VISVESWARAYA TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY,

BELGAVI - 590014, KARNATAKA, INDIA

A Seminar report on

Hyperloop High Speed Transportation

Submitted by

Mashooq S Jain

Under the guidance of

Mr. Lava K R (B.E, M.Tech)

Assistant Professor
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Jain Institute of Technology
DAVANGERE-577 005
2016-2017

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Jain Institute of Technology
DAVANGERE-577 005
(Affiliated to Visvesvaraya Technological University)

hyp

Certificate
This is to certify that the Project report entitled

Hyperloop High Speed Transportation is an authentic record of the

project work carriedout by Mr. Mashooq S Jain in partial full filament of the
requirements for the award of Bachelors degree in the field of Mechanical
Engineering of Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belagavi under our
guidance and supervision during the year 2016-2017
Guide

..
Mr. Lava K R B.E, M.Tech
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
.
Dr. Rajaneesh N Marigoudar
Head of the Department
Mechanical Engineering

1. Examiner 1 .
2. Examiner 2 .

Dr. Manjunataha T S
Principal &Director

Hyperloop

Abstract
Hyperloop is a proposed mode of passenger and freight transportation that propels a podlike vehicle through a near-vacuum tube at more than airline speed. The alpha version of the
proposal, published on the SpaceX website, describes claims of the design of the system, as
well as its function. The pods would accelerate to cruising speed gradually using a linear
electric motor and glide above their track using passive magnetic levitation or air bearings.
The tubes could also go above ground on columns or underground, eliminating the dangers of
grade crossings. It is hoped that the system will be highly energy-efficient, quiet and
autonomous.
The concept of high-speed travel in tubes has been around for decades, but there has been a
resurgence in interest in pneumatic tube transportation systems since the concept was
reintroduced, using updated technologies, by Elon Musk after 2012, incorporating reducedpressure tubes in which pressurized capsules ride on an air cushion driven by linear induction
motors and air compressors.
The outline of the original Hyperloop concept was made public by the release of a
preliminary design document in August 2013, which included a suggested route running from
the Los Angeles region to the San Francisco Bay Area, paralleling the Interstate 5 corridor for
most of its length. Preliminary analysis indicated that such a route might obtain an expected
journey time of 35 minutes, meaning that passengers would traverse the 350-mile (560 km)
route at an average speed of around 600 mph (970 km/h), with a top speed of 760 mph
(1,200 km/h). Preliminary cost estimates for the LASF suggested route were included in the
white paperUS$6 billion for a passenger-only version, and US$7.5 billion for a somewhat
larger-diameter version transporting passengers and vehicles although transportation
analysts had doubts that the system could be constructed on that budget; some analysts
claimed that the Hyperloop would be several billion dollars overbudget due to construction,
development and operation costs.
Dept of Mech. Engg, Jain Institute of Technology, Davanagere
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Hyperloop

Acknowledgement
The satisfaction that accompanies the successful completion of this seminar would be
in complete without the mention of the people who made it possible, without whose constant
guidance and encouragement would have made efforts go in vain. I consider myself
privileged to express gratitude and respect towards all those who guided us through the
completion of this project.
First and foremost, I wish to record my sincere gratitude to Management of this
college and to my beloved Principal, Dr. Manjunatha T S, Principal and Director, Jain
Institute of Technology, Davanagere for his constant support and encouragement in
preparation of this report and for making available library and laboratory facilities needed to
prepare this report.
I sincerely thanks to Dr. Rajaneesh N Marigoudar, Head of the Department of
Mechanical Engineering, Jain Institute of Technology, Davanagere for his valuable
suggestions and guidance throughout the period of this report.
I wish to record my sincere gratitude to our guide, Mr. Lava K R, Assistant
Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jain Institute of Technology, Davanagere
for guiding me in investigations for this seminar and in carrying out experimental work. His
contributions and technical support in preparing this report are greatly acknowledged.
The seminar on Hyperloop High Speed Transportation was very helpful to me in
giving the necessary background information and inspiration in choosing this topic for the
seminar. I sincerely thanks to Mr. Murulidhar, Project/Seminar Coordinator for being
supported the work related to this seminar.
Last but not the least, I wish to thank my parents for financing my studies in this
college as well as for constantly encouraging me to learn engineering. Their personal
sacrifice in providing this opportunity to learn engineering is gratefully acknowledged.

