Vacuum train: the principle of work, testing. Train of the future

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 that can travel in space for a very long time without the resistance of the environment. It is this feature that underlies the project, known as the "vacuum train of the future".

Fastest trains

The highest achievement of scientists in the field of high-speed ground motion, as of today is magnetic levitation. Trains on a magnetic cushion were tested in Japan, England and Germany in the seventies of last century. Currently, this type of transport is successfully used in many countries. In this case, due to the minimization of friction, speeds of 500 km / h are ensured. Moreover, such a rolling stock is characterized by high efficiency, ecological purity and low noise level. At the same time, it should be noted that the increase in the speed of movement entails an increase in aerodynamic resistance. Scientists suggest a similar approach to create a vacuum train. The principle of its work is that the route must pass inside the pipe with evacuated air, so all the forces of resistance are excluded.

The emergence of the idea of vacuum transport

The concept of building a trans-Atlantic cargo pipeline for the delivery of goods from Europe to America and in the opposite direction first appeared in the US in the sixties of the last century. According to the idea, it was planned to build a pipe in the ocean at a depth of half a kilometer, the transportation inside which would be carried out by means of trains moving on a magnetic cushion. Only in 1999 American engineer Dariel Oster managed to get a patent for vacuum-pipeline transport technologies, which gave a new impetus to their development.

The Oster project

According to Oster, the track should be two aboveground pipes (for movement in different directions), each of which is 150 cm in diameter. It is assumed that inside the transport capsules will slide on the magnetic suspension. Their diameter is 130 cm, and the length is 490 cm. Six passengers can carry in the trailer at the same time with a cargo weighing up to 370 kg.

The engine for the Oster vacuum train will consist of a primary (winding-tube of the route) and a secondary (the body of the capsule made of a ferromagnetic alloy) of the 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 provide magnetic levitation, an air regeneration system, seats and miniature batteries designed for virtual windows and televisions. Since the movement of the capsule will take place with little or no resistance, a significant portion of the energy expended during acceleration can be returned during braking. The main hitch in realizing this project is that the train in the vacuum tube must move along an ideally straight track. Otherwise, the electromagnets will have to compensate for the centrifugal force at the corners.

Swiss project

Something similar engineers from Switzerland began to develop in 1974. Their project went down in history under the name Swissmetro. According to the idea, the capsules on the magnetic cushion had 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 the carriage of passengers. To date, it is difficult to judge about other characteristics, because the project has not been worked out to the end. In 2009, the government rejected this idea.

English train of the future

British engineers in 2002 returned to the project of creating a vacuum train. Their plans are simply grandiose, because the inventors intend to create a network that will replace rail and road transport. To do this, it is necessary 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 the lying position. Unlike previous projects, here the rolling stock should move along the rails at speeds up to 420 km / h. The electric motors located on the trolleys will be powered from the contact rail. The main drawback, which has an English vacuum train, according to the developers, is associated with high energy costs for the transportation of one passenger, compared to previous projects. On the other hand, its main advantage lies in the relatively low cost of building a transport network.

Hyperloop Project

The most promising project looks like a train of the future, called Hyperloop. The idea of its creation in 2012 was proposed by the American billionaire Elon Mask. Initially, the project was spoken of as the fifth form of transport, but further discussions on television did not come about. After it became known about the government's plans to build a high-speed rail link between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the businessman took up the implementation of his concept. The Hyperloop project is a ground-based pipeline in which a vacuum train can travel at speeds ranging from 400 to 1,220 km / h. In August 2013, the idea was officially presented to the general public in a presentation of 58 pages.

Principle of operation

The main idea of the Hyperloop project is to maximize the cheapness of creating a transport network of pipes and further operation. In this connection, it is based on such a model as a vacuum train. In the United States, according to the inventor, it is necessary to build a network of closed parallel routes, which will be connected at the end points of the routes. To create a vacuum in them and maintain it, enough steel pipes 25 mm thick and pumps with low power. Inside, Elon Mask suggests running a capsule up to 30 meters in length. The first businessman wants to connect with each other San Francisco and Los Angeles.

According to the developer, it will not be possible to create an absolute vacuum in the pipes. In this regard, 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 to implement the electromagnet. To recharge the engine, due to which the capsule will be set in motion, an aluminum rail of 15 meters length will be installed on each floor of the pipe every 110 km.

Variants of the system functioning

The presentation deals with the passenger and passenger-freight version of the system. In the first case, it is proposed to construct a pipe with a diameter of 2.23 m. A vacuum train that trains inside can transport up to 28 passengers for one trip. The second option involves the use of a pipeline, the diameter of which is 3.3 m. In this case, in each capsule, it will be possible to additionally transport three cars each. It should be noted that according to the Elon Mask project, the departure of trains will take place every half a minute.

Economic efficiency and testing

The Hyperloop project can be called very effective. The developers are going to fully meet its needs at the expense of solar and wind energy. All of their surplus they plan to sell, earning about $ 25 million annually. According to Elon Mask, the fare to one side will be about 20 dollars. In this case, the project will pay off in twenty years.

The first tests of the vacuum train took place in May 2016. To this end, a special test site was built in the desert near Las Vegas. The cart with the help of electromagnets first accelerated to a mark of 180 km / h, after which it gradually stopped.

Security

Especially carefully the developers reacted to safety. The movement of the capsule does not affect the comfort of passengers. According to the feeling, its acceleration will not differ from the run of the plane before take-off, and further - a quiet glide and no turbulence. Elon Musk argues that a vacuum train can not get off the rails or fall from a height, so it should be regarded as one of the safest modes of transport. In the event of a power outage in the capsule, batteries are provided, the supply of which is sufficient for the sustenance of passengers for 45 minutes, in other words - for the whole route. In the end, most people are very calm about traveling on airliners, despite the fact that the means of rescue in case of a disaster in them are very doubtful.

Completion

The creation of a vacuum train, no doubt, requires huge financial costs. In addition, before implementing the project, it is necessary to solve many technical problems. However, in our time, taking into account the constant development of technology, the possibility of implementing this venture looks not so vague as a few dozen years ago. In this regard, it should not be surprising when trains that are more speedy than modern supersonic aircraft will soon be used to transport passengers and cargo.