Published On: October 25th, 2017 ¦ Categories: Research, USA/ Canada ¦ 3.1 min read ¦ Views: 3644 ¦

TUM meets Hyperloop – innovative new generation of engineers

TUM students are turning the vision of a high-speed tube transport system for passengers and freight into reality.

American billionaire Elon Musk certainly isn’t short on bold visions for future mobility. Some of them, like Tesla electric cars, are already available for everyday use. Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX won’t only be employing reusable rockets to help reduce the amount of hazardous space junk in low-Earth orbit in years to come. It will also be taking people to Mars in the near future. Very much on the ground but no less ambitious is SpaceX’s Hyperloop project, which will soon see passenger and freight capsules linking urban centres on America’s West Coast at the speed of sound using a similar concept to a pneumatic delivery system. TUM (Technical University of Munich) is one of the frontrunners in a student competition focusing on Hyperloop.

Hyperloop – hovering at reduced pressure

Hyperloop’s drive concept is based on the technology of maglev systems such as the Transrapid. Electromagnets draw along the capsules while keeping them suspended. At the same time, a vacuum is generated inside the tubes. These two things combine to minimise the frictional resistance acting on the capsules and should enable speeds of 1,200 km/h in everyday operation. A number of research institutes and companies across the globe are currently working on concepts for using Hyperloop technology in everyday applications. In the medium term, Hyperloop systems could thus become an alternative to short-haul flights.