(PSFK) — The Hyperloop concept is speeding closer to development as scientists and researchers increase their efforts to develop the high speed train. If the concept is ever fully realized, the transportation system will involve pressurized pods inside a reduced-pressure tube. The pod will ride on a cushion of air at high speeds, up to 620 miles per hour. If derived, it will allow transportation up the entire California coast in approximately an hour, a trip that currently takes approximately 14 hours to complete.
The original idea for the Hyperloop was introduced by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk who also co-founded PayPal and Tesla Motors. To speed along the production process, he created a competition: the SpaceX Hyperloop pod challenge. Participants are challenged to develop a Hyperloop pod for the conceptualized high-speed transit system.
This competition was announced in June of 2015, which led to the formation of Waterloop, a team from the University of Waterloo that has developed their own design for the Hyperloop pod.
Waterloop has earned a place as finalists in the competition. More than 1,200 teams have competed, and now just 32 are left. The teams will test their pods on a one mile track in California this August.
What makes Waterloop’s design stand out is their sleek, minimalist design. The prototype presented at the beginning of the competition is 12 feet long and weighs approximately 1,000 pounds. At the moment, the pod can travel approximately 220 miles per hour, but the team is hoping to increase that speed as time goes on.
Waterloop stands out against the other design teams because they understand both the concept of great, minimalist design as well as the math and science behind the invention. “It wasn’t a design based on looks; it wasn’t a design based on a lot of guessing,” Darian Zigante, engineering team lead for Waterloop, told Charlatan.com “We had done a lot of the thermal calculations and got very good estimates on what factors we needed to keep tight control on,” he said. “That was something we learned a lot of other teams did not do.”
The team has developed a website dedicated to keeping others informed of their progress and showcasing their impressive work. It features conceptual photos that show the pod’s design as well as how it will look in context.
“Our prototype design uses a minimalist style while retaining strict safety considerations,” says the TeamWaterloop website. “By selecting this design philosophy, a reduction in the manufacturing complexity, cost and mass is achieved, while simultaneously permitting an effective travel speed and increased reliability.”
The overall cost of the pod is expected to be $37,000, but should this pod be adopted by a large manufacturer and be produced on a larger scale, the cost will be reduced. The team is also constantly looking for ways to improve the cost factor of the pod.
“Our attempt to build the pod with off-the-shelf components throughout the system allows for it to be scalable to full size and to reduce cost. Furthermore, the flexibility inherent in such a modular design allows for additional functionality and aesthetic flourishes to be included without significantly impacting the pod’s core functions.”
This design is key. With minimalist elements, the pod will be allowed to move more quickly and effectively. It can be more aerodynamic as it shuffles through the tube at high speeds.
In addition, the pod will be a safer form of travel because there are no extras to get in the way of it moving smoothly through the tube. Based on the photographs on the website, the lines will be clean cut on the inside of the pod to give travelers a comfortable space without interrupting the pod’s functionality.
Thanks to the aerodynamic design, the pod should be allowed to function without interruption, even around curves and corners in the tube.
“The first proposition is that the performance of the pod may be optimized by creating a perfectly circular lateral section, allowing the pod to roll at corners, thereby allowing it to take turns without reducing speed or causing passengers to sway unnecessarily. Therefore, this design feature will save energy, time, and improve passenger comfort.”
Everything about the pod is meant to conserve energy, lighten the load, and increase efficiencies. The team further explains that the pattern on the exterior of the pod will enable both of those perks.
“Secondly the diamond-lattice patterning of the skin is reflective of the underlying geodetic structure which allows for the possibility of lightening the weight of the hull through accepting shear forces onto the structural members, rather than the skin alone. The windows of the interior are arranged to create a unifying experience as passengers share glimpses of wide panoramic views, rather than a singular, isolated window. The rounded form, interior mirrors designed to resemble the windows, and white coloring all work together to make the space feel larger in design situation where space is extremely restricted.”
This is exactly the innovation Elon Musk was looking for in the first step towards a high-speed transit system that may have seemed otherwise unattainable: Waterloop’s minimalist design allows for high speeds, conserved energy, and a comfortable experience for passengers.
This article was written by Anna Johansson from PSFK and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.
