Elon Musk, the creator of Tesla cars and space exploration firm SpaceX, first proposed his concept for a hyperloop in 2013. This carbon-neutral system could transport people and freight at high speeds.
DOE modeled various hypothetical hyperloop system configurations to assess their power and energy needs, such as systems designed for transporting passengers as well as lighter-weight palleted freight or larger shipping containers.
Speed
Hyperloop is a mode of transportation which employs magnetic levitation and an evacuated tube system to travel at high speeds, using magnetic levitation technology designed to reduce energy consumption by eliminating air resistance and friction – creating a system which is both faster and more ecologically friendly than traditional auto travel.
The hyperloop system consists of pods traveling at near-sonic speeds. Thanks to magnetic levitation and tube system design, which lowers air pressure significantly and thus significantly reduced drag forces by over one thousand times, pods are free from needing continuous power; making this mode of transport both energy efficient and environmentally-friendly.
The Department of Energy’s analysis assumes that hyperloop systems will gain market share from intercity passenger travel and save energy compared to current air or personal travel using light duty vehicles. This assumption aligns with estimates provided in concept papers for one exemplary system and with projected energy savings projections up to 2030.
Safety
Elon Musk released the initial Hyperloop concept paper through SpaceX in 2013. This system features passenger pods driven by linear electric motors that travel inside an evacuated steel tube at near vacuum conditions.
Hyperloop tubes are designed with adjustable dampers to withstand earthquakes. Their sealed tubes protect pods from inclement weather conditions like rain. With such short travel times compared with air and rail transportation, the reduced chance of accidents decreases considerably.
The XP-2 pod was put through rigorous safety testing using virtual dummies to ensure its passengers would remain unharmed in an accident. Test results demonstrated that they would survive, although there may be risk due to movement. Simcenter Madymo simulations helped understand its impact, which helped create safety measures which were then combined into three distinct safety packages and assessed for effectiveness.
Reliability
Hyperloop’s steep power pulses and rapid energy flows would place considerable strain on the electrical grid, necessitating protection schemes to keep voltage and frequency within certain parameters. Furthermore, these systems might need large amounts of energy for active power control and harmonic mitigation to protect their electric motors from damage.
The DOE’s analysis of passenger travel distance bands revealed that hyperloop travel can save energy compared to air and light vehicle travel, yet less so than truck or rail travel. Furthermore, hyperloops could decrease air cargo and rail cargo needs while simultaneously increasing truck freight needs.
Elon Musk first popularized hyperloop technology through a 2013 white paper, yet its development is led by an army of high-tech engineers who have created new companies dedicated to hyperloop technology development. Many have spent their careers building spaceships or planes before turning their talents to developing hyperloop technology.
Cost
Hyperloop technology’s costs could present an obstacle to its adoption. Building the necessary network of tubes may prove costly; plus obtaining lithium batteries that store enough energy to power high speeds requires extensive research and development efforts.
DOE analysis suggests that hyperloop systems could lower transportation energy demand on a per passenger mile basis if deployed widely and able to capture significant market share for intercity passenger travel. However, this potential energy saving may only apply in specific market segments where hyperloop systems can compete effectively against air travel in terms of time and convenience.
Hyperloop’s vacuum environment reduces aerodynamic drag by up to 1,000 times, offering significant energy advantages over ground-based transportation alternatives. Unfortunately, passengers may find traveling at such high speeds in windowless pods uncomfortable; this may limit its success as well as create increased transportation energy use overall due to power requirements of system and increased demand created by system itself.