Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Elon Musk’s Tunnel Plan Isn’t as Crazy as SpaceX or Tesla

bloomberg.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–60 of 97 posts

Re: Elon Musk’s Tunnel Plan Isn’t as Crazy as SpaceX or Tesla

#51

Post by hanklazard »

pavel_lishin wrote: post #7
samstave wrote: post #2

Elon should use the nuclear powered tunnel boring machines patented in the 60s to dril and melt rock-wall tunnels for the hyperloop.

I have a feeling residents would throw a complete shit-fit if someone proposed something like that. At best, you'd have clickbait headlines like "MUSK PROPOSES NUKING HIS WAY THROUGH YOUR BASEMENT".

He discussed this concern here: https://youtu.be/hpDHwfXbpfg?t=9m15s

It sounds like he's less concerned about disturbing the people above, as it's apparently not an issue at certain depths (I am not an engineer). Seems like the existing underground infrastructure might be a bigger problem.

Re: Elon Musk’s Tunnel Plan Isn’t as Crazy as SpaceX or Tesla

#52

Post by sqeaky »

theseatoms wrote: post #47
fhood wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love how transparent it makes his motives.

Are you sure it's not just good marketing?

Can't it be both?

Honesty has phenomenal draw in marketing when the recipient agrees with the message. Even if one's disagrees, the product is harder to attack when everyone around it is honest.

Re: Elon Musk’s Tunnel Plan Isn’t as Crazy as SpaceX or Tesla

#53

Post by nickik »

vannevar wrote: post #50

"...digging sure sounds easier than building a rocket that lands vertically." It isn't. Just ask the builders of the Chunnel. It's only 31 miles long and went 80% over budget and 20% behind schedule. A tunnel from New York to DC would be nearly 10 times as long and run under some of the most densely populated land in the country. Rockets and electric cars are trivial by comparison.

20% behind schedule? 80% over budget? Look at some of the projects by SpaceX.

Re: Elon Musk’s Tunnel Plan Isn’t as Crazy as SpaceX or Tesla

#54

Post by hanklazard »

I posted this in response to a comment below, but I think this interview clip provides a great overview of the technology that Musk is proposing, as well as answers to some common questions/concerns about the challenges this tunneling might create.

https://youtu.be/hpDHwfXbpfg?t=1m17s

edit: added the word "interview"

Re: Elon Musk’s Tunnel Plan Isn’t as Crazy as SpaceX or Tesla

#56

Post by ouid »

when I first saw the tunnel plan, it was presented as a service-for-billionaires single use subway system for cars.

That's not what it is at all. It's a company that makes tunnels. Ultimately, they will be used for whatever infrastructure needs tunnels to work.

Re: Elon Musk’s Tunnel Plan Isn’t as Crazy as SpaceX or Tesla

#57

Post by sqeaky »

kin wrote: post #27
skykooler wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bypassing LA traffic by going from New York to Washington D.C.

You don't have to be so mean about others referencing old news: http://www.scpr.org/news/2017/05/13/71818/elon-musk-digs-dee...

No, LA traffic is just that bad. I am in Omaha, only halfway to NY/DC, and I have to adjust my morning commute for LA rush hour.

Re: Elon Musk’s Tunnel Plan Isn’t as Crazy as SpaceX or Tesla

#59

Post by jws »

ProblemFactory wrote: post #21

Is technology really the slow and expensive part of boring tunnels? To me it has always seemed that tunnels are expensive because: * Planning the traffic impact and how it interacts with other transport lanes, all the above-ground building work to make the tunnel useful, * Emergency ventilation and escape routes, and all other infrastructure that goes into the hole, * Avoiding any building foundation piles, unmapped…

It may be time to legislate the concept of "tunnel space". This would be similar to air space. In the US a property owner doesn't control the air above their land (subject to details). Maybe Congress should declare the Earth below say 100' as not controlled by the land owner and allocated by some new agency, say the Federal Crust Administration.

Remove all of this from state, county, and municipal jurisdiction. Centralize the rules. Local government will still be controlling the portals where it must surface and interact with the surface world.

This will have to merge with mineral rights, but the intersection of mass transit and mining is minimal.

Re: Elon Musk’s Tunnel Plan Isn’t as Crazy as SpaceX or Tesla

#60

Post by abalone »

ProblemFactory wrote: post #21

Is technology really the slow and expensive part of boring tunnels? To me it has always seemed that tunnels are expensive because: * Planning the traffic impact and how it interacts with other transport lanes, all the above-ground building work to make the tunnel useful, * Emergency ventilation and escape routes, and all other infrastructure that goes into the hole, * Avoiding any building foundation piles, unmapped…

I believe they're hoping to mitigate 3 and 4 by going deeper than most things. But wouldn't that make 2, emergency escape routes, a lot more expensive?

How do you make a very long, very deep, narrow-diameter, elevator-accessed tunnel safe from fires and toxic gas releases? You can make it a vacuum but then what if you have to escape a vehicle? How does this thing not become a death trap in the event of a fire?

Fire is the number one cause of fatalities in tunnels (remember it's the smoke that kills). Tons of engineering and expense goes into trying to devise shelter and evacuation solutions.

Post reply on HN