Hype Loop

[Karlos]

I see hyperloop was back in the news again recently. Colour me sceptical but people have been talking about vacuum tunnel trains for longer than powered flight. The biggest problem I have with the concept is how you build and maintain a low pressure tunnel of any length. When Elon Musk was talking about it, it was an above ground tube which would need to be made of unobtainium given that all existing above ground tubes tend to have regular right angle turn sections along them to handle the thermal expansion and contraction. And that's all before you get to the engineering challenge of making it withstand the external pressure and protect the capsule and occupants internally when travelling at bullet like speeds. Imagine a loose bolt shears somewhere?

 

[Speelgoedmannetje]

Yea it I have my doubts as well regarding this. Not so much regarding maintenance as aircrafts need also a lot of maintenance, but more regarding how they're thinking to make this safe in an earthquake-prone environment.

 

[redrumloa]

Hyperloop is a non-starter. If they ever do attempt it during my life, you wouldn't catch me dead on one (pun intended).

 

[Karlos]

I think maintaining an airtight tube wide enough to fit a passenger capsule over hundreds of kilometers, to cope with thermal expansion and the pressure differential is basically science fiction for now. Building them underground is maybe OK as long as it's solid rock in a place devoid of any significant tectonic activity. Above ground? Exposed the elements? It's nonsense.

Then consider the capsule itself. A failure between stations. What's the rescue plan? What if there's a capsule stranded and another hypersonic one on the same line ?

 

[FluffyMcDeath]

I think maintaining an airtight tube wide enough to fit a passenger capsule over hundreds of kilometers, to cope with thermal expansion and the pressure differential is basically science fiction for now. Building them underground is maybe OK as long as it's solid rock in a place devoid of any significant tectonic activity. Above ground? Exposed the elements? It's nonsense.

Then consider the capsule itself. A failure between stations. What's the rescue plan? What if there's a capsule stranded and another hypersonic one on the same line ?

At least you don't waste money on having any emergency medical responders standing by. No point really.

 

[Karlos]

I suspect if the end product ever arrives, it will be a subsonic high speed train passing through a partially depressurised tunnel. Or with no depressurisation at all. I suspect the whole vacuum and hypersonic elements will be quietly discarded as engineering reality sinks in. After which it will be a regular train. Will all the disadvantages of the your typical underground tube train and, well, what is the upside?