Dept of Mech. Engg, Jain Institute of Technology, Davanagere

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Hyperloop

Place: Davanagere.

Mashooq S Jain
(4JD13ME061)

CONTENTS
Page no
Certificate

Abstract

II

Acknowledgement

III

Contents

IV

List of figures and Tables

V
I

Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
1

Chapter 2
Main Parts of Hyperloop
2
2.1 Low Pressure Tube
3
2.2 Capsule
4-5
2.3 Axial Compressor
6
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Hyperloop

2.4 Compressed Line Diagram

7
2.5 Suspension
8

Chapter 3
Results and Discussion
3.1 Cost
9
3.2 Route

10

3.3 Comparison of Energy per Passenger per Journey

11
3.4 Can it be Self Powering
12

Chapter 4
4.1 Advantages of Hyperloop
13
4.2 Disadvantages of Hyperloop
13
Conclusion
14
Bibliography

List of Figures
Sl. No

Name

Page
No

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Hyperloop

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
10
11

Hyperloop
Main Parts of Hyperloop
Low Pressure Tube
Hyperloop Passenger Capsule
Geometry of Capsule
Axial Compressor
Compressor Line Diagram
Suspension
Route of Mumbai-Bangalore-Chennai
Comparison of Energy per Passenger per
Journey

Sl.
No
1.

Name
Crew

Capsule

Weight

Page No
and

Cost

Breakdown

List of Table

Chapter-1

INTRODUCTION
Existing conventional modes of transportation of people consists of four unique
types:rail, road, water, and air. These modes of transport tend to be either relatively
slow (e.g., road and water), expensive (e.g., air), or a combination of relatively
slow and expensive (i.e., rail). Hyperloop is a new mode of transport that seeks to
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Hyperloop
change this paradigm by being both fast and inexpensive for people and goods.
Hyperloop is also unique in that it is an open design concept, similar to Linux.
Feedback is desired from the community that can help advance the Hyperloop design and
bring it from concept to reality

Figure 1. Hyperloop
Hyperloop consists of a low pressure tube with capsules that are transported at both
low and high speeds throughout the length of the tube. The capsules are supported on a
cushion of air, featuring

pressurized

air and aerodynamic

lift.

The capsules are

accelerated via a magnetic linear accelerator affixed at various stations on the low
pressure tube with rotors contained ineach capsule. Passengers may enter and exit
Hyperloop at stations located either at the ends of the tube, or branches along the tube
length.
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Hyperloop

Chapter-2

Main Part of Hyperloop

Low Pressure Tube

Capsule
Electromagnetic Launch System
Axial Compressor
Suspension

Figure 2. Main Parts of Hyperloop

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Hyperloop

2.1 Low Pressure Tube

The tube is made of steel.

The pressure in the tube is 100pa (equivalent to flying above 150,000 feet altitude).
Pylons are placed every 30 m to support the tube.

Figure 3. Low Pressure Tube

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Hyperloop

2.2 CAPSULE
Two versions of the Hyperloop capsules are being considered:

passenger only version.

passenger plus vehicle version.

Hyperloop Passenger Capsule

Assuming an average departure time of 2 minutes between capsules, a
minimum of 28 passengers per capsule are required to meet 840 passengers
per hour.

it is possible

to further

increase

the Hyperloop capacity by reducing the time

between departures.The current baseline requires up to 40 capsules in activit y during

rush hour, 6 of which

are at the terminals

for loading

passengers in approximately 5 minutes.

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and unloading of the

Hyperloop

Geometry
In order to optimize

the capsule speed and performance,

the frontal area has been

minimized for size while maintaining passenger comfort.

