One of the few times I've read the word 'pylon' without being concerned with some video game.
Hyperloop
51–60 of 983 posts
Re: Hyperloop
#52It's very interesting that this is a SpaceX project. Why not Tesla, or another company entirely?
It's on the Tesla site as well. http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/hyperloop
Re: Hyperloop
#53I am skeptical of the proposed cost were someone to actually build this. Sure, the cost of materials, labor, engineering, etc. is probably accurate, but something like this has never been built before. What about the cost of research and testing? Not to mention there doesn't currently exist an industry of contractors to build most of the parts of this system, which is not true in the case of traditional high speed rails. Citing the cost to build something like the Hyperloop as the entire cost of developing it seems a bit disingenuous.
Not that it still wouldn't be comparable to the cost of a high speed rail system.
Re: Hyperloop
#54So who wants to start a company? I'll uh...come up with the business plan.
Seriously though, this would be an incredible project to work on. I wonder, outside of Elon Musk, who would take on the challenge?
Re: Hyperloop
#55From my skimming of the PDF, it sounds like a pneumatic tube transportation system with a compressor fan on the front of the vehicle that moves high-pressure air from the front to the back maintaining a low-pressure state around the vehicle. Kind of like an Earth-bound Alcubierre drive.
The pumped air is also used to create an air cushion around the pod to keep it suspended at high speeds. Also, solar panels line the top of the tube so that it is self powering.
Re: Hyperloop
#56[deleted]
The page contains a full description of the Hyperloop and a link to a PDF with technical details. You're linking to your own HN story, which has fewer comments, and fewer details in the actual story. (Also, why not link directly to the _actual_ news story @ Businessweek as you mention?)
By the time I've posted both the Businessweek link and the comment the SpaceX.com page was a mere placeholder. A few minutes later their site cache cleared.
Context is everything. ;)
In any case, I've deleted the comment you were referring as it's not relevant anymore.
Re: Hyperloop
#57That capsule (http://images.bwbx.io/cms/2013-08-12/0812_Hyperloop_605.jpg) looks like a claustrophobic's nightmare.
Otherwise very, very cool.
Re: Hyperloop
#58It's very interesting that this is a SpaceX project. Why not Tesla, or another company entirely?
From the PDF:
"Feedback would be most welcome – please send to hyper loop@spacex.com or hyperloop@teslamotors.com . I would like to thank my excellent compadres at both companies for their help in putting this together."
Re: Hyperloop
#59"In the case of the Hyperloop, Musk started focusing on public transportation after he grew disenchanted with the plans for California’s high-speed rail system." And who says that big government stifles entrepreneurial innovation? If ALL Musk does with the Hyperloop announcement is shed more light on the potential debacle that is to be our $70b+ high-speed rail in California, we owe him a debt of gratitude. PS - Dire…
So, we have "light shed" on the current "debacle" and neither system gets built. That's a win? HSR was first commerically available in 1964. Yes, it got really expensive waiting 50 years. I imagine it'll be even more expensive in another 20-30. California is going to get even more crowded.
Re: Hyperloop
#60I like how the head of the project called him to make sure he knows it's not the absolute slowest or most expensive per mile only nearly so.