4500 km from New York to Los Angeles in 45 minutes without leaving the ground: the founder of Paypal think hold the "fifth mode of transport."
The whimsical billionaire Elon Musk had last month announced via his Twitter account. On August 12, he will unveil the details of its proposal for a new revolutionary way of transportation: the Hyperloop. The system should provide the ability to travel at record speeds for cost and minimal energy expenditure.
* The plan Hyperloop will be published on August 12th. Critical feedback for improvement would be appreciated.The Hyperloop could resemble the device developed by the American company ET3. ET3 credit.
The fifth means of transport So he kept his promise. The billionaire founder of electric carmaker Tesla Motors and private space exploration company SpaceX, published a 57-page document describing the project , (find the bottom of this article), which could connect Los Angeles San Francisco in 35 minutes.
"Hyperloop consists of a low pressure tube with capsules, carried in low and high speeds along the length of the tube" explains the document. "The capsules are placed on pressurized air cushion", it added. According to Musk, the transport system should be able to reach a speed of 1220 km / h and would be economically viable for any less than 1500 km link.
Less vulnerable to earthquakes and accidents During a conference call Monday, Mr. Musk spoke of "a new form of transportation, different from traditional train that would carry passengers and goods in its capsules in a tube mounted on pylons." "It is designed to be super light, while trains are incredibly heavy. This is more like a plane," he said. The feeling on board would be close to that of "an airplane. That would be sweet, like flying on the air."
The billionaire ensure that its system is less vulnerable to earthquakes and less prone to accidents than the train or plane "because it can not crush or derail." The project will greatly resembles the one created by the ET3 company featured in the video below.
CAPSULES. Musk has repeatedly described the Hyperloop as "halfway between the Concorde, the electric gun and air hockey table." Concorde for speed, the electric gun as a means of propulsion and Air Hockey travel conditions.
Monday unveiled the concept has been developed by teams from Tesla and SpaceX and is based on technology developed in the two companies. It provides for a version of the electric motors used on the Tesla S model cars, which would create an electromagnetic field to propel the capsule.
System "halfway between the Concorde, the electric gun and air hockey table" - Elon Musk.
The high pressure air between the walls of the inserted tube and the capsule create a cushion of air capsules allowing to move without friction. The air in the tube between each capsule prevent possible collisions.
Diagram of the probable operation of the Hyperloop. (Credit: Brian Dodson)
Thus eliminating friction force can slow the vehicle, we are left with travel conditions similar to those found in orbit. Ideal to beat speed records.
Elon Musk therefore wants to start building a prototype capable of connecting Los Angeles to San Francisco in 30 minutes. Either shuttle launched at 1100 km / h. Modest, as already dreaming of trips New York-Los Angeles in 45 minutes or New York to Beijing in 2 hours ...
ECOLOGICAL Other advantages:. Hyperloop the would be protected from the weather. No turbulence due to bad weather or stop on the way due to snow ...
In addition, the capsules are inserted into the tube and powered on demand. That is to say that travelers could leave at any time without imposed schedule as for the train or plane.
Ardent conservationist, Musk also said that the main power is generated by solar panels placed directly onto the structure, making the network self-sufficient in energy. Especially since it would consume very little.
(Credit: ET3)
"What we want is a system where there are never any accidents, which is at least two times faster than a plane, which is powered by solar energy, and share as soon as you arrive, so that there is no waiting time nor accurate. "Said Elon Musk in September.
Tickets $ 20 Mr. Musk, opposite the high-speed train between Los Angeles and San Francisco - the construction of the first section has been approved by the authorities - believes that the project is much more economical. It estimates the cost of the link between the two cities to 6 billion - against 70-100000000000 for the train - and anticipates the one-way street price of $ 20.
PROTOTYPE. Elon Musk has repeatedly stated that he did not intend to develop the project itself, but could reconsider its decision, at least in part. "I tried to create at least one demonstrator," he acknowledged Monday. "I'm not trying to make tons of money with it, but I'd like (the project) a reality and I think it would help if I was a model."
Elon Musk, 42, made his fortune in 1999 by selling computer manufacturer Compaq society Zip2, he created more than 300 million. Another of his creations, X.com, merged with the online payment site PayPal, which was acquired in 2002 by the auction site eBay for $ 1.5 billion. Besides SpaceX and Tesla, Elon Musk leads SolarCity, a manufacturer of solar panels for businesses and individuals.