Figure 5. Geometry of Capsule

The maximum width is 1.35 m and maximum height is 1.10 m. With
rounded corners, this is equivalent

to a 1.4 m2 frontal area, not

including any propulsion or suspension components.

The aerodynamic power requirements at 700 mph (1,130 kph) is around
only 100 k with a drag force of only 320 N, or about the same force as the
weight of one oversized checked bag at the airport. The doors on each side
will open in a gullwing (or possibly sliding) manner to allow easy access
during loading and unloading. The luggage compartment will be at the front
or rear of the capsule.The overall structure weight is expected to be near
3,100 kg includ i ng the luggagecompartments and door mechanism.

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Hyperloop

2.3 Axial Compressor

It avoids kantrowitz limit.

Air is compressed with a pressure ratio of 20:1.
Some air is stored for passenger and air bearing.
An onboard water tank is used for cooling of the air.

Figure 6. Axial Compressor

One
serves

important

feature

two purposes. This

of

the

system

capsule
allows

is

the

onboard compressor, which

the capsule to traverse the relatively

narrow tube without choking flow that travels between the capsule and the tube walls
(resulting in a build-up of air mass in front of the capsule and increasing the drag) by
compressing air that is bypassed through the capsule. It also supplies air to air bearings
that support the weight of the capsule througho ut the journey.

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Hyperloop

2.4 Compressor Line Diagram

1. Tube air is compressed with a compression ratio of 20:1 via an axial compressor.
2. Up to 60% of this air is bypassed:
a. The air travels via a narrow tube near bottom of the capsule to the
tail.
b. A nozzle at the tail expands the flow generating thrust to mitigate
some
of the small amounts of aerodynamic and bearing drag.
3. Up to 0.2 kg/s of air is cooled and compressed an additiona l 5.2:1
passenger
version with additional cooling afterward.
a. This air is stored in onboard composite overwrap pressure vessel.
b. The stored air is eventually

consumed

by the air bearings to

maintain
distance between the capsule and tube walls.
4. An onboard water tank is used for cooling of the air.

Dept of Mech. Engg, Jain Institute of Technology, Davanagere

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for

the

Hyperloop

Figure 7. Compressor Line Diagram

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Hyperloop

2.5 Suspension

Thrust air bearings offer stability and extremely low drag

Compressor pressurized air and aerodynamic lift provide better lift to capsule.

(0.5 to 1.3 mm)

Independent mechanical suspension are provide for smooth ride for
passengers.

Figure 8. Suspension
Suspending the capsule within the tube presents a substantia l technical challenge due to
transonic cruising velocities. Conventio na l wheel
impracticalat

high

speed

and

axle

systems

become

due frictional losses and dynamic instability.

A viable

technical solution is magnetic levitation; however the cost associated with material
and construction is prohibitive. An alternative to these conventio na l options is an
air bearing suspension. Air bearings offer stability and extremely low drag at a feasible
cost by exploiting the ambient atmosphere in the tube

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Hyperloop

Chapter-3

Results and Discussion

3.1 Cost
The overall cost of the Hyperloop passenger capsule version (Table 1) is
expected to be under $1.35 million USD including manufacturing and
assembly cost. With 40 capsules required for the expected demand, the
total cost of capsules for the Hyperloop system should be no more than $54
mi

Cost($)

Weight(kg)

Capsule Structure and Doors

245000

3100

Interior and Seats

255000

2500

Suspension and Air Bearing

200000

1000

Batteries, Motor and Coolant

150000

2500

Air Compressor

275000

1800

Emergency Braking

50000

600

or

General Assembly

100000

N/A

ap

Propulsion System

75000

700

pr

Total/Capsule

1350000

12200

ox

Total for Hyperloop

54000000

Vehicle Component

lli
on
U
S
D

im
ate

ly 1% of the total budget.

