Hyperloop

 The Hyperloop is a proposed mode of passenger  and frieght transportation  , the term was invented to describe the modern open-source project. Hyperloop is described as a sealed tube or system of tubes with low air pressure through which a pod may travel substantially free of air resistance or friction. The Hyperloop could potentially convey people or objects at airline or hypersonic speed  while being energy efficient compared with existing high-speed rail systems. This, if implemented, may reduce travel times compared to train and airplane travel  over distances of under approximately 1,500 kilometres (930 miles).

The Hyperloop concept has its roots in a concept invented by George Medhurst in 1799 and subsequently developed under the names pneumatic railway, atmospheric railway  or Vactrain . Elon musk mentioned the Hyperloop in 2012, bringing it back to public attention. His initial concept incorporated reduced-pressure tubes in which pressurized  capsules ride on air bearing  driven by liner induction motor  and axial compressors The Hyperloop Alpha concept was first published in August 2013, proposing and examining a route running from the Los Angeles  region to the San Francisco Bay Area, roughly following the Interstate 5 corridor. The Hyperloop Genesis paper conceived of a hyperloop system that would propel passengers along the 350-mile (560 km) route at a speed of 760 mph (1,200 km/h), allowing for a travel time of 35 minutes, which is considerably faster than current rail or air travel times. Preliminary cost estimates for this LA–SF suggested route were included in the white paper—US$6 billion for a passenger-only version, and US$7.5 billion for a somewhat larger-diameter version transporting passengers and vehicles. However, transportation analysts expressed doubts that the system could be constructed on that budget, including some predictions that the Hyperloop would be several billion dollars over budget once construction, development, and operation costs are taken into consideration.

The Hyperloop concept has been explicitly "open-sourced " by Musk and SpaceX, and others have been encouraged to take the ideas and further develop them. To that end, a few companies have been formed, and several interdisciplinary student-led teams are working to advance the technology. space X built an approximately 1-kilometre-long (0.62 mi) subscale  track for its pod design competitionat its headquarters in Hawthorne, California TUM Hyperloop set the world record of 463 km/h (288 mph) in July 2019 during the Hyperloop pad competition at spaceX . virgin Hyperloop  conducted the first human trial in November 2020 at its test site in Las Vegas .

The vactrain concept was first proposed by  Robert H.Goddard  in 1904. The concept was also depicted in the 1973 movie Genesis \\ where an elaborate "subshuttle" subterranean rapid transit system was constructed to interlink cities and continents.

Musk first mentioned that he was thinking about a concept for a "fifth mode of transport", calling it the Hyperloop, in July 2012 at a Pando Daliy event in Santa Monica, California This hypothetical high-speed mode of transportation would have the following characteristics: immunity to weather, collision free, twice the speed of a plane, low power consumption, and energy storage for 24-hour operations. The name Hyperloop was chosen because it would go in a loop. Musk envisions the more advanced versions will be able to go at hypersonic speed . In May 2013, Musk likened the Hyperloop to a "cross between a concorde and a railgun and an air hockey  table".

From late 2012 until August 2013, a group of engineers from both Tesla and spaceX worked on the conceptual modeling of Hyperloop. An early system design was published in the Tesla and SpaceX blogs which describes one potential design, function, pathway, and cost of a hyperloop system. According to the alpha design, pods would accelerate to cruising speed gradually using a linear electric motor and glide above their track on air bearings through tubes above ground on columns or below ground in tunnels to avoid the dangers of grade crossing . An ideal hyperloop system will be more energy-efficient,  quiet, and  autonomous  than existing modes of mass transit. Musk has also invited feedback to "see if the people can find ways to improve it". The Hyperloop Alpha was released as an open source  design.  The word mark "HYPERLOOP", applicable to "high-speed transportation of goods in tubes" was issued to SpaceX on 4 April 2017.

In June 2015, SpaceX announced that it would build a 1-mile-long (1.6 km) test track to be located next to SpaceX's Hawthorne facility. The track would be used to test pod designs supplied by third parties in the competition.

By November 2015, with several commercial companies and dozens of student teams pursuing the development of Hyperloop technologies, the wall street journal  asserted that "The Hyperloop Movement", as some of its unaffiliated members refer to themselves, is officially bigger than the man who started it."

The MIT Hyperloop team developed the first Hyperloop pod prototype, which they unveiled at the MIT Museum on 13 May 2016. Their design uses electrodynamin suspension  for levitating and eddy current braking .

On 29 January 2017, approximately one year after phase one of the Hyperloop pad competition, the MIT Hyperloop pod demonstrated the first ever low-pressure Hyperloop run in the world.  Within this first competition the Delft university  team from the Netherlands achieved the highest overall competition score, winning the prize for "best overall design". The award for the "fastest pod" was won by the team WARR Hyperloop from the  technical university of Munich (TUM), Germany.  The team from the Massachusetts Institute of technology (MIT) placed third overall in the competition, judged by SpaceX engineers.

The second Hyperloop pod competition took place from 25–27 August 2017. The only judging criterion was top speed, provided it was followed by successful deceleration. WARR Hyperloop from the technical university of Munich (TUM) won the competition by reaching a top speed of 324 km/h (201 mph) and therefore breaking the previous record of 310 km/h (190 mph) for Hyperloop prototypes set by Hyperloop one  on their own test track.

A third Hyperloop pod competition took place in July 2018. The defending champions, the WARR Hyperloop team from the Technical University of Munich, beat their own record with a top speed of 457 km/h (284 mph) during their run.

The fourth competition in August 2019 saw the team from the technical university of Munich   , now known as TUM Hyperloop (by NEXT Prototypes e.V.), again winning the competition and beating their own record with a top speed of 463 km/h (288 mph).

The first-ever passenger test of Hyperloop technology was successfully conducted by Virgin Hyperloop with two employees of the company in November 2020.