4 ms·

I thought the contest posed by Musk was a request for a proof of concept. A test loop.

by bcook 11y ago

Animats 11y ago
It's not a loop. Musk's test track is straight. Hyperloop Transportation Technologies is talking about a 5-mile loop. That's more interesting, because cornering is hard. The MIT system is maglev against a passive track. The Transrapid system, used in the Shanghai airport maglev, requires an active track, which is why it's so expensive. Maglev with a passive track means a simpler track but high power consumption on the vehicle. Power has to be supplied to the vehicle in some way. MIT is using batteries, which is fine for a 1 mile run, but doesn't scale. The Incheon airport maglev just started service yesterday. It's not high speed rail, but it's much faster than most airport trams.
- mattbeckman 11y ago
  If only there was someone related to this project that had experience building a business based on using batteries for transportation where other people have previously thought wasn't possible ...
  - kuschku 11y ago
    Tesla is based on not using expensive batteries, but instead the common "same as in every laptop" type. They can't magically increase battery lifetime, and that's why Hyperloop will either end up as Transrapid in vacuum (VacTrain, concept for many decades) or not at all.
    - grandinj 11y ago
      But given that trains stop periodically, and we know how to build rapid-recharge energy storage devices, that might not be a problem
      - kuschku 11y ago
        This is HSR done on even larger scale. It will travel nonstop for 600km+. Recharging is an issue there. (I don’t know if you have ever used High Speed Rail, but usually it’s a direct city-city transport, only connecting the largest cities in the region, and often going for a long time uninterrupted. Many countries, like Germany and Japan, even decided to put HSR onto completely separate rails)

4 ms·

I thought the contest posed by Musk was a request for a proof of concept. A test loop.

by bcook 11y ago

I thought the contest posed by Musk was a request for a proof of concept. A test loop.

Animats 11y ago
It's not a loop. Musk's test track is straight. Hyperloop Transportation Technologies is talking about a 5-mile loop. That's more interesting, because cornering is hard. The MIT system is maglev against a passive track. The Transrapid system, used in the Shanghai airport maglev, requires an active track, which is why it's so expensive. Maglev with a passive track means a simpler track but high power consumption on the vehicle. Power has to be supplied to the vehicle in some way. MIT is using batteries, which is fine for a 1 mile run, but doesn't scale. The Incheon airport maglev just started service yesterday. It's not high speed rail, but it's much faster than most airport trams.
- mattbeckman 11y ago
  If only there was someone related to this project that had experience building a business based on using batteries for transportation where other people have previously thought wasn't possible ...
  - kuschku 11y ago
    Tesla is based on not using expensive batteries, but instead the common "same as in every laptop" type. They can't magically increase battery lifetime, and that's why Hyperloop will either end up as Transrapid in vacuum (VacTrain, concept for many decades) or not at all.
    - grandinj 11y ago
      But given that trains stop periodically, and we know how to build rapid-recharge energy storage devices, that might not be a problem
      - kuschku 11y ago
        This is HSR done on even larger scale. It will travel nonstop for 600km+. Recharging is an issue there. (I don’t know if you have ever used High Speed Rail, but usually it’s a direct city-city transport, only connecting the largest cities in the region, and often going for a long time uninterrupted. Many countries, like Germany and Japan, even decided to put HSR onto completely separate rails)