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On Wednesday, spectators in the Nevada desert witnessed the first public test of a Hyperloop test vehicle as it accelerated from zero to over 100
miles per hour in a few seconds before running
out of track.
The vehicle, built by Hyperloop One (formerly Hyperloop Technologies), is intended to show off that the technology publicized by SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk is viable. The firm wants to build a system that could make the trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles in around 30 minutes.
The plan for Hyperloop involves using a variant of maglev technology to power the passenger and cargo capsules, but the entire system is enclosed in a steel tube that has been pumped out to produce a near vacuum. The reduced air pressure allows the vehicles to move at nearly the speed of sound while using very little propulsive power.
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Today's test didn't use vacuum tubes, and instead was an open-air test to show the speed and propulsion system's viability. The next stage will be to build a fully enclosed test track to iron out the engineering challenges in getting a full Hyperloop up and running.
All of the technology needed to make Hyperloop transport a reality exists, but it's putting it all together in a working system that's the tricky part. At today's demonstration Hyperloop One said it had secured VC development funding and partnerships with firms including engineering conglomerate AECOM to investigate using the system for cargo transportation in Los Angeles and Long Beach ports.
To view a video of the test: www.youtube.com
For more of The Register news story: www.theregister.co.uk
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