Context: Indian Institute of Technology, Madras plans to host global college level hyperloop competition in February 2025. This will be the first time that such a competition will be hosted in India.
Major Highlights:
- India’s first hyperloop test track of 410 metre has been completed at the campus of the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, Chennai. The track will host the global college-level hyperloop competition in February 2025.
- The project is a joint initiative of Railways, IIT-Madras’ Avishkar Hyperloop team and TuTr (IIT-M incubated start-up).
About Hyperloop Technology
- Hyperloop involves an electromagnetically levitating pod in a vacuum tube (which eliminates friction and air drag), potentially allowing the pod to reach speeds of over 400 kmph.
- Utility: An ultra-high speed ground transportation system for passengers and cargo.
- Magnetic Levitation: The basic principle behind the operation of Hyperloop technology is magnetic levitation which allows the vehicle can be suspended and propelled on a guidance track made with magnets.
- Components of Hyperloop:
- Vacuum Tubes: Tubes are maintained at a near vacuum state to reduce air resistance, allowing pods to travel at high speeds with minimal friction.
- Capsule/Pods: Capsules or pods have aerodynamic design which are streamlined to minimise drag. omponents of Hyperloop:
- Vacuum Tubes: Tubes are maintained at a near vacuum state to reduce air resistance, allowing pods to travel at high speeds with minimal friction.
- Capsule/Pods: Capsules or pods have aerodynamic design which are streamlined to minimize drag.
Advantages of Hyperloop
- Ultra-high speeds: Contactless levitation and propulsions systems combined with a low pressure environment allow hyperloop pods to travel efficiently at ultra-high speeds.
- Direct city connections: Ultra-High speeds of hyperloop allows coverage of large distances within minutes. Thus, reduces door-to-door travel time by directly connecting mobility hubs.
- Emission free mobility: As it is fully electric, using renewable energy to power hyperloop systems can make the entire hyperloop as climate-neutral over the course of its life cycle.
Challenges in mainstreaming Hyperloop
- High cost: Hyperloops system are very costly to implement due to high cost of building long inter-city vacuum tubes.
- High energy requirement: Hyperloop trains consume a large amount of energy as they are expected to consume 4-5 times of energy as compared to Shinkansen trains in Japan.
- Problem with corners: Hyperloop systems find it difficult to navigate corners. This requires building long straight line tubes which is often difficult to find space and time.
- Limitations for humans: Human body is not designed to handle large lateral or vertical accelerations without intense nausea.
- Regulatory issues and the technology is still in development.