minutes ago, DocM said: And no matter who wins, the whole world gains by improving the practical skills of thousands of young engineers. (And Musk gets to closely evaluate potential recruits ) Let's face it, these are amazing engineers working on amazing tech. None of them walk away from this with any negativity. DocM and Unobscured Vision 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted January 29, 2017 Author Share Posted January 29, 2017 Quote THE OFFICIAL SPACEX HYPERLOOP POD COMPETITION Over the last week, 27 teams have been on site at SpaceX in preparation for this weekend’s Hyperloop Pod Competition just outside SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, CA. The purpose of the competition is to help accelerate the development of a functional Hyperloop prototype and encourage student innovation by challenging university students to design and build the best Hyperloop pod. This competition is the first of its kind anywhere in the world— teams have put their pods through a litany of tests over the last week in hopes of making it into the Hyperloop test track itself. The competition timeline is driven by a team’s ability to complete certain milestones versus a set schedule, so for the purposes of competition coverage, SpaceX will livestream the main events as they happen. Coverage will begin at approximately 1:55pm PT on Sunday, Jan. 29th. The schedule is fluid so follow @Hyperloop for updates on when to tune in. Based on the high-quality submissions and overwhelming enthusiasm surrounding the competition, SpaceX is moving forward with a second installment of the competition: Hyperloop Pod Competition II, which will culminate in a second competition in Summer 2017 at SpaceX’s Hyperloop test track. Hyperloop Competition II will be focused on a single criterion: maximum speed. The second competition is open to new student teams interested in competing on the test track, as well as to existing student teams who have already built and tested Pods to further refine their designs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted January 30, 2017 Veteran Share Posted January 30, 2017 The live stream was about 6 hours worth....a lot of fun. Approximately 10 awards and mentions were given out for various categories. The feed is off but runs are still being done in open air. I have included a few video's and will post the full and awards stream when available. From what I gather, this (The track, 4180 feet) is the 2nd largest vacuum chamber next to the LHC. The tube has 8 camera installations, spaced lighting, spaced velocity tracking tapes, a crash cushion barrier and a "pusher unit" for starts. There is also a short outdoor track for demonstrating hovering and brake applications. Next to the track is a small vacuum chamber to demonstrate and test pods for vacuum operations. The outdoor and enclosed track is set up for user choice of "air bearings", mag lev or rolling wheeled units.....concrete pad with plates and center rail. A lot of work and volunteers were involved and as Elon stated, this will be a regular event. The fastest pod went to Warr hyperloop, approx 90 kph, MIT went 80 kph and DELFT won the design award. I'll post a few bits here.... Elon Musk at SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition 2017 video is 4:05 min. SpaceX Hyperloop Competition: Transforming Visions into Reality. video is 6:33 min. MIT Hyperloop test 29 January 2017 video is 1:18 min. Japanese Hyperloop Pod Came Over in Their Luggage video is 1:45 min. This was a high energy tech carnival....lots of fun..... Emn1ty 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted January 30, 2017 Veteran Share Posted January 30, 2017 Hyperloop Pod Flights | 1-29-17 video is 1:26 min. (The 3 vac runs) The pusher accelerates them up to 80 kph and the rest is up to the pod. The only pod to accelerate off the pusher was the WARR pod, doing 95kph. The other two stopped shortly after due to rolling and/or magnetic friction. All teams were required to pass a 10 test entry, only 3 made it to the vac tube run. Rumor also has it that the pusher had issues. Overall, this was an event for all types of variations, do some testing, de-bugging and if all went well, in the tube. Many still had a run on the open track. The pusher is capable of doing much more, but was dialed back for this event. The September event will be for "highest speed attained". This will only get better as time goes on. Note: Appears like the brakes are causing the mist. The pressure is too low for "dew point" or shock waves". Watch the port wheel (left) FunkyMike and Emn1ty 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beittil Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Woohoo, go Team NL Go Delft Hyperloop! Draggendrop 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted January 31, 2017 Veteran Share Posted January 31, 2017 Generic video of event, credit in the video. --------------------------------- Hyperloop pod competition yields a few outstanding models, tunnel announcement Quote HAWTHORNE, Calif.—On a hot, Southern California Sunday, 27 teams gathered to show off their model Hyperloop pods. But only three won a chance to load their pods into a low-pressure environment created in a 0.75 mile (1.25 km) Hyperloop test tube built by SpaceX next to the company’s headquarters. Those teams—from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, WARR (a student group within Munich Technical University), and Delft University of Technology—were determined to have some of the most sophisticated pods, capable of levitation, braking, and running on their own power. Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk popularized the idea of the Hyperloop—a theoretical pod system that runs in low-pressure tubes, hovering along a track using magnetic skis to minimize friction. As Musk imagined it in 2013, the system would send pods up to 760 mph. But the CEO decided that he didn’t want to work on the project himself, so he made his ideas available to anyone interested in running with it. That spawned several startups as well as this competition for students and other private research teams. SpaceX built the three-quarters-mile test track on the side of Jack Northrup Road in Hawthorne along the side of some abandoned train tracks. The company said that the tube was about half-scale for what a true Hyperloop tube would look like. The test tube had a 6ft outer diameter and was filled with track that could support pods on air-bearings (think of an air-hockey table) as well as magnetic levitation and more traditional wheels. The tube was built in 50-foot sections welded together, with a door on either end of the track to seal off the tube while depressurizing and repressurizing the enclosed environment. SpaceX also built the competitors "a pusher,” which accelerated behind the test pods up to about 50mph and then released them to run on their own. Creating a low-pressure environment in the tube was no small feat. Although a lot of teams got “open air” runs in the tube, the teams that got low-pressure runs had to load their pod and the pusher into the tube, wait 30 to 45 minutes for the air to be pumped out, and then wait for the system to re-pressurize so they could open the door safely at the other end. Quote The pod judging As for the pod competition, it spanned the weekend, although the media were only invited for the final portion of the event. Earlier in the week, groups assembled their pods and SpaceX judges made rounds to rank the entries based on safety and reliability (meaning not just braking systems but also fault tolerance and plans for contingencies), performance in operations, performance in flight, innovation, and design and construction. Before the teams were allowed to do open-air runs on the test track, they had to put their pods on an external subtrack to prove that their pod could fit in the tube and that the pods braking systems worked. Teams could also use the external subtract to prove some levitation, if their pod had that capability. Teams had to put their pods in a 25-foot section of vacuum to prove that their pod’s components and communication system could work in a low-pressure environment. Considering that last year all these student groups had were designs, their real-world model pods were quite impressive. Although some teams met with heartbreak—UC Berkeley’s bLoop pod blew a fuse during early testing, so the team never got track time, and Illini Hyperloop passed the tests with a functional pod, but the judges didn’t give the team low-pressure track time—most of the students met their fate in a good-natured way. After all, there will be another pod competition hosted by SpaceX this summer, and all these teams will have another chance to prove their capabilities if they want. By the time the media arrived Sunday afternoon, MIT, WARR, and Delft were geared up for for low-pressure tube time. MIT went first with full levitation from the magnetic undercarriage. Quote Yiou He, an electrical engineer for the team, told Ars that the pod didn’t go as fast as it could, nor did it reach the end of the tunnel. The pusher was too slow. “The pod was designed [for] 250 mph,” she said. But the pod did levitate—in fact it levitated during 35 mph test runs, a speed that He said “was actually pretty low for my expectations.” MIT walked away from the day with an award in Safety and Reliability. WARR went next in the low-pressure tube. The team’s pod used electrodynamic suspension to levitate, but since levitation was not a requirement in this competition, the team decided to remove the magnets at the last minute according to Diana Papyan, a computer scientist on the team. “They wanted us to be fast, and they couldn’t provide enough speed [for us] to levitate,” she said. Since levitation was not a requirement to win in this competition, the team modified their pod at the last minute and was able to get it up to roughly 58 mph (94 kph) in the low-pressure run. Toward the end of the length of tube, the pod hit the brakes successfully and came to a stop. The team erupted in cheers watching the big screen image of the pod inside the tunnel. Finally it was Delft’s turn to race their pod, a large green and white tube on skis with a magnetic Halbach array on the undercarriage to help the pod levitate at speeds faster than 30 kph (18.6 mph). Delft also included an interior design for their pod, seating about a dozen little dolls prepared for their first Hyperloop ride. Delft’s pod also hit 58 mph (94 kph) but not for quite as long as WARR’s pod. Delft’s pod petered out a little over halfway down the tube. Ultimately, Delft and WARR received the two top prizes—WARR won a prize for being fastest in the tube, and Delft won the prize for highest overall score. Quote Besides MIT’s Safety and Reliability award, a number of other teams received smaller prizes. Virginia Tech, which got an extra open-air run at the end of the