tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288836.post2725513661467532570..comments2013-05-30T17:56:58.773-04:00Comments on Feedback Governs Dynamics: Grokking the HyperloopBruce Kaylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03700833485788617435noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288836.post-14820479818120506312013-05-30T17:56:58.773-04:002013-05-30T17:56:58.773-04:00Bruce -- I think you're right...this is going ...Bruce -- I think you're right...this is going to involve some sort of tube with moving air. Elon is probably using the term "hyper" for a reason, and a tube with moving air which removes the frictional limit on electric cars is analogous to hyperspace, where space is shortened relative to normal space which removes the light speed limit. That would appeal to the science fiction fan in him. :-)<br /><br />Do you think he might incorporate some sort of passive solar element into the design? I live in San Francisco, and on a warm day in center of the California, the wind blows crazy fast here. Apparently that'd due to the temperature differential between the cold Pacific and the hot inland. What if you could harness that phenomenon and force it down a tube? It wouldn't be reliable but on many days it would supply more than enough motive force, and the extra energy could be sold off to the grid.<br /><br />Maybe there's a reason he chose California for his test bed.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04010372335408481388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288836.post-31788816852645714542013-03-10T23:33:52.521-04:002013-03-10T23:33:52.521-04:00What if you stored the suns energy as a partial va...What if you stored the suns energy as a partial vacuum in the tube.. and allowed air into the car (from the top of the tube) and exhausted it behind.. <br /><br />The entire tube would store energy without batteries, and the vehicles would even be able to float on the exhausted air.<br /><br />Reduced air pressure = lower drag (300 MPH would be easy)<br /><br />Simple, Powerful, Elegant<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16922971902451641946noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288836.post-53599813247810744642012-11-18T21:07:52.123-05:002012-11-18T21:07:52.123-05:00Yeah I love that line. Elon is pretty stiff, but h...Yeah I love that line. Elon is pretty stiff, but he does have a few good jests now and again.<br /><br />He also <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/224406502188916739" rel="nofollow">tweeted</a> at one point that it wasn't a vacuum tube. I can't see how he could keep it at $6 billion and energy neutral using superconductors. I hadn't seen the no rails part.<br /><br />I wasn't expecting the boundary layer to be a significant issue. It's not a airfoil or building in the path of the wind. I think from a the right materials you could have pretty low friction. It's a closed loop so it is different from just blowing a stream of air.<br /><br />It'd basically be like having the jet stream at ground level. The larger question I have on this version is is how you enter and exit the flow. Would going from a large diameter tunnel tapering to a smaller diameter work?<br /><br />I'd love to build a model, and in fact have friends that might be able to help.Bruce Kaylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03700833485788617435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288836.post-60404366535740883312012-11-18T07:51:10.008-05:002012-11-18T07:51:10.008-05:00oops, just read that he said it doesn't need r...oops, just read that he said it doesn't need rails - I should have known it also has to be a maglev variant to go that fast. Like a particle accelerator for trains. Probably the key energy challenge will be keeping all the superconductors cool enough.Lanseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08825175323995592999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288836.post-5966037148238759442012-11-18T07:44:09.556-05:002012-11-18T07:44:09.556-05:00"They’re going for records in all the wrong w..."They’re going for records in all the wrong ways." lol,<br /><br />Also pushing all the air at that speed would be crazy. The boundary layer air at the wall would be at a standstill so there would be a huge amount of friction. Anything Musk is proposing is going to happen inside a vacuum. Probably just a series of small electric trains running inside of evacuated tubes (with step up accelerator rings).Lanseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08825175323995592999noreply@blogger.com