Posted on 08/13/2013 7:26:38 AM PDT by themoneytimes
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk on Monday unveiled a high-speed transportation concept that will blast passengers from Los Angeles to San Francisco — a distance of more than 300 miles, in just half hour.
Musk proposed his idea for a super fast mass transit system called the Hyperloop to connect cities. According to him, the project, if it materializes will be faster, cheaper and safer alternative to the high speed rail line planned between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Musk stated, "How could it be that the home of Silicon Valley and JPL … would build a bullet train that is both one of the most expensive per mile and one of the slowest in the world? It would be great to have an alternative to flying or driving, but obviously only if it is actually better than flying or driving."
Hyperloop powered by electrical motors, solar panels and kinetic energy The solar powered elevated transport system would carry travelers at speeds of 300 to 760 mph through aluminum pods enclosed inside steel tubes kept at low pressure. The capsules, mounted above the ground on columns 50 to 100 yards apart would hurtle through tubes in a complete vacuum on small cushions of air accelerated by electrical motors, solar panels and kinetic energy.
Apparently the idea is on the lines of the "old pneumatic tubes used to send mail and packages within and between buildings," but would operate under much less pressure to save on energy.
Each Hyperloop capsule would ferry at least 28 people, departing about every 2 minutes (or every 30 seconds) during peak periods. The commuters can each carry two bags which would be stored at the rear of the capsule. In addition, another version of the Hyperloop capsule would carry three private automobiles along with travelers.
Design still in its infancy Though, the blue print of the Hyperloop has been conceptualized by about a dozen engineers from SpaceX and Tesla, the design is still in its infancy. The version unveiled Monday was the outcome of an all-night Sunday session, Musk said.
In a statement, California High-Speed Rail Authority Chairman Dan Richard said: "California is the home to innovation, which is why people like Elon Musk start and build their companies here. New technology ideas are always worth consideration. The more green options Californians have for safe and speedy travel in the future, the better.
"If and when Mr. Musk pursues his Hyperloop technology, we'll be happy to share our experience about what it really takes to build a project in California, across seismic zones, minimizing impacts on farms, businesses and communities and protecting sensitive environmental areas and species.
Sounds great if he’s putting in his own money.
He has the kind of ideas that America should be shooting for. Not some massively expensive incremental improvement on 150 year old technology.
Good Lord, who writes this garbage?
My first question is “why?”. What is the public benefit?
Reality says there are, probably, less than 10,000 individuals that need to travel this route in this time frame in any given week; probably hundreds in any specific day.
The welfare queens in LA aren’t traveling to SF on a consistent basis and certainly won’t pay to get there any faster when they do make the trip.
The advancement of velocity-technology is cool but it takes a large amount of time and investment to make it accessible to the masses. Might we want to take a lesson from the Concorde? Hows that working out?
I forget; what does "complete vacuum" mean again?
“The capsules, mounted above the ground on columns 50 to 100 yards apart would hurtle through tubes in a complete vacuum on small cushions of air accelerated by electrical motors, solar panels and kinetic energy.
Good Lord, who writes this garbage? “
Agree, that is so convoluted and illogical that the writer belongs in the West Wing writing incoherent lies for the Obamadork.
The schema is silly, stupid, and had so many safety and technical holes in it that it could have well been designed by Bill Gates.
this is little more than the fantasies of someone who has spent too much time reading cheap science fiction books. the infrastructure alone would bankrupt anybody.
like the ‘dyson sphere’ concept some sci fi writer dreamed up. fantasy navel gazing.
can you say ‘pipe dream’?
“I forget; what does “complete vacuum” mean again?”
The space between Joe Biden’s ears.
A 300 mile elevated pipeline big enough to run a small train through it, say 9 to 10 feet in diameter.
That ought to be cheap.
Greenies and Nimbys will put a stop to this. Count on it.
Somebody’s going to make money on it.
Lawyers will, for sure.
“Greenies and Nimbys will put a stop to this”
They won’t have to.
The engineering concept simply wont work.
There is no way possible you could support a pipe that size with supports 50 to 100 yards apart.
Without proper support, or regular rotation, pipe that size will turn into an oval instead of round and it will sag just like a power line.
That toy train will get stuck in that pipe unless it’s properly supported.
The car paint and interiors will be green so all this will be paid for by.....you in Stimulus #XI.
Or maybe paid by Uncle Ben’s funny money.
And how is a “small cushion of air supposed” to work in a “perfect vacuum”?
Well he did get the idea from a comic book, so I guess in comic book land it works.
Excellent, send me a ticket.
My best time driving from downtown San Francisco to Santa Monica was just under 5 hours.
Control centerHey Sam, what does TC mean? It means "trash compacted," Willie.Looks like the 10:04 came to a sudden stop at reference point 472-Charlie. The detection systems failed to note the stoppage. All departures from 10:06 through 11:05 are TC'ed.
10-4. Dispatching cleanup crews. Control center out.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.