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Hyperloop pushes dream of low-cost futuristic transport

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Tim Did you bother to read the article.Nowhere in the article is it mentioned that Japan is interested in HTT

5 ( +5 / -0 )

It may sound like the stuff of science fiction

It IS the stuff of science fiction, but so were mobile phones at one time. Science fiction is almost the blueprint of humanity, it is the stuff of ideas, that we then turn into reality.

The hyperloop is something that has been theorized in plenty of science fiction over the years, and will very likely become true. It's an efficient method of travel at high speeds, that if done right should also be quite safe.

If the metrics beat out maglev, that would be a bad thing or Japan, as they are investing so heavily into maglev technology in the hopes they'll be able to sell it to others as well.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

It will be impressive to see how they keep a 200 mile long tube as vacuum, while still allowing entrance and exits along the way for emergency needs. If they can't get most of the air out, going that fast just isn't possible. Air becomes incompressible near mach 1+ speeds. Imagine trying to push a plunger for 200 miles - that's what will happen if they don't get the air out. Maintaining a large vacuum is hard - really hard.

I'm not actually concerned about it staying inside the tubes or rubbing against the sides. Control systems can easily handle that today in a highly redundant way.

Plus they need to partner with some company that already has right-of-way leases/ownership for the track location and have money left over to fight the legal battles that Amtrack, Greyhound, Delta, UA, AA will all bring.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Flying through a tube at 760 miles per hour...

For a sec, I thought you were discussing airplanes - those would be IN a tube. I suppose they'll have cars traveling consecutively, one for passengers and one for luggage, both due to size restrictions and safety.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

It's not practical for long distance travel since you are cramped in a sitting position with no access to a toilet for more then an hour

The shinkansen (bullet train) has spaces of an hour when it doesn't stop. They've come up with a pretty innovative solution to the problem - they put toilets on the train. I don't see why they couldn't do that with the hyperloop.

and has no emergency exit if and when it stops mid way.

Is there some reason why they can't have emergency exits?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

My main concern is whether it's really safe or not. Flying through a tube at 760 miles per hour (1220 km/hour) seems like it could be quite dangerous.

What happens if, for whatever reason, the sides of the vehicle suddenly begin rubbing against the tube? Will the friction cause an explosive fire and/or desintegration.of the vehicle?

How do people get out of the tube if there's ever an accident or a stoppage?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Hyperloop always reminds me of Alix Cord in Genisis II, a sci-fi movie from 1973. It had the hyperloop going through the earth not above ground but essentially the same idea, high speed achieved through a tube: http://tinyurl.com/zyatdaq """A scientist who has been preserved in suspended animation wakes up to find himself in a primitive society in the future."""

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Hyperloop looks a bit like Sydney monorail. Except that SM had a maximum speed of about 20km/h over the 4km long sydney loop.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Actually it pretty important since their design cannot facilitate any stops in case of an emergency in which if one stop the whole line stops with no way out for the ones trapped behind the one that actually had the problem.

To remove the one that got stuck they will have to cut open the tube and physically remove the one that got stuck, patch the whole system again while everyone else remaining within the tube have to wait till they patch it up, create a vacuum within the tube again to restart the system which will probably take days if not weeks.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Actually it pretty important since their design cannot facilitate any stops in case of an emergency in which if one stop the whole line stops with no way out for the ones trapped behind the one that actually had the problem.

How is this different from any train?

To remove the one that got stuck they will have to cut open the tube and physically remove the one that got stuck

Oh I imagine there are dozens of other ways to deal with the situation. Rails on the bottom of the tube are one that comes to mind off the top of my head. Some sort of wheels built into the train itself that are extendable if/when needed is another.

You sure seem determined to find reasons why this won't work, whereas people with creativity and drive can find all sorts of ways to deal with the potential issues you come up with. Is there some reason you are so negative about the idea?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

It's not practical for long distance travel since you are cramped in a sitting position with no access to a toilet for more then an hour and has no emergency exit if and when it stops mid way.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Fair enough - it does seem pretty unrealistic that it will be done by 2020. And the costs may very well be unreasonable.

But neither of those were what the poster I was addressing was talking about. (S)he is being negative about the concept altogether, and as you said:

The idea is fine.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Who is swallowing it whole?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Ok I thought you were speaking of someone specific in this thread. But I see you were just voicing annoyance at the existence of the article and the claims it's making.

Personally I like the article as it's forward thinking about where our species will likely go. The timeline seems pretty unrealistic, but I can overlook that myself. I understand that others can't though.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It will be expensive to build and maintain. Japan needs to spend this kind of money on other things like adequate daycare for example. Trains are already fast enough.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

The companies are sucking in large amounts of money and producing very little, sounds like a scam, if it sounds too good to be true; it is". They are following in Musks footsteps in one particular, massively over promise and massively under deliver because real world engineering and development just takes time!

Quite where are countries going to put these? May be the USA or Russia could bulldoze it through, and they have plenty of space but a lot of countries are more crowded, under ground would work but the costs would soar. I think there are so many real world problems with bringing this to fruition on any meaningful scale that claims it will revolutionise transport are and will remain hyperbole.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

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