Virgin Hyperloop hosts first human ride on new transport system

[editor]

Interesting stuff:

Virgin Hyperloop has trialled its first ever journey with passengers, in the desert of Nevada.
The futuristic transport concept involves pods inside vacuum tubes carrying passengers at high speeds.
In the trial, two passengers - both company staff - travelled the length of a 500m test track in 15 seconds, reaching 107mph (172km/h).
However, this is a fraction of Virgin's ambitions for travel speeds of more than 1,000km/h.
Virgin Hyperloop is not the only firm developing the concept but nobody has carried passengers before.
Sara Luchian, director of customer experience, was one of the two on board and described the experience as "exhilarating both psychologically and physically" to the BBC shortly after the event.
She and chief technology officer Josh Giegel wore simple fleeces and jeans rather than flights suits for the event, which took place on Sunday afternoon outside of Las Vegas. Ms Luchian said the journey was smooth and "not at all like a rollercoaster" although the acceleration was "zippier" than it would be with a longer track. Neither of them felt sick, she added.
She said that their speed was hampered by the length of the track and acceleration required.

Virgin Hyperloop pod transport tests first passenger journey

The "sci-fi" travel concept involves travelling in pods inside vacuum tubes at very high speeds.

www.bbc.co.uk

Think I'd still prefer the train, mind.

 

[editor]

Looking to launch commercially in 2030

 

[gentlegreen]

fairground ride ?

 

[Steel Icarus]

Did Branson ever get his money after rattling his begging bowl at Boris?

 

[ska invita]

I felt sick on train in France when it started going too fast

 

[SpookyFrank]

If ever need to travel 500 yards from one bit of empty desert to another at a cost of billions I'll be sure to look these twats up.

 

[ska invita]

I remember someone on TV reading a thrilled account of someone traveling on one of the first engine buses, hitting 30mph , in which they said words to the effect of "this is the fastest humans will every need to travel". They might have been right.

 

[a_chap]

I think it's fair to say that this chap is not a fan





He goes on a bit but he points out quite a few relevant and BLEEDIN' OBVIOUS flaws.

 

[HAL9000]

It looks like it same problem as the mono rails, might be able to go quicker than a normal train. But if the cost per km is significantly higher than a train line, most governments will pick rail. (or roads in the USA)

 

[a_chap]

This Hyperloop BS busted still further

 

[weltweit]

Can it go round corners?

Can it have junctions?

How much cost per mile compared to ordinary rail?

What is possible passenger density compared to rail?

 

[gentlegreen]

I get claustrophobia and worse just looking at that thing ...

 

[DotCommunist]

thats all the money robbed from our healthcare system going into this cunts white elephant, whats wrong with the japanese maglev tech anyway.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

What a pile of shite.

 

[MickiQ]

It isn't supposed to replace trains it is an alternative to air travel. The guy behind the videos seems to be berating the point that he hates it rather than coming up with many actual objections. His statements about air pressure are particularly suspect given domestic water and gas pipes have a higher pressure differential than 1 atm and they aren't collapsing all over the place.
Will one ever get built? That is anyone's guess. The big objection is going to be cost, the current air travel infrastructure has one massive advantage over hyperloop in that it already exists. It is going to be an uphill struggle to get investment in it without governments forcing its adoption and I can't see that anytime soon.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Can it go round corners?

Can it have junctions?

How much cost per mile compared to ordinary rail?

What is possible passenger density compared to rail?

1. No. Anything other than a straight line would create a structural weakness that would cause the whole thing to crumple like an empty beer can.

2. No. See 1.

3. Irrelevant, as it'll never get built.

4. Shit. The tube is only about 2m in diameter and that has to fit all the rails, moving parts etc as well as passenger space. It'd be worse than those little hobbit trains on the Glasgow metro.

 

[a_chap]

The guy behind the videos seems to be berating the point that he hates it rather than coming up with many actual objections.

No actual objections. Really?

I'm guessing you didn't watch both videos.

 

[Artaxerxes]

"Build trains and subside buses you overpriced cunts" is the correct response to hyperloops.

 

[MickiQ]

No actual objections. Really?

I'm guessing you didn't watch both videos.

