European Test Facility Completes Record-Breaking Hyperloop Vacuum Journey

European Facility Sets New Record for Hyperloop Testing

In what feels like news straight out of 2016, a Hyperloop test facility in Europe achieved the longest distance ever traveled by a capsule in a vacuum tube. This milestone might bring the promise of a high-speed transport system one step closer to reality.

Initially envisioned by Elon Musk in a 2013 white paper, the Hyperloop concept involves train-like vehicles traveling at high speeds within sealed vacuum tubes, levitating via magnetic forces. With no interference from weather, traffic, or air resistance, these capsules could reach speeds up to 1,200 km/h (746 mph).

Testing Continues Despite Reduced Hyperloop Buzz

Though updates on Hyperloop have slowed down in recent years, the project hasn’t stopped. An EPFL facility in Switzerland has been testing Hyperloop technology through the LIMITLESS project—a rather unique acronym that stands for “Linear Induction Motor Drive for Traction and Levitation in Sustainable Hyperloop Systems,” as it’s far catchier than LIMDTLSHS.

This project is a 1:12 scale model of the Hyperloop, featuring a 40 cm tube diameter and a 125.6 m track circumference. Researchers have conducted 82 tests so far with the pressure set at 50 millibars. In the longest test, the capsule traveled 11.8 km (7.3 miles) and reached a top speed of 40.7 km/h (25.3 mph).

Scaling Up the Record-Breaking Journey

The capsule traveled the longest distance in a vacuum, which would equate to 141.6 km (88 miles) if scaled up.The scaled-up top speed would be 488.2 km/h (303.4 mph)—still not the fastest a Hyperloop has gone. Recently, the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) reached 623 km/h (387 mph) in a shorter test.

The LIMITLESS project tests suggest that Hyperloop technology still has the potential to revolutionize long-distance travel, though much work remains to be done.

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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