Yesterday, the first Hyperloop maglev took off across the Nevada desert – for a few seconds. Hyperloop One, which based its ideas for a high-speed train on plans Elon Musk released to the public in 2013, demonstrated the linear-electric propulsion system on a short track.
In the POAT, or “propulsion open-air test,” the test “sled” accelerated from 0 to 100 mph in about one second, generating 2.5 Gs. Afterward, it crashed into the sand at the end of the track as planned, since the brakes haven’t been designed or installed yet.
Senior Vice President of Engineering Josh Geigel said that the electric motor has no moving parts. Instead, 2-feet tall axial compressor blades generate electromagnetic energy and feed it to the pod. The motors will be installed inside the tracks set into the tube through which the pod moves in a near-vacuum environment. Because of the lack of drag in the pressurized environment, the engines will generate enough force that they’ll only need to be placed about once every 50 miles along the track.
At the same time as the company is working on the “sled,” they’re also working on the first version of the tube down which the sled will run. The goal is to accelerate the passenger compartment on the sled up to 350 miles per hour.
Hyperloop One has a testing ground 35 miles north of Las Vegas, where they’re working on both parts of the project. They recently closed $80 million in Series B financing, and plan to start using their Hyperloop to transport cargo starting in 2019, followed by passengers in 2021.
