Hyperloop plans made open source

[speciealpha]

Elon Musk had decided to make the plans to hyperloop completely open source.   However he claims he is to busy to build it because he has to concentrate on his other companies. (personally i just think he is saying that so investors wont pull out of spacex or tesla)

 

Musk has been talking about the idea for months. He provided few details up until Monday, other than to say he won't take an active role in the project's development and will publish the plans as open source.

 

 

 

it looks like hyper loop trains will float on a cushion of air. And be in a low pressure tube that is 1/6 of Mars' atmosphere. They will be powered by magnets placed occasionally throughout the tube that push and pull the pods through the tube.  Like a giant railgun.

 

 

Also at only $6 billion USD, this is looking pretty cheap. 

 

 

 

 

One forseeable problem may be that it can't be built over short distances because it can't accelerate enough to float on the cushion of air.

 

http://arstechnica.com/business/2013/08/hyperloop-a-theoretical-760-mph-transit-system-made-of-sun-air-and-magnets/

 

http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/12/4614940/elon-musk-reveals-plans-for-high-speed-hyperloop

 

http://money.cnn.com/2013/08/12/news/economy/hyperloop-elon-musk/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

[ACatWithThumbs]

I wish they would do it, because the Amrican Train System is Crap.
Also its Cheap and it would be Possible to Live in New York and Work in L.A

[Andi]

if the only downside is it works only well on long distances there is no downside :D

 

Now i want a worldwide net of tubes...i want to go to japan in 5 hours :D

[Exo]

It was never intended for short distances, but this is great to begin with. People can work and live in two totally different cities in California - brilliant idea.

[cYbErpILs]

"Hey, wanna come over to my house in Europe from New York" "Well, see you in 20 minutes so"

It sounds so crazy but I like it.

[Vitalius]

"Hey, wanna come over to my house in Europe from New York" "Well, see you in 20 minutes so"

It sounds so crazy but I like it.

The idea that you can call in a shuttle is awesome. No timed schedules. Lovely. :D

This could revolutionize travel in so many ways. What I see though is people using this for transporting goods. Getting food where it is grown to where it is eaten will be so much faster. Now they have to have air conditioned cargo containers for transporting food across the pacific ocean. With this, that would be cut down SOOO much. Which means less wasted food due to spoiled and more food in general. 

I could visit Akihabara in Japan (because we all know they will be the first to get one to other countries /joke) every day. Hell yes. :D

[Cypher32]

The cost analysis is ALL wrong

[speciealpha]

Thought I should mention this too:  

 

The document points out that a Hyperloop tube covered in solar arrays could generate about 52MW of power, a vast amount more than the estimated 6MW that would be needed to operate the Hyperloop itself.

 

of course that's an estimate, but still.  Hyperloop sounds awesome.  I'd like to shake the hand of Elon Musk.  

[Vitalius]

Thought I should mention this too:  

of course that's an estimate, but still.  Hyperloop sounds awesome.  I'd like to shake the hand of Elon Musk.  

Just saying, that is assumed to be at the current efficiency of Solar Panels. They go up from time to time based on new discoveries/techniques in making them. So that number will only rise until they are made. 

Also, that is assuming a clear sky. And at night, I assume the power companies would take up the slack in place of all the power the loop would generate during the day. Unless they only run during daytime hours (which would suck, even if it would still be awesome). It is good that the number is that high, to allow for plenty of variance from the solar panels.

Though, you could outrun the Sun at this point. Leaving in the morning in the US and arriving in Japan 14 hours later, the next day.

My God, the Tube lag. XD

This tube thing enables soooo many things. Countries would not be very "separate" anymore (not that they are now). The internet connected everyone (mostly) in the world digitally to communicate, but this tube could connect us physically. 

That is crazy awesome. Immigration would/will be a pain in the butt though.

It is great for countries like the US, Canada, Russia, and China. Utterly massive amounts of land that needs to be covered.