night, was honored in Performance in Operations for its modular design. Also receiving operations awards were Purdue, University of Maryland, and St. John’s High School—the only high-school-level team, which was also the first team to successfully levitate in a test run earlier in the week. WARR also received a Performance in Flight award, and Vichyper, University of Wisconsin’s BadgerLoop, and crowd-sourced design group rLoop all were lauded for Innovation. The top three Design and Construction awards went to MIT, WARR, and Delft. https://arstechnica.com/business/2017/01/at-spacex-headquarters-27-teams-test-out-half-size-hyperloop-pods/ As for the "parking lot tunnel" Quote Musk speaks Although SpaceX merely hosted the competition, Elon Musk did make a few remarks before the low-pressure pod runs. “I’m told this is the second-biggest vacuum chamber in the world—after the Large Hadron Collider,” he said, laughing. Musk took the moment to address other company news: he’s building a hole to test the “Boring machine” he tweeted about in December. "I find holes quite exciting,” he said, estimating that he was looking to improve tunnel-boring speed “500 to 1,000 percent.” Musk has said his impetus for the tunnel is to alleviate traffic in LA, and on Sunday he described a tunnel that would “go 3D” to prevent traffic bottlenecks in the tunnel itself. He did qualify his expectations though: “We’re just sort of muddling along, I want to be clear about that.” At the Hyperloop event, Elon Musk said he was already digging his first tunnel. Sure enough, SpaceX's former parking lot now has a large hole in it. Quote But he wasn’t kidding about digging a test hole—Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was at the event and confirmed that the city would help Musk work on any system that would alleviate the “soul-crushing traffic” on the city’s streets. And despite it being Sunday, there were already construction workers tearing up the former SpaceX parking lot on Crenshaw across the street from the entrance to the company's main building. One of the workers at the site confirmed to Ars that they were digging a hole to build a tunnel. https://arstechnica.com/business/2017/01/at-spacex-headquarters-27-teams-test-out-half-size-hyperloop-pods/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted January 31, 2017 Author Share Posted January 31, 2017 A bit on magnetic levitation. In some of the Hyperloop vehicles a linear version of this induced field effect is used. Draggendrop 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted February 5, 2017 Veteran Share Posted February 5, 2017 Here's a few video's... Hyperloop Pod Competition | VR video is 1:13 min. Quote Published on Feb 3, 2017 Ride the Hyperloop, built by SpaceX for the Hyperloop Pod Competition, which challenges university students to build the best Hyperloop transport pod. Footage taken aboard the SpaceX test vehicle, which accelerates the student pods up to speed. View in 3D here or in the Jaunt app on your mobile device at http://jntvr.co/Hyperloop Hyperloop Pod Competition video is 5:19 min. This is only the beginning of the adventure. Over the next several years we will see the pusher operating at high speeds, levitation schemes tuned and propulsion methods enabled. This is going to be a blast.... Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloatingFatMan Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 Am I the only one here who's thoroughly underwhelmed so far? All I see here is 2 complete failures, and one near failure. For a start, why did they need a pusher vehicle anyway? This is maglev technology, it's hardly new. Japan have been using it for years! Why did the test vehicles go so slow? Again, this is maglev, old technology. Existing maglev trains are WAY faster (and cheaper, and less dangerous). Half an hour to "pump down" their short test track? OK... How long is it going to take to pump down a 400 mile track then? Plus what about the extreme expansion problems they WILL get after 10 miles or so? What about leaks from expansion? How will they deal with sudden pressure losses (which will mean death for anyone in a pod, and complete loss for the hyperloop itself). OK, so they figure LA to San Fran in 30 mins, which works out at roughly 800 mph. That doesn't include time to depressurise the track, or acceleration/deceleration times. That's basically 0 to 800mph to 0 instantly, which equals SPLAT for the passengers! I'm sorry, but this one's rocking horse poop and unicorn hair. A pound of balonium and a kilo of unobtainium. Save your money and just build a bloody maglev train! It's not quite as fast, but it's very well known technology and a LOT cheaper to build than this moon pie "invention"... Memphis 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astra.Xtreme Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 38 minutes ago, FloatingFatMan said: Am I the only one here who's thoroughly underwhelmed so far? All I see here is 2 complete failures, and one near failure. For a start, why did they need a pusher vehicle anyway? This is maglev technology, it's hardly new. Japan have been using it for years! Why did the test vehicles go so slow? Again, this is maglev, old technology. Existing maglev trains are WAY faster (and cheaper, and less dangerous). Half an hour to "pump down" their short test track? OK... How long is it going to take to pump down a 400 mile track then? Plus what about the extreme expansion