Based on the Hyperloop discussion by Mr Elon Musk, efforts are on for a transportation system that "would whisk travelers between cities at speeds topping 760 miles per hour. Passengers would ride inside pods shooting through a network of low-pressure tubes, with the pods surfing electromagnetic pulses rather than carrying engines of their own.".
While this system sounds extremely enticing for folks who have dreamt about getting to workplaces quicker, there are several challenges that will need to be addressed before it becomes "production" grade.
The initial design seems to be over simplified for such a complex system. Some of the challenges include
- Seismic factors
In areas like San Francisco and Los Angeles, that are sitting on top of a potential seismic activity zone, the design of such a transportation mode which would sit as a welded steel tube on top of concrete pillars with dampers will have its own challenges.
- More connections for Pylon
Currently the transportation system is just kept as a sort of tube that is hug from a Pylon but there has to be some sort of a connection to keep it from sliding off the side of the pylon.
- System Communications
This system will require some sort of tracking system of where each capsule was along the route. A web of substations, communication centers will be needed
- Thermal Expansion
The current design claims that no expansion joints are needed because “tube is not rigidly fixed at any point” and uses “dampers” instead. But simple calculations show damper attachment to each pylon would not allow for the kind of movement that will happen.
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