[Jimbo]

It's also potentially great for Australia, it could make the trip up the east coast a snip and really cut down on the isolation that WA sometimes seems to suffer from.

 

Plus solar panels would be a no brainer across the desert.

[Vitalius]

It's also potentially great for Australia, it could make the trip up the east coast a snip and really cut down on the isolation that WA sometimes seems to suffer from.

 

Plus solar panels would be a no brainer across the desert.

Exactly. In places like Africa, where immigration is not that big of a deal (imo), it would be great. And like you said, I forgot Australia. 

Being connected across an ocean with this is awesome too.

I would imagine it would either be set high up over the ocean (so as to not be disturbed by waves), or set to run along the sea floor and use the geothermal spots (i.e. undersea volcanoes) for power. 

I think the sea floor would be preferred. Upkeeping the concrete pillars to hold the thing up would be a pain. Then again, we have discovered the ancient Roman concrete recipe.

Blurb from that article:

 

Over the past decade, researchers from Italy and the U.S. have analyzed 11 harbors in the Mediterranean basin where, in many cases, 2,000-year-old (and sometimes older) breakwaters constructed out of Roman concrete stand perfectly intact despite constant pounding by the sea.

So maybe building pillars to hold up the Hyperloop would not be such a bad idea. Set some solar panels on top that are reinforced to withstand hurricane force winds and you should be golden. Have generators at the bottom of the pillars attached to the undersea geothermal volcanoes for supplementary power for when it is not day time or a storm is brewing. 

Genius.

Edit:

Add some wind turbines and current turbines (underwater ones) and bam. Tons of energy constantly being produced all the time. Plenty for the world and more than enough to keep the primary means of transport (internationally at least) from ever needing to stop (aside from maintenance of course).

[speciealpha]

 

So maybe building pillars to hold up the Hyperloop would not be such a bad idea. Set some solar panels on top that are reinforced to withstand hurricane force winds and you should be golden. Have generators at the bottom of the pillars attached to the undersea geothermal volcanoes for supplementary power for when it is not day time or a storm is brewing. 

 

Over longer, straighter distances hyperloop can accelerate up to higher speeds. Maybe as we start to go across to other nations, we can reach speeds of much faster than 760mph. Imagine going mach 2 or 3 on you're way to Europe under the ocean!

 

Another possible alternative is to go from the Americas through Alaska across the short and not so deep Bering strait to Europe, Asia, Africa by land. It might be cheaper, but much less cool.

 

 

 

[Beskamir]

If Elon doesn't have time to make this then I really wish this would get made by someone and not simply forgotten.

 

Also I wonder if the tube would be see through.

[Vitalius]

 

 

 

Over longer, straighter distances hyperloop can accelerate up to higher speeds. Maybe as we start to go across to other nations, we can reach speeds of much faster than 760mph. Imagine going mach 2 or 3 on you're way to Europe under the ocean!

 

Another possible alternative is to go from the Americas through Alaska across the short and not so deep Bering strait to Europe, Asia, Africa by land. It might be cheaper, but much less cool.

 

 

 

 

One problem with that: Turns. 

It has to be pretty much straight as it goes around the world, or the people on board will have horrible motion sickness.

[martinrox1568]

it would be really cool if you could create an entire freeway underground. they could create a vaccum, and then cars could go just as fast as the hyperloop.

[speciealpha]

One problem with that: Turns. 

It has to be pretty much straight as it goes around the world, or the people on board will have horrible motion sickness.

  True, the turns would have to be something like a 40 or 60 mile turning radius.  lol.  Or it might have to slow down a lot and very gradually.  

 

*sigh* Why do the laws of physics have to ruin everything?

[ACatWithThumbs]

 

 

*sigh* Why do the laws of physics have to ruin everything?

Quantum Physics will save us XD

It will make our Computers 100.000 faster and Quantum Levitation could replace Trains.

[Alex(PlayMedium)]

The problem with hyperloops over oceans would be the tectonic plates. Every year europe and america for example seperate by 2-3 centimeters. Over time that would destroy the hyperloop.