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Hyperloop

Table 1. Crew Capsule Weight and Cost Breakdown

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Hyperloop

3.2 Route

The following rationale and philosophies were followed to arrive at the best corridor

strategy to set-up the Hyperloop in India.

Existing Corridor Integration: It should integrate well with existing/sanctioned
industrial/dedicated freight corridors, and should not disrupt sanctioned Government

transport plans.
Passenger &

for both Passenger and Cargo transport between Origin and Destination pairs.
Favorable Trends in Economic Geography: It should link high-potential markets

found in fast-growing urban agglomerations

Minimal Seismic Activity : It should be in areas with low seismic activity zone

factor of less than 0.16 according to IS Code.

Incremental Phase-wise Strategy : It should be introduced in phases with relevant

opportunities for socio-economic impact/benefits in all phases.

High-Impact Demonstration Projects: Initial phases should maximize opportunities

Cargo

Mobility:

It

should

maximize

the

opportunities

for low-infrastructure, high-impact setup which triggers a nationwide demonstration

ef
Figure 9. Route of Mumbai-Bangalore-Chennai

Dept of Mech. Engg, Jain Institute of Technology, Davanagere

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Hyperloop
Keeping the above in mind, the Mumbai-Bangalore-Chennai corridor with
future plans to include Delhi, Hyderabad and Pune is the most ideal choice

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Hyperloop

3.3 Comparison of Energy per Passenger per Journey

Figure 10. Comparison of Energy per Passenger per Journey

We can find support for these figures if we agree that the hyperloop can be powered
mostly or entirely by renewable energy. If powered entirely by solar and wind power,
the net emissions of the hyperloop are practically zero.
Even if the hyperloop uses coal or natural-gas power, at the expected level of energy
efficiency, it may still be more efficient and environmentally friendly than alternatives
like high-speed rail or plane travel. This will depend on the actual designs that are
built .

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Hyperloop

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Hyperloop

3.4 Can it really be Self-powering?

The Hyperloop as a whole is projected to consume an average of 21 MW.

A solar array covering the entire Hyperloop is large enough to provide an annual

average of 76,000 hp (57 MW), significantly more than the Hyperloop requires.
Battery array at each accelerator, allowing the solar array to provide only the average

power needed to run the system.

Building the energy storage element out of the same lithium ion cells
available in the Tesla Model S is economical. A battery array with enough
power capability to provide the worst- case smoothing power has a lot of
energy launching 1 capsule only uses 0.5% of the total energy so
degradation due to cycling is not an issue. With proper construction
and controls, the battery could be directly connected to the HVDC bus,
eliminating the need for an additional DC/DC converter to connect it to
the propulsion system.

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Hyperloop

Chapter-4

Advantages and Disadvantages

4.1 Advantages

Faster
Lower cost.
Pollution free.
Immune to weather.
Safer
Sustainably self-powering.
Resistant to Earthquakes.

4.2 Disadvantages

Tube pressurization.
Turning will be critical (with large radius).
Insufficient movable space for passenger

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Hyperloop

Conclusion

As it has number of advantages it will very help full for transport public as well as
goods in a very short period of time (at a top speed of 1220 kmph) and also in lower

cost.
It is a new concept so there is some future work will be required for development of

this project.
Conventional means of transportation (road, water, air, and rail) tend to be some mix
of expensive, slow, and environmentally harmful. Road travel is particularly
problematic, given carbon emissions and the fluctuating price of oil. As

the environmental dangers of energy consumption continue to worsen, mass transit.

Rail travel is relatively energy efficient and offers the most environmentally friendly

option, but is too slow and expensive to be massively adopted.

An additional passenger plus transport version of the Hyperloop has been
created that is only 25% higher in cost than the passenger only version.
This

version

would

be capable of transporting

passengers, vehicles,

freight, etc. The passenger plus vehicle version of the Hyperloop is less
than 11% of the cost of the proposed passenger only high speed rail system
between

Los Angeles

and San Francisco.

Additional

technological

developments and further optimization could likely reduce this price.

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