problems they WILL get after 10 miles or so? What about leaks from expansion? How will they deal with sudden pressure losses (which will mean death for anyone in a pod, and complete loss for the hyperloop itself). OK, so they figure LA to San Fran in 30 mins, which works out at roughly 800 mph. That doesn't include time to depressurise the track, or acceleration/deceleration times. That's basically 0 to 800mph to 0 instantly, which equals SPLAT for the passengers! I'm sorry, but this one's rocking horse poop and unicorn hair. A pound of balonium and a kilo of unobtainium. Save your money and just build a bloody maglev train! It's not quite as fast, but it's very well known technology and a LOT cheaper to build than this moon pie "invention"... Do you even understand how maglev works? I'll give you a hint; the infrastructure is very expensive and the magnetics that make it function require a large amount of energy. Seeing as Elon's companies have largely focused on lower cost and high efficiency products, it should be no surprise that the POINT of the Hyperloop is to design a low cost and low energy means of transportation. Obviously Hyperloop will have plenty of details to work through, but if we're going to alleviate the burden on our power grids (i.e. minimize our carbon footprint), then maglev could never be a possible answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloatingFatMan Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 If you want to minimize your carbon footprint, stop fiddling around with coal powerstations and build more nuclear plants, preferably Thorium Salt ones. Memphis 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted February 7, 2017 Author Share Posted February 7, 2017 3 hours ago, FloatingFatMan said: If you want to minimize your carbon footprint, stop fiddling around with coal powerstations and build more nuclear plants, preferably Thorium Salt ones. Most new US power is either natural gas, solar or wind with natural gas dominating for now. Result: a pretty steep decline in our emissions over the last decade. Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emn1ty Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 7 hours ago, FloatingFatMan said: I'm sorry, but this one's rocking horse poop and unicorn hair. A pound of balonium and a kilo of unobtainium. Save your money and just build a bloody maglev train! It's not quite as fast, but it's very well known technology and a LOT cheaper to build than this moon pie "invention"... The point of this competition isn't to build already proven technology, but push the envelope. You can't push the envelope by just resorting to what already exists. SpaceX didn't have to land their first stage cores to be beyond competitive in the rocket market (even with losing a core they are way cheaper than their competitors). But they pushed themselves to get it done, and now they're even going to try reflying it. They didn't need to plan ITS to colonize Mars, but they are and while doing so inventing new technology to do so. Elon Musk is all about pushing the envelope. Hyperloop is challenging our current technology to go to the next level. We only live for so long, and a transportation system such as Hyperloop would save everyone years spent in transit over their lives. So until we can "beam" ourselves from point A to point B with no time lost, faster and faster forms of transport will always be in demand. If they manage to get it working to even half its expected efficiency it's a massive improvement over current transportation methods. Why is that such a bad thing? Draggendrop 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted February 8, 2017 Veteran Share Posted February 8, 2017 On 2/7/2017 at 1:01 PM, FloatingFatMan said: Am I the only one here who's thoroughly underwhelmed so far? All I see here is 2 complete failures, and one near failure. For a start, why did they need a pusher vehicle anyway? This is maglev technology, it's hardly new. Japan have been using it for years! Why did the test vehicles go so slow? Again, this is maglev, old technology. Existing maglev trains are WAY faster (and cheaper, and less dangerous). Half an hour to "pump down" their short test track? OK... How long is it going to take to pump down a 400 mile track then? Plus what about the extreme expansion problems they WILL get after 10 miles or so? What about leaks from expansion? How will they deal with sudden pressure losses (which will mean death for anyone in a pod, and complete loss for the hyperloop itself). OK, so they figure LA to San Fran in 30 mins, which works out at roughly 800 mph. That doesn't include time to depressurise the track, or acceleration/deceleration times. That's basically 0 to 800mph to 0 instantly, which equals SPLAT for the passengers! I'm sorry, but this one's rocking horse poop and unicorn hair. A pound of balonium and a kilo of unobtainium. Save your money and just build a bloody maglev train! It's not quite as fast, but it's very well known technology and a LOT cheaper to build than this moon pie "invention"... We are all entitled to an opinion...though I am in disagreement with most of the comment...novel time... The following is my opinion only and is intended to rectify what I deem as a gross misrepresentation of what this event is about. // I will admit, this is not the first, nor the last, that I have read a comment about this competition, with this overall view. Please don't take this in a bad way, but