Scientists have long concluded that to increase the speed of any vehicle, it is necessary to suppress the friction force as much as possible. According to this principle, spacecraft fly, which without environmental resistance can travel in space for a very long time. It is this feature that underlies the project, known as the "Vacuum Train of the Future."
The fastest trains
The highest achievement of scientists in the field of high-speed ground movement, as of today, is considered magnetic levitation. Magnetic cushion trains were tested in Japan, England and Germany in the seventies of the last century. Currently, this type of transport is successfully operated in many states. In this case, due to the minimization of friction, speeds within 500 km / h are ensured. Moreover, such a rolling stock is characterized by high efficiency, environmental friendliness and low noise level. Along with this, it should be noted that an increase in the speed of movement entails an increase in aerodynamic drag. Scientists propose a similar approach to create a vacuum train. The principle of its operation is that the route must pass inside the pipe with evacuated air, so all resistance forces are excluded.
The idea of vacuum transport
The concept of building a transatlantic cargo pipeline for the delivery of goods from Europe to America and in the opposite direction first appeared in the United States as early as the sixties of the last century. As planned, it was planned to build a pipe in the ocean at a depth of half a kilometer, transportation within which would be carried out due to trains moving on a magnetic pad. Only in 1999, an American engineer, Daniel Oster, managed to obtain a patent for vacuum-pipeline transport technologies, which gave a new impetus to their development.
Oster Project
According to Oster’s idea, the route should consist of two above-ground pipes (for movement in different directions), each of which is 150 cm in diameter. It is assumed that transport capsules with magnetic suspension will slide inside. Their diameter will be 130 cm and their length 490 cm. Six passengers with a total weight of up to 370 kg can simultaneously move in the trailer.
The engine for the Oster vacuum train will consist of primary elements (a winding pipe of the route) and secondary (the capsule body itself is made of a ferromagnetic alloy) elements. The minimum clearance between them allows the use of an asynchronous linear motor. In the trailer itself, you only need to install an electrodynamic suspension to ensure magnetic levitation, an air regeneration system, seats and miniature batteries designed for virtual windows and TVs. Since the movement of the capsule will occur almost without resistance, a significant part of the energy spent on acceleration can return during braking. The main catch in translating this project into reality is that the train in a vacuum pipe should move along a perfectly straight route. Otherwise, the electromagnets will have to compensate for the centrifugal force in the corners.
Swiss project
Something similar, engineers from Switzerland began to develop back in 1974. Their project went down in history under the name Swissmetro. As planned, the capsules on a magnetic cushion were supposed to run at a speed of up to 500 km / h. The Swiss vacuum train of the future was designed to connect the main cities of the state (Bern, Zurich, Geneva, Lausanne and Basel). In this case, it was planned to use pipes with a diameter of 180 cm and an eight-seater wagon for transporting passengers. Today it is difficult to judge other characteristics, since the project has not been worked out to the end. In 2009, the government abandoned this idea.
English train of the future
In 2002, British engineers returned to the project of creating a vacuum train. Their plans are simply ambitious, because the inventors intend to create a network that will replace rail and road transport. To do this, you need to build a whole web of pipes throughout the country. In this case, the capsules will be designed for a maximum of two passengers located in a lying position. Unlike previous projects, here the rolling stock must move on rails at speeds up to 420 km / h. The electric motors located on the trolleys will be powered by a contact rail. The main drawback that the English vacuum train has, according to the developers, is the large energy costs for transporting one passenger, compared to previous projects. On the other hand, its main advantage lies in the relatively low cost of constructing a transport network.
Hyperloop Project
The most promising is the design of the train of the future, which is called Hyperloop. The idea of its creation in 2012 was proposed by the American billionaire Elon Musk. Initially, the project was spoken of as the fifth form of transport, but it didn’t get any further discussion on television. After it became known about the plans of the government to build a high-speed railway line between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the businessman set about implementing his concept. The Hyperloop project is an onshore pipeline in which a vacuum train can travel at speeds ranging from 400 to 1220 km / h. In August 2013, the idea was officially presented to the general public in a 58-page presentation.
Principle of operation
The main idea of the Hyperloop project is the maximum low cost of creating a transport network from pipes and further operation. In this regard, it was based on such a model as a vacuum train. In the USA, according to the inventor, it is necessary to build a network of closed parallel routes that will connect at the end points of the routes. To create a vacuum in them and maintain it, steel pipes 25 mm thick and pumps with low power are enough. Inside them, Elon Musk suggests launching capsules up to 30 meters long. The first businessman wants to connect between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
According to the developer, creating an absolute vacuum in the pipes will not work. In this regard, the air masses will be sent under the bottom of the rolling stock through special nozzles in its bow. This will create an air cushion and save significant funds needed for the implementation of the electromagnet. To recharge the engine, due to which the capsule will be set in motion, an aluminum rail 15 meters long will be installed on the pipe floor every 110 km.
System Operation Options
The presentation discusses the passenger and passenger-cargo version of the system. In the first case, it is proposed to build a pipe with a diameter of 2.23 m. A vacuum train running inside can transport up to 28 passengers in one trip. The second option involves the use of a pipeline whose diameter is 3.3 m. In this case, three cars can be additionally transported in each capsule. It should be noted that, according to the Elon Mask project, trains will depart every half minute.
Cost-effectiveness and testing
The Hyperloop project can be called very effective. The developers intend to fully satisfy his needs due to solar and wind energy. They plan to sell all of its surplus, earning about 25 million dollars annually. According to Elon Musk, the one-way fare should be approximately $ 20. In this case, the project will pay off in twenty years.
The first tests of the vacuum train took place in May 2016. For this purpose, a special test site was built in the desert near Las Vegas. The truck with the help of electromagnets first accelerated to the level of 180 km / h, after which it gradually stopped.
Security
The developers were especially careful about security. The movement of the capsule does not affect the comfort of passengers. According to the sensation, its acceleration will not differ from a run of an airplane before take-off, and further - a quiet glide and no turbulence. Elon Musk claims that a vacuum train cannot go off the rails or fall from a height, so it should be considered as one of the safest modes of transport. In the event of a power outage, the capsule contains batteries, the power of which is enough for the life support of passengers for 45 minutes, in other words - for the entire route. In the end, most people are very calm about traveling on airliners, despite the fact that the means of salvation in the event of an accident in them are very doubtful.
Completion
Creating a vacuum train, without a doubt, requires huge financial costs. In addition, before the implementation of the project it is necessary to solve many more technical problems. However, in our time, taking into account the constant development of technology, the possibility of implementing this venture does not look as foggy as it was several decades ago. In this regard, one should not be surprised when soon trains that are faster than modern supersonic aircraft will be used to transport passengers and goods.