Students from Delft want to become world champion hyperloop

A team of 41 Delft students has presented an innovative hyperloop prototype. With this they want to become world champion during the European Hyperloop Week in Edinburgh. Delft University of Technology reports this in a press release. 

Hyperloop

The Hyperloop could become a revolutionary new means of transportation. It combines the speed of an airplane with the convenience and energy consumption of a train. Because the pod floats through a vacuum tube, there is no air and rolling resistance and the pod can travel up to 1,000 km/h. By using electromagnetic propulsion, there is also no use of fossil fuels.

This sounds ideal, but much innovation is still needed before the hyperloop can transport people. Delft hyperloop has innovated in three areas this year, getting another step closer to the optimal hyperloop. It should eventually be implemented on a European scale. 

Magnetic motor and rolling resistance

The first innovation is an energy-efficient magnetic motor. This motor does not propel the vehicle from orbit, but is located directly on the pod. By using such a motor, the track contains much less precious materials. This makes the infrastructure a lot easier and cheaper to implement. 

Furthermore, all rolling resistance is eliminated. As a result, the entire pod no longer has any contact with the track. To accomplish this, the team created electromagnetic fields in vertical and lateral directions of the pod. In this way, extremely high speeds are achieved in the most efficient way possible. 

All about Hyperloop

Londoners call their metro system the Tube. That’s what most underground transport lines look like in most of the world: cavities where trains pass by.

Heat battery

These electrical components create an enormous amount of heat on the pod. Therefore, Delft Hyperloop has designed a heat battery. Such a battery uses a type of wax, in which all the heat can be stored. This can be done without an increase in temperature, making it crucial. 

Umika Bhagole, team leader of Delft hyperloop, says Delft hyperloop is trying to show what is possible in terms of technology. “In this way, we are trying to catalyze a sustainable revolution of the transportation sector,” Bhagole said. European Hyperloop Week is from July 18 to 24.

© Image Hyperloop Delft