Comments on: Elon Musk Hyperloop Details To Be Announced Aug 12 (Best Guess Below)

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 22:03:00 +0000

Looping Ho!!!

“But, whereas Musk has previously mentioned he’d like to see it in California, it’s now being reported that the project will see the light of day in the State of Israel.

The project will be the the result of a collaboration between Israel’s Ministry of Transportation, Better Place, and Japanese Taigo. The loop will cost some $10 billion, and its first route will run from Tel Aviv to Eilat, in seven minutes, no less!

While the exact details of the route could not be published, Geektime learned that the beta period of the project will see an actual driver supervise the train, with this ending in November 2015 and the route becoming completely automatic. The Hyperloop is based on pods that hold 10 passengers, with 10 pods leaving the station every 30 seconds (meaning 100 passengers every 30 seconds), taking 7:06 minutes to travel to Eilat, and 7:07 to travel back.

No more one-hour flights, no more 6-hour drives.”

http://www.shalomlife.com/business/22694/the-first-hyperloop-will-take-place-in-israel-2015/

By: anti_banker

anti_banker — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 21:00:00 +0000

Maybe (like solar, or wind power) the upfront costs are expensive, but the long term savings in energy needed by the maglev system would outweigh the upfront costs. (among other benefits, like saving time on travel)… Just guessing here, don’t know much about maglev technology…

By: geoffderuiter

geoffderuiter — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 23:50:00 +0000

After this was all announced, I ended up making a 3D model of how it might work and trying to include all the hints that were said. Here is the link to the video. I am really looking forward to seeing what Musk and his group comes up with! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa5m-CEuum4

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 17:19:00 +0000

If it’s a <10' diameter tube mounted on pillars above existing interstate medians, something like that, the materials cost for the tube could be high but there would be significant savings on real estate/routing.

Interesting….

By: eject

eject — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 17:14:00 +0000

I am not really sure it is necessarily more infrastructure heavy than high-speed rail. High-speed rail) or any rail, but high-speed even more so needs a heavy foundation of gravel and quiet precisely designed parallel steel rails plus power supply and soundproofing walls when crossing certain areas. All train cars need heavy suspension an need to be built very rugged.

If you throw all previous designs over board it might very well turn out that a novel carriage design might be a lot cheaper. If it levitates there is no need to have suspension or design everything to withstand permanent vibration to prevent failure through fatigue. This will make the carriage a lot lighter as well. The same is true for the foundation, no vibrations=less damage, cheaper construction.

If you pre built all the parts in a single place and just dump them on the site and hook them up you are a lot faster and cheaper in deploiment. We will have to wait for his ideas though. But I am excited.

By: Matt

Matt — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 16:37:00 +0000

Yes, I think the ideas is Concorde == really really fast

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 16:14:00 +0000

A bunch of us are waiting to hear that issue addressed.

Were it anyone but Elon I’d declare it BS and move on. But the guy has a very impressive track record.

(Of course Linus Pauling had a great track record as well. And then he dove into the silly pool.)

By: J_JamesM

J_JamesM — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 15:37:00 +0000

This is great and all, but how in the world would this be a cheaper alternative than high-speed rail? If anything, it looks even more infrastructure-intensive.

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 15:02:00 +0000

Apparently you need to spend more time watching cartoons….

By: Jim Seko

Jim Seko — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 14:47:00 +0000

If this hyperloop concept were coming from any person other than Elon Musk, I’d be skeptical. Elon Musk makes Wile E. Coyote look like a regular genius.

By: Jouni Valkonen

Jouni Valkonen — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 13:53:00 +0000

My guess is that Hyperloop is not based on maglev technology. But it is similar to air hockey table where air pressure forms frictionless cushion. Also he has said that acceleration is based on rail-gun architecture and it is not the same thing as maglev acceleration. Rail-guns do not use superconductive materials in magnetic field, but they use direct electric propulsion.

Besides, 1200 km long maglev track would be quite expensive. Maglev trains are not very economical.

However, I think that exact details are difficult to conclude from Elon’s cryptical remarks. Only Elon Musk can describe something revolutionary at most detailed level as cross between concorde, rail gun and air hockey table and the whole media takes him seriously!