Assessment of medium parameters in a closed space for a Hyperloop transport capsule with reference to reducing the energy demand of a transport system

Poznan University of Technology, Faculty of Transport Engineering, Piotrowo 3, 60-965 Poznan

^* Corresponding author: marcin.ro.nowacki@doctorate.put.poznan.pl

Abstract

The increasing transport needs of societies are prompting manufacturers and inventors to seek new ways to satisfy them which are closely related to the development of new transport systems and means of transport. The current level of technological and social systems imposes limits on the implementation of new concepts which combine the advantages of existing systems currently functioning as separate entities. Combining the advantages of rail transport with the characteristics of air transport gave rise to the concept of a new transport system called Hyperloop, whose main purpose is to create a transport network combining the advantages of air and rail transport with low operating costs. The project assumes a pipeline structure and a transport capsule that moves inside its channels. To obtain high-velocity capsules, it is assumed that the pressure in the pipeline will be reduced, which will reduce in turn the losses resulting from the resistance of the moving capsule. Most means of transport in current use involve motion in open space. The proposed Hyperloop system involves different problems concerning the movement of the capsule as a means of transport within the confined space of the pipeline. These problems require specific analysis of conditions inside the system which depend on the velocity and shape of the capsule. These issues can be addressed using currently available numerical tools. An attempt to assess the phenomena associated with the flow of the capsule, using an important factor found in the pipeline space, was undertaken in the analyses conducted here. The study involved determination of the force acting on the nose of the capsule, an important component of its resistance to movement. The results and analyses were used to evaluate the differences in energy demand between two compared structures. On the basis of these results, conclusions were drawn regarding the directions for further modifications of the shape of the capsule aimed at reducing the energy demand necessary for its propulsion.