Yes I did and noticed a distinct lack of any verifiable calculations to back any of his assertions up. Whereas I'm guessing that the hundreds of engineers working on the several hyperloop projects may have used some of the tens of millions of dollars so far spent to buy a calculator maybe even a computer and done some sums.
I'm particularly dubious of his speed of sound claim air pressure at ground level is about 100kN per metre squared, sounds a lot but you can actually apply more pressure with your thumb based on its area
He spent much of the second video basically ridiculing the fact that they had built the test track out in the desert, he clearly comes across as a man with an axe to grind whatever that maybe.
I actually agree that these things will never get built but on cost grounds rather than engineering ones. I don't doubt it can be made to work and work well but getting anyone to spend the billions necessary is much harder

 

[HAL9000]

Tech tent, worth listening to, jump to 18 minutes to 18 seconds. Summary, better off buying a bunch of private jets and build new airports , which would be cheaper.

Tech Life - Will Biden go after Facebook? - BBC Sounds

The social media giant is in the firing line again after Joe Biden's election win

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[a_chap]

I'm guessing that the hundreds of engineers working on the several hyperloop projects may have used some of the tens of millions of dollars so far spent to...

Of course, the hundreds of engineers fastidiously spending those millions of dollars on engineering.

Stroll on.

 

[MickiQ]

Of course, the hundreds of engineers fastidiously spending those millions of dollars on engineering.

Stroll on.

Excluding Musk (whose claiming the credit for an idea that was never truly his), there are currently 7 rival Hyperloop projects underway around the world. Virgin Hyperloop One (USA), HTT (USA), TransPod (Canada), DGWHyperloop (India), Hardt (Netherlands), Zeleros (Spain) and HyperPoland (Poland). Are you suggesting that it is all some kind of elaborate scam to defraud venture capitalists (not that there is anything wrong with that of course)

 

[Sasaferrato]

A good use for graphene, when it arrives.

 

[skyscraper101]

Expectation

Reality

 

[Artaxerxes]

Excluding Musk (whose claiming the credit for an idea that was never truly his), there are currently 7 rival Hyperloop projects underway around the world. Virgin Hyperloop One (USA), HTT (USA), TransPod (Canada), DGWHyperloop (India), Hardt (Netherlands), Zeleros (Spain) and HyperPoland (Poland). Are you suggesting that it is all some kind of elaborate scam to defraud venture capitalists (not that there is anything wrong with that of course)

I put it thus, engineers like building cool stuff, companies like jumping on expensive bandwagons, engineers like taking the money to do cool stuff and pretending they can build super fast single person capsules like on Futurama.

In reality the hyperloop is a solution looking for a problem, we have existing things that can solve the problems of hyperloop - which I believe was first mooted as Elon Musks dream to solve LA traffic when in reality its basically a less efficient tube and has now evolved into putting Teslas underground instead of building a reliable decent tube network.

Essentially the projects are a way for capitalism to just spunk money out and pretend it can solve the worlds problems via innovation and the next big idea, and not investing in existing things.

"but hyperloop will replace planes!" by moving 30 odd people at high speed vast distances for a massive cost in carbon and infrastructure doesn't sound ideal. Whats also needed is better local kit. This is just another way of pretending capital is going to save us with Grand Projects and not addressing the actual issues of transport, especially American transport.

 

[Artaxerxes]

I like Donoteat01's take on it anyway, plus he spends 40 minutes calling Musk a twat.

 

[a_chap]

Are you suggesting that it is all some kind of elaborate scam...

Of course I'm not saying it's an elaborate scam.

It is a simple scam.

A simple scam designed to separate fools from their money and suck in the gullible and credulous.

 

[skyscraper101]

I does seem like a pretty soulless way to travel. I like looking out of train windows and seeing the landscape roll by and I actively avoid the deep level tube if there’s an overground or bus option.

But also I’m someone who’d usually choose slower and more enjoyable over speed, unless there was a massive cost advantage to travelling like this which I haven’t seen any evidence for.

 

[gentlegreen]

Fucking hell.
The latest inspiring video narrated by Stephen Fry has been infested - right at the end ..

 

[NoXion]

A good use for graphene, when it arrives.

It would make certain aspects of this idea a bit easier, if graphene could be manufactured at a reasonable price. But if such bulk quantities are attainable, it would be put to better use improving conventional transportation systems. Cheaper, faster bullet trains would be a far more democratic solution than any kind of hyperloop-type system.