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

Elon Musk Unveils Boring Co's First Tunnel

latimes.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

141–150 of 237 posts

Re: Elon Musk Unveils Boring Co's First Tunnel

#141

Post by User9991 »

Isinlor wrote: post #111
carlivar wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some journalists have become openly cynical about Musk, probably now that so many promises have failed to materialize.

He may have delays, but what have he failed to deliver? Everything is either work in progress or delivered. - internet payment platform, check - first privately founded company to do orbital launch, check - reusable cheap rockets, check - biggest rocket available + it's reusable, check - Dragon spacecraft, check - crew spacecraft, check (still needs testing, starting early next year) - Model S, check - Model X, check…

Half of the items on your list have "failed to materialize". Like this tunnel, you seem to completely discount these ideas being uneconomical.

Reusing rockets is pointless if it isn't cheaper. Building electric cars isn't hard;mass producing by them to high quality standards, cheaply is.

Every time one Musks projects comes around, his super fans talk about how nice it is he's working on the issues, blissfully unaware that smart engineers the world round are working on the same problems.

Re: Elon Musk Unveils Boring Co's First Tunnel

#142

Post by User9991 »

nickik wrote: post #118
Isinlor wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He may have delays, but what have he failed to deliver? Everything is either work in progress or delivered. - internet payment platform, check - first privately founded company to do orbital launch, check - reusable cheap rockets, check - biggest rocket available + it's reusable, check - Dragon spacecraft, check - crew spacecraft, check (still needs testing, starting early next year) - Model S, check - Model X, check…

Some people have a hard time keeping relative and absolutes apart. There are lots of people, even on this site who often claim that he is 'not even an engineer'. People emotions simply get the better of them in situation that are so public, every little detail gets blown out of proportion in either direction. The plain fact that he controls and builds multiple US based billion dollar companies seems to get lots AT TH…

Musk isn't an engineer. What is controversial about that statement? You don't call yourself a doctor because you're interested in health care.

Re: Elon Musk Unveils Boring Co's First Tunnel

#143

Post by Spivak »

konschubert wrote: post #107
Crosseye_Jack wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> guide wheels that can be attached to the front tires of autonomous, electric cars, steadying the vehicles as they move forward through tunnels." So the o-Bahn Busways in Aus, just underground.... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O-Bahn_Busway https://youtu.be/X89WSVjyBRw

Guys, guys, hear me out. I have a crazy idea. What if we use special cars only for the tunnel with some kind of ride sharing system? and then we put the cars on rails? This keeps them on track and also the rolling friction is much lower. Also, we could continuously charge the battery of the car if we have some kind of wire going alongside the tunnel and a slip contact. Actually we could make the cars much bigger as w…

If you can figure out how to let people transport their vehicles through your tunnel without your car having to make scheduled stops, or follow a single path then you've got a business.

Re: Elon Musk Unveils Boring Co's First Tunnel

#144

Post by MertsA »

youngtaff wrote: post #116
haxton wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Generally speaking tunnels are much safer than outside due to the lack of falling debris. And the fire issue is solved my any half decent sprinkler / ventilation system.

Isn't water a no-go if it's a lithium battery fire?

No, for a battery fire it's quite the opposite. It's going to release all of that stored energy and burn up the electrolyte one way or another. Flooding it with water is the best way to deal with all of that energy.

Re: Elon Musk Unveils Boring Co's First Tunnel

#145

Post by em-bee »

xvilka wrote: post #140
Skye wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are trains that run in narrow tunnels in London (12 feet wide I think?). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Why_London_Undergrou...

They have a huge problem with overheating because of the small gap between roof and a tunnel, it also reduces potential speed of the train.

i hope that with more modern technology that will be less of an issue.

vacuum tunnels would work too,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vactrain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperloop

not sure if the hyperloop idea works for short distances.

Re: Elon Musk Unveils Boring Co's First Tunnel

#146

Post by Balero »

konschubert wrote: post #105
npunt wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I imagine it’ll also probably be hell on tires. You’d need W- or Z-rated tires to do that and those are $$. Perhaps smooth concrete will mean lower rolling friction along with lack of sudden maneouvers. Still, going that fast is expensive in all sorts of ways.

People go 250 kmh on German highways regularly (unfortunately). It doesn't seem to be unpractical.

In a confined tunnel pushing the air out of the way is more difficult than in open air. There's just less space for it to all go.

Re: Elon Musk Unveils Boring Co's First Tunnel

#147

Post by __s »

npunt wrote: post #37
pdq wrote: post #33

The elevators in and elevators out are the bottleneck. Then inside it looks like a safety and escape hazard nightmare. What happens when someone gets a flat tire?

Seems like it needs to be centrally controlled automation so they’d be able to adjust fleet speed in relevant area for any issues that arose. Flat tire seems easy, probably a limp home mode to nearest exit + slow down nearby fleet. There should be many exits and relatively close to each other since they’re so low cost. I’m more concerned about fire & earthquake.

Earthquakes are mentioned in the FAQ: https://www.boringcompany.com/faq/#block-yui_3_17_2_14_14948...

Re: Elon Musk Unveils Boring Co's First Tunnel

#148

Post by sgc »

agildehaus wrote: post #120
warent wrote: post #4

> "But Musk told reporters that Boring officials have abandoned the concept of the skate, saying it was “far more complex” than his new plan: guide wheels that can be attached to the front tires of autonomous, electric cars, steadying the vehicles as they move forward through tunnels." So basically this only works with Tesla vehicles at the moment. I'm wondering how that's going to expand in the future--if at all. Do…

Doesn't the removal of the skate also put the vehicle's speed back in the hands of the driver? So now one slow guy will slow down everyone in that tunnel? Also, the skate was supposed to provide the automation. How does autonomously navigate the tunnel network?

random ev gets certified before entry.

Re: Elon Musk Unveils Boring Co's First Tunnel

#150

Post by kwhitefoot »

semi-extrinsic wrote: post #25
npunt wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s for added safety factor at high speeds (150mph).

Huh, TIL Tesla Autopilot only works at speeds below 50 mph. I thought it was mainly for highway driving, but highways are more like 60-100 mph. I assumed it worked at highway speeds. What gives?

My 2015 S 70D Autosteer works between 30 kph and 150 kph, roughly 20 mph to 90 mph.
Post reply on HN