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posted by n1 on Friday July 14 2017, @09:09AM   Printer-friendly
from the levitating-shopping-carts dept.

Submitted via IRC for AndyTheAbsurd

Hyperloop One claims that its prototype ultra-fast train has completed a first full systems test in a vacuum, reaching a speed of 70 mph. The sled was able to magnetically levitate on the track for 5.3 seconds and “reached nearly 2Gs of acceleration,” according to the company.

The test was conducted privately but Hyperloop One offered some video that included footage from testing. Based on that footage plus a few seconds of additional b-roll shared with media, a lightweight skeleton sled uses a linear motor to accelerate, levitates briefly, and then comes to a halt as the brakes are applied.

Hyperloop One was created as an answer to a challenge from Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who wrote a white paper envisioning a mode of transportation that would send pods at speeds greater than 700mph using a low-friction environment and levitation using air bearings.

Source: Ars Technica


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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Aiwendil on Friday July 14 2017, @01:17PM

    by Aiwendil (531) on Friday July 14 2017, @01:17PM (#539102) Journal

    TGV (the french highspeed trains) take between 245 and 750 seated passengers per set. Those are not local transit either. In general such a train can do just with less than five minutes per stop. So, with TGV you wouldn't even blink at 2500 to 9000 passengers per hour.

    The Alstom Coradia (common train here in sweden [X40], albeit a double-decker) is a train aimed at the up to 200kph service, and it takes between 153 and 252 seated passengers per set. So even there we are talking about 1500-3000passengers per hour. In china they even have a few �trains [Regina] in the up to 200kph class with a seated passenger capacity in excess of 1000 per set (so noone would even flinch at 12_000 seated passengers per hour - once they get used to the sense of scale in china that is) [in sweden normally in the 145 to 267 range of seated (shorter sets)]

    Let's just say that to get down to 840 passengers per train for a proper distance train you need to hit either low traffic (15min intervals) or use short old-interior trains (less than about 120 passengers).

    Oh, and for the trains above, that is per track that has a platform. Since doubletracks are common on new lines (needed for high speed anyway) double the capacities per platform. When not having to stop the trains can be packed even tighter (some 30s between them if you go automatic).

    The thing is 840passengers per hour is very low capacity, it is basically the suburbs to a smallish [1-2million] capital capacity levels.

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