Elon Musk unveils San Francisco-LA 'Hyperloop' idea

[Maestro]

12 August 2013 Last updated at 22:32 GMT

Elon Musk unveils San Francisco-LA 'Hyperloop' idea

US-based entrepreneur Elon Musk has unveiled his proposed near-supersonic "Hyperloop" transport concept to link Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The SpaceX, Tesla and PayPal founder envisions using magnets and fans to shoot capsules floating on a cushion of air through a long tube.

If the Hyperloop is ever built, a trip on it between the two California cities would last about 30 minutes, he said.

Read more, with video: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23677205

[Maestro]

The voice-over on the video in the BBC article uses a term that sounds like kushnavar. I thought I saw it earlier today on a web page but now I can't find it any more.

[Maestro]

Hyperloop Alpha

Intro

The first several pages will attempt to describe the design in everyday language, keeping numbers to a minimum and avoiding formulas and jargon. I apologize in advance for my loose use of language and imperfect analogies.

The second section is for those with a technical background. There are no doubt errors of various kinds and superior optimizations for elements of the system. Feedback would be most welcome – please send to [email protected]@teslamotors.com. I would like to thank my excellent compadres at both companies for their help in putting this together.

Background

When the California “high speed” rail was approved, I was quite disappointed, as I know many others were too. How could it be that the home of Silicon Valley and JPL – doing incredible things like indexing all the world’s knowledge and putting rovers on Mars – would build a bullet train that is both one of the most expensive per mile and one of the slowest in the world? Note, I am hedging my statement slightly by saying “one of”. The head of the California high speed rail project called me to complain that it wasn’t the very slowest bullet train nor the very most expensive per mile.

Read more (57 pages): http://www.scribd.com/embeds/159811253/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&show_recommendations=true

[Issangeorge]

I have read about this. It looks like you can build it for about ฿300million per kilometer. Thailand should build it instead of the highspeed train. They could build one Bangkok to the Malaysia border. Bangkok to Chiang Mia, and Bangkok to Nong Kai for around ฿750billion.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 6 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[boomerangutang]

Musk's idea doesn't jingle my bells at this time. Maybe it will later. I'd rather see a rapid transit similar to some that run today, with two power wires overhead. If it can run on mag-lev track, great. However, to power it, alternative power is the only reasonable way to go. Set up large-roofed areas covered with PV or concentrated (parabola reflectors) solar arrays. The roofs can double as station roofs. Set the alternative power generators every 30 miles or so. My idea would cost a small fraction of Musk's idea. And there wouldn't be a need to construct a bunch of specialized giant tubes all along routes.