I will explain WHY this is in error, and why the perception will continue for a while yet, and it is not your fault or anyone else's. There is a reason the event is proceeding the way it is, and it has been a huge success, just that it is not visible to most viewers, because they do not work in particular fields and rely on preconceptions. // 1) This is not a maglev...period. It is a term which is used in many contexts, here being a rudimentary form of levitation. "Google" a maglev track and you'll see what I mean...notice the repulser packs. While in university, my class was given an option to do a paper on a transportation venue. We were refused for any involvement in a maglev,for good reason. My professor was called upon, prior, to do a feasability study for a concortium of investors. End result, as all inquiries will be, it is one of the most least "cost effective" modes of mass transportation on the planet. Maglev systems have to be heavily subsidized by governments. It is a status symbol for national pride, at a high cost. Commuter air traffic is more cost effective, but some want convenience and pride. There is NO business model for a maglev...Period. Maglev's are not new, few are willing to commit to perpetual heavy subsidies. // 2) SpaceX has provided the enclosed track (world's second largest vacuum environment, in volume, 4180 feet long by 6 foot diameter, math speaks for itself), The environment has to be evacuated down to greater than 90%, an incredible feat to do for this test track since cost's have to be kept in line. An actual installation will have "vacuum units" strategically placed along the track length and can be powered by solar and power walls.This is NOT an issue. In fact, try using a vacuum pump on a sealed drum, see how long it takes to buckle, and continue to watch till you reach 90%, you'll be there for awhile. And you sound upset that it took 30 minutes to evacuate the worlds second largest chamber, with a cost effective rig. I am amazed that it did it in 30 minutes. This tube was pressurized and depressurized several times that day...pretty good rig in my books, and kudo's to SpaceX for setting this up for the students. // 3) This enclosed loop is a multi purpose track. It can handle wheels, air bearings and magnetic levitation systems, usually a combination for stability, riding on a concrete surface inside the sections. It is outfitted with 8 camera's, skylights, multiple velocity markers, transducers and a pusher unit. // 4) The "pusher unit" is a requirement. This is the very first time an actual, though mini, hyperloop system, has been put into service. The pusher was dialed back for a reason. Particular prior tests were required and pods needed to pass all these tests, before entry into this unit. When the track was evacuated, the pusher would accelerate the units up to 80 kph and then decellerate. The idea was to check levitation systems...not go 800 kph and I don't know where the hoot that came from. The 3 units allowed in passed 10 tests for safety. One pod, Warrloop made it to 90 kph before friction overcame the boosted acceleration. The sled accelerated it to 80 kph, and was stopped because an effieient levitation would use kinetic energy to continue accelerating, until frictional forces overtook the pod and it slowed. The other two unit were successful up to 80 kph but found that at that low a veleocity, there kinetic energy could not overcome magnetic drag...which is why they stopped quickly. Issues and success were found. How in the world is it a failure. This pusher can go a lot faster than this, you haven't seen anything yet...this development is for the students, not our entertainment. // 5) Make no mistake...the tube environment is close to LEO operations, we still have a bit of an atmosphere, but that is what the compressors are for...to relocate it from front to back and drastically reduce friction...hence less power for high speed operation. We still have gravity but other than that, it is almost a vacuum. This is why they have 10 tests to pass. A lot of the issues are akin to what NASA worries about in a space environment. In a vacuum, we worry about sublimation...you will not be using water based batteries nor lubricants which flash. You need to control your heat dissipation and conserve power and/or storage for levitation mechanisms. One needs to be able to communicate as well as stop and have emergency overrides. This is why SpaceX has also built a small vac chamber and an outside track. The pods are thoroughly checked for safety and it allows the students to check their systems out. A lot of them were unable to maintain acceptable levitation at low speed, only high speed, which is why they are there...learn, adapt modify and be back again. // 6) I have been involved in student competitions and it is a blast. We must remember one thing and that this competition is for the students and the students only. This is not a spectator event. SpaceX is fostering a student environment for research into a viable transportation system. These are very bright students...but remember...they are students and are learning. They do not have years of experience as an engineer in the field. They are being mentored by professionals at the home university, some have more funding than others, some are minimalistic and scaling while others have monster systems. They are all here to learn, see what their fellow competitors are doing and gain experience for the next