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

Hyperloop Alpha [pdf]

spacex.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

191–200 of 202 posts

Re: Hyperloop Alpha [pdf]

#191

Post by sylvinus »

prawn wrote: post #135
sylvinus wrote: post #70

IMHO Musk (or anyone who follows up) should drop the "passenger" version and go with the "passenger plus vehicle" version only. Because right now what people and the press are going to focus on is how small the cabins are, why there are no toilets, etc. On the other hand if you can imagine putting a car in there the claustrophobia argument disappears and you can think straight again...

Disagree completely. I'd ditch the vehicle option. If the earliest forecast is for this to be built in seven years, how much will the driving landscape change in that time? Robo-cars even? This is primarily for commuters who can walk/taxi/rent at the destination. Even travellers will do the same. If you want to take your car, drive it IMO. When you fly, there is no expectation of taking your car along with you and th…

I agree to your point about taking your actual car. Loading cars inside would indeed complicate the system a lot.

What I tried to say was more about the psychological impact of imagining a car fit in the capsule, even if the same space is just taken by larger seats.

Re: Hyperloop Alpha [pdf]

#192

Post by ddeck »

thret wrote: post #169
ianb wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

China seems set on a different path, but I guess you never know. Korea seems too small to benefit. And Japan perhaps too mountainous? Looking at California: http://bit.ly/1eFevxA And Japan: http://bit.ly/19ZXwbJ I don't see any roads in Japan that are nearly as straight as I-5. The places where this would make sense have destinations fairly far apart, but not too far apart, with somewhat amenable landscape between th…

In Australia this could potentially be viable between Melbourne and Sydney, but probably only if it doubles as a cargo train. I doubt there is enough daily people traffic to warrant it otherwise? It is around 900km though, almost a straight line along the Hume highway and the busiest city-pair in Australia by a long way.

>I doubt there is enough daily people traffic to warrant it otherwise?

SydneyMelbourne is the third busiest air route in the world with 8 million passengers in 2012[1]. I'm sure there's more than enough "potential" passengers.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_busiest_passenger_air_r...

Re: Hyperloop Alpha [pdf]

#193

Post by vpuzzella »

Cool stuff here, but I'd rather see them focus their efforts on moving cargo rather than people.

Find a way to remove the cargo (trucks) from the commuter transportation system (roads & highways) and you'll improve the lives of many more people.

Moving cargo is a lot easier than moving people because it doesn't complain or need to go to the bathroom. It also won't be missed by most people if it's destroyed.

Re: Hyperloop Alpha [pdf]

#194

Post by JoeAltmaier »

jlgreco wrote: post #141
newbie12 wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sure that kid will feel the same way about paying for your Social Security someday.

I certainly don't count on that scenario ever playing out... By all means though, those children should be able to pay $50-100 for the privilege to never pay into social security. That is a great idea. What is your thesis here, I shouldn't be annoyed by children because one day I will be old? Not sure I understand that logic. "Being annoyed" isn't even a proper choice; if I could turn it off, I certainly would. In fa…

Yeah; actually you are the only one in control of your feelings. Turning it off is a matter of maturity; one day you may (god willing) smile when you hear children.

Re: Hyperloop Alpha [pdf]

#195

Post by JoeAltmaier »

glibgil wrote: post #114
jlgreco wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The bar to malice is important to consider. If the bar is "high explosives or shaped charges", then you are probably okay. If the bar is "a redneck who is bored with shooting stop-signs", then that might be a problem.

Bored people don't shoot guns at trains today. Why would they start?

Bored people shoot track, put pennies on tracks, drop water balloons from freeway overpasses, put potatoes in car exhaust pipes, and on and on. Its important to consider the most random variable in the safety equation - bored people.

I'd say all these concerns warrant putting the damn thing underground.

Re: Hyperloop Alpha [pdf]

#196

Post by Someone »

schiffern wrote: post #184
Someone wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"By building a system on pylons, _where_the_tube_is_not_rigidly_fixed_at_any_point" [...] "A telescoping tube, similar to the boxy ones used to access airplanes at airports would be needed at the end stations to address the cumulative length change of the tube" So, the tube is lying loose on the pylons, and he assumes it will keep its shape while expanding. I think that is highly optimistic for a tube that is a strai…

>If he manages to accomplish that, the end stations will move over 300 meters, in total. Where are you getting this idea from? That seems like an insane implementation compared to using accordian-like flexible section[s].

From what I cited: "A telescoping tube, similar to the boxy ones used to access airplanes at airports would be needed at the end stations to address the cumulative length change of the tube"

I guess that's because accordion-like flexible sections and carriages moving at 1000 km/h on a tiny air cushion don't go well together, or because such sections, being a lot leakier then welds, would let too much air in.

Re: Hyperloop Alpha [pdf]

#197

Post by Bud »

phaemon wrote: post #179
spikels wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If not using the bathroom for an hour is an issue you should see a doctor. Not only are there good treatments to alleviate this, but it may be an indication of a serious medical problem. Get it fixed then enjoy life including perhaps the Hyperloop.

There are conditions with no cure that make it difficult to go an hour without using the bathroom. I think the people with those conditions are well aware that it's a "serious medical problem" without your advice. Your post was about as useful as telling someone in a wheelchair to see a doctor to get their legs fixed (hey, it may be an indication of a serious medical problem!)

It's a half hour. Not an hour. Furthermore, from a given location on an average freeway, what do you think the real-life time is, in heavy traffic, to get to a bathroom? Could be over a half hour, easily.

There's no new problem here.

Re: Hyperloop Alpha [pdf]

#198

Post by Bud »

newbie12 wrote: post #136
jlgreco wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would gleefully slap another $50-100 onto every plane ticket I ever bought to ensure that there was nobody anywhere on the plane under the age of 16. I can't be the only one...

I'm sure that kid will feel the same way about paying for your Social Security someday.

That kid will be paying for their OWN Social Security. Any given retiree has already paid for theirs. That's what the lifelong taxes are for. Remember?

Re: Hyperloop Alpha [pdf]

#199

Post by phaemon »

Bud wrote: post #197
phaemon wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are conditions with no cure that make it difficult to go an hour without using the bathroom. I think the people with those conditions are well aware that it's a "serious medical problem" without your advice. Your post was about as useful as telling someone in a wheelchair to see a doctor to get their legs fixed (hey, it may be an indication of a serious medical problem!)

It's a half hour. Not an hour. Furthermore, from a given location on an average freeway, what do you think the real-life time is, in heavy traffic, to get to a bathroom? Could be over a half hour, easily. There's no new problem here.

No, he said an hour. See:

> "If not using the bathroom for an hour is an issue "

"An hour". It's right there in his post. I didn't say there was any new problem. I didn't say I objected in any way to the Hyperloop. I specifically addressed his post which said "an hour". OK?

Re: Hyperloop Alpha [pdf]

#200

Post by schiffern »

Someone wrote: post #196
schiffern wrote: post #184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>If he manages to accomplish that, the end stations will move over 300 meters, in total. Where are you getting this idea from? That seems like an insane implementation compared to using accordian-like flexible section[s].

From what I cited: "A telescoping tube, similar to the boxy ones used to access airplanes at airports would be needed at the end stations to address the cumulative length change of the tube" I guess that's because accordion-like flexible sections and carriages moving at 1000 km/h on a tiny air cushion don't go well together, or because such sections, being a lot leakier then welds, would let too much air in.

Right, so the tube changes length. The entire station doesn't move. Also, the trains aren't going 1000 km/h at the station.
Post reply on HN