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from the just-wait-until-Apple-supplies-an-iPod dept.
We had submissions from two Soylentils on a recent high-speed demonstration by Hyperloop One.
Hyperloop One's Passenger Pod Takes its First Ride
Just weeks after Hyperloop One demonstrated a working, albeit slow, version of its levitating sled, the company has made another leap forward. This time around, the startup has successfully tested its XP-1 passenger pod, reaching speeds of up to 192 mph and levitating off the track as it accelerated.
XP-1 traveled for just over 300 meters before the brakes kicked in and it rolled to a gradual stop, hitting a top speed of 192 mph. That speed puts Hyperloop One's system a little bit ahead of Category 1 high-speed rail, which has a maximum running speed of 155mph, although it's not yet faster than Japan's bullet train.
Then again, Hyperloop One's plan is to push its pods at speeds closer to 750 mph, but that's clearly going to be tough to test in a tube that's just 500 meters long. But the milestones, slow and steady, are being met, and it's clearly a demonstration of the company's strength that it is developing its prototypes for real.
Source: https://www.engadget.com/2017/08/02/hyperloop-one-first-pod-xp1-test/
Hyperloop One Claims Successful 192mph Test
For the number nuts, such as himself, your humble editor (FP), in a freshly woken daze - and assuming 300 m of acceleration, 50 m of gliding, and 150 m of deceleration - has calculated that the acceleration was at 2.5G, and the deceleration was at 5.0G, which doesn't make breakfast seem such a good idea.
[NB: That contains a factor of 2 error, as pointed out below by a careful reader, my bad -- FP.]
Today Hyperloop One claimed that its demo pod reached 192mph (310 kph) on the 500m (1/3 mile) test track that the startup built outside of Las Vegas. Hyperloop One showed off that demo pod last month—it's basically an 8.7m (28.5 ft) carbon-fiber shell on a magnetically levitating chassis.
This test run follows on a "Phase 1" test that sent a bare-bones sled down the test track at 70mph. At the time, Hyperloop One had said Phase 2 would involve getting to 250mph, but in a recent press release, the startup said that the 192mph test run this month satisfied Phase 2 development goals. Ars has reached out to Hyperloop One for clarification, and we'll update when we receive a response.
Although no media were present, Hyperloop One claims that in this most recent test, its large pod "accelerated for 300 meters and glided above the track using magnetic levitation before braking and coming to a gradual stop."
(Score: 2) by inertnet on Thursday August 03 2017, @03:02PM (4 children)
I see a couple of problems with the current design. If you want to transport passengers, the pod has to be pressurized and this design doesn't look optimal for that. Its shape also doesn't seem optimal for traveling in a tube, it should have a better nose cone shape to prevent unnecessary forces from turbulence and the front point is off center. Same with the rear, drag will create uneven forces on the top and bottom half of the pod.
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Thursday August 03 2017, @05:41PM (3 children)
It's a cylinder with a semi-spherical front. Short of being a sphere, how much more optimal do you want for a pressure container? It only needs to contain one atmosphere of pressure, maybe as little as one-half, not exactly a high-engineering challenge, especially with a carbon-fiber structure.
Also remember that it's operating in near vacuum, and planned to concentrate what little air there is into an air cushion to help avoid touching the rails and possibly walls. Far from being unnecessary, controlled unbalanced forces are a major design goal. Honestly, I would almost have expected the flat diagonal end to be the front.
(Score: 2) by inertnet on Thursday August 03 2017, @07:34PM (2 children)
I don't think you can make a pressure chamber with carbon-fiber.
The nose will drag itself down at speed, if you want it off center, it should be upside down instead.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 04 2017, @12:48AM
> I don't think you can make a pressure chamber with carbon-fiber.
?? https://www.amazon.com/Ninja-Paintball-Carbon-Fiber-Regulator/dp/B00AD77NYQ/ref=pd_sbs_200_6 [amazon.com]
Carbon fiber paintball gun tank, 4500 psi. Also, carbon fiber diving tanks and many larger ones.
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Friday August 04 2017, @01:35AM
Why wouldn't you be able to? The only thing possibly stopping you would be if the air could pass through the walls - in which case it's easy enough to put a thin gas-impermeable layer inside the structural shell.
Now, if we were talking about a *vacuum* chamber, maybe you'd have difficulties. I don't know how rigid carbon fiber is in compression.