round.This event is for them...not us. By not releasing much information, it is a kind of sheild where the environment is theirs and I also insist it be like that. We don't need keyboard warriors telling them what to do. Some of the comments on line are plain rediculous and the technically savy are making quick work of them. // 7) The Hyperloop corridors are for long hauls. They can be above ground or below. For above ground use, the largest expense is the real estate used. conventional rail or hyperloop will still consume real estate. The hyperloop will consume less real estate if elevated, and a different story if underground. The loop can be made cheaper than conventional rail and has the advantage of next to no atmospheric resistance affording high speed operation with a drastic energy reduction for motive forces. The loop does not have to content with weather in the tube. The thermal expansion can be easily handled but several means...one is readily evident on the ISS...Bigelow flexible construction. The central rail can also be electrified by green energy sources and storage. Tunnel safety can be handled like any other commuter tunnel in service and it takes no time to depressurize. // 8) Acceleration can be done at different rates, depending if cargo is human or the type of freight being moved. Humans can easily handle a couple of "g" during the acceleration and deceleration. It doesn't take long to get up to speed or to brake and extensive control systems will be in play. Where did all this garbage about disaster and being squished come from...uninformed people spreading FUD on line about a topic they do not understand. If anyone has actually done the math and found this to be a horror story due to outstanding mathematical abilities, please pass it along as many noted engineers, and engineering departments at world class universities will be pleased that someone has found a mistake, so that they may be able to correct it in time. // 9) The next competition round is in September which will see improvements. Each year that this is held will get exponentially better due to "open source" info and "experience" by being there. I greatly thank SpaceX for what they have done for the students. I know what it means, I've been there. These kids will never forget this but for the moment...these students are just gearing up...you haven't seen anything yet. //Final note. This competition is for the students and I support them whole heartedly. I also am thankful that a company like SpaceX has gone out of pocket to not only make this event great but to continue it. Don't be surprised if we don't hear about more contributions coming in time. This event is closed for them to foster an environment. If someone has a question, we need to ask but please no assumptions. If anyone is not happy, please move along...the rest of us are having a blast and we get to see the grass routes of another form of transportation take hold. // As far as transportation goes, Canada is a very large country with a very inhospitable northern environment. For many decades, we have been world leaders in running cost effective long haul and remote supply. Our rail experts, at one time, travelled the world advising on how to run a cost effective line...this was before commercial buyouts of some smaller lines. We are leaders when it comes to cold weather flight as well as arctic naval sealift. We know our transportation costs and it is well taught in post secondary. So when I say I am excited about hyperloop being a viable alternative, I do have a bit of background to state that I have more than a passing interest and quite frankly don't care what others think on the matter. A lot of notable people agree and I am fine being in their company. // In response to your last statement....we can move all your "rocking horse poop and unicorn hair" as well as "a pound of balonium and a kilo of unobtainium" by various means at a cost effective rate or...wait a few years and we'll give it a high speed run in the loop for you, as a BYOP...bring your own pod. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloatingFatMan Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 I look forward to being proven wrong, but until then, I'm not convinced. Draggendrop 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mirumir Subscriber¹ Posted February 8, 2017 Subscriber¹ Share Posted February 8, 2017 Quote Plans for Russian Hyperloop Pick Up Speed as Investors Redouble Support Magomedov's Caspian Venture Capital group has made two investments in the project totaling $91 million... Quote Hyperloop In Moscow? Russia May Become First Country To Use Futuristic Transport In its last round of funding, Hyperloop One raised more than $80 million, and a lot of that money came from Russian investors... Quote Russian Transport Ministry sets up working group to develop Hyperloop Quote Putin Jumps Into the Race to Build a Hyperloop Hyperloop One is one of at least two companies racing to realize Musk’s futuristic dream of transforming the way goods and people move across the earth. Much of the $100 million it has raised so far has come from Russian freight tycoon Ziyavudin Magomedov... "The Russians were first to space with Sputnik and could be first again to transonic travel,” Hyperloop One Vice President Bruce Upbin said in a blog. Draggendrop and Unobscured Vision 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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