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SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition

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Re: SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition

#131

Post by Gustomaximus »

peterbraden wrote: post #123
Gustomaximus wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Rather than 2 parallel hyperloops would it be more efficient to make passing points? Orgainse timings so pods pull off at a platform and then car traveling in the opposite direction or overtaking can go past.

but that would prevent using the pressure in the loop?

Not if the pod itself is creating the pressures needed. I believe this is the current thinking as a true evacuated tunnel was deemed not feasible.That said they do envisage 2 tracks. Interesting read linked;

http://www.spacex.com/sites/spacex/files/hyperloop_alpha-201...

Re: SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition

#132

Post by Swannie »

bsdetector wrote: post #101
jcchin41 wrote: post #99

For those interested in getting a better handle on the vehicle thermodynamics, see[1]. Feel free to play around with the open-source python model here[2] [1] https://mdao.grc.nasa.gov/publications/AIAA-2015-1587.pdf [2] https://github.com/OpenMDAO-Plugins/Hyperloop [3] http://www.popsci.com/hyped-up-startups-race-hyperloop-life

For those of us who aren't aeronautical engineers... if you just covered a normal expressway with a half tube, wouldn't the air start moving along with the vehicles and greatly decrease the drag at high speeds, making higher speeds more economical? Or at what point does the vacuum and ratio of vehicle to tube size make hyperloop work out, but a simple enclosed highway doesn't?

IANA engineer...

Only if the vehicles are self propelling from the ground, and if you refer back to trains really they are just pushing air in front of them, with some air escaping past them.

If there were not ventilation systems to allow the air behind the train to be filled, the train would need to work harder to essentially pull the air behind it.

At least, that's my understanding.

If the vehicles are not self propelling from the ground, and propel with air, like the original hyper-loop proposal, they are actually pushing air backwards to their direction of motion, which would stop any such forward moving air flow develop.

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