This is the thread where we get hype for the Hyperloop

[Buffy]

At 1200 mph average, you'd travel the 382 miles from LA to SF in 31 minutes.

Why does this make no sense in my head? Shouldn't a 382 mile trip at 1200 mph take less than 15 minutes?

60 minutes in a hour / 1200 mph x 382 = 14.1.

[arus2001]

I assume he's accounting for time of acceleration and possible deceleration so you can, you know, stop at your destination.

[ronin sparthos]

So I glanced over the presentation. What's stopping a group of billionaires from tossing in chips together to get this off the ground?

Less than 8 billion? That sounds too good to be true.

[Ksandra]

The fact they already have their own private jets, and this would be for the little people.

[ronin sparthos]

The fact they already have their own private jets, and this would be for the little people.

Uh you realize how revolutionary this would be at the price tag being outlined right? You'd make a fantastic profit on the investment at the costs being thrown around and simultaneously be immortalized in the annals of history by changing the American West. Billionaires have egos. Billionaires have ambition. This is like both sitting on the discount shelf.

[Correction]

So I glanced over the presentation. What's stopping a group of billionaires from tossing in chips together to get this off the ground?

Less than 8 billion? That sounds too good to be true.

It's a base estimate. Naturally there will be the usual gang of NIMBY dipshits who are terrified of public works projects bringing poors and blax through their neighborhoods cheaply and efficiently, which will logjam the 'environmental review' process mandated by California law with as many expensive suits as they can afford, as well as the coddled farmers in the central valley who demand six-figure concessions for building on their land. The whitepaper insists the farmers will 'get used to it' but that only happens after you pay them anywhere from $400k-$600k to insure their livestock or move a well out of the way.

[Bail]

I assume he's accounting for time of acceleration and possible deceleration so you can, you know, stop at your destination.

You don't need to stop...1200mph tuck-n-roll baby!!

[wipers]

You don't need to stop...1200mph tuck-n-roll baby!!

[ronin sparthos]

It's a base estimate. Naturally there will be the usual gang of NIMBY dipshits who are terrified of public works projects bringing poors and blax through their neighborhoods cheaply and efficiently, which will logjam the 'environmental review' process mandated by California law with as many expensive suits as they can afford, as well as the coddled farmers in the central valley who demand six-figure concessions for building on their land. The whitepaper insists the farmers will 'get used to it' but that only happens after you pay them anywhere from $400k-$600k to insure their livestock or move a well out of the way.

I get thats a base estimate but for comparison the 8.5mi Second Avenue Subway in Manhattan is going to end in the 17-20B range when they finally drag that projects decayed corpse across the finish line. This hyperloop project is saying that it's a modest 8B and even if you triple the costs to 24B you're still well below of the costs for similar smaller-scale projects while creating something revolutionary.

So either that estimate is extreme lowballing and the real price is something like a 50B moneypit or this is as the proposal concedes - a really cool idea with detailed outlines but still ultimately conceptual. As for the whiners, couldn't the state initiate eminent domain for a public works project even if its bankrolled by private dollars?

[Cantih]

So I glanced over the presentation. What's stopping a group of billionaires from tossing in chips together to get this off the ground?

Nothing, that's the point. Musk has way to many projects of his own right now to do this, so he's putting it out there publicly so
1. Any engineer on the planet can look at it, point out problems, and come up with solutions.
2. Anyone else willing to build it, can. If nobody does, he expects he'll have to in about 3-4 years, but he'd prefer if someone else started it sooner.

Honestly, if after a month or two the science/engineering community has banged on this thing and said there aren't any glaring flaws, I expect the first/test loop wont even be built in the US.
Australia maybe? They've got a decent enough domestic money base, the place is large enough for it, and iirc, they've already got lots of dudes out there that do heavy/technical large projects.

[archibaldcrane]

Why does this make no sense in my head? Shouldn't a 382 mile trip at 1200 mph take less than 15 minutes?

60 minutes in a hour / 1200 mph x 382 = 14.1.

I have no idea how I borked that math so badly, you're right.

But yes, 1200 is the top speed, estimated total trip is 35 minutes, or 700 mph average.

[Skjie]

Honestly, if after a month or two the science/engineering community has banged on this thing and said there aren't any glaring flaws, I expect the first/test loop wont even be built in the US.
Australia maybe? They've got a decent enough domestic money base, the place is large enough for it, and iirc, they've already got lots of dudes out there that do heavy/technical large projects.

I would bet dollars to dimes China is already throwing everything they have at the problem.

[Cantih]

No, the trouble is, china's HSR project is already midway. They'd have to put it to a screeching halt, then redo almost everything.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail_in_China
It's basically too late for them to completely switch to this.

[Ksandra]

So if this thing gets into an accident...would the bodies vaporize?

[Talint]

In 2012, Amtrak's president proposed a plan to build a dedicated high-speed rail line between Washington D.C. and Boston. He estimated it would cost $151 billion and take more than 25 years to design and build the line.[4] The proposed rail line would allow for top speeds of 220 mph (354 km/h).

Good thing the US might have what China, Japan, and Europe have right now, in 25 years!

As someone who used to take the Acela both before it existed and after, this is very lulzy.

[Ishido]

Even if there was a group of super rich, this isn't something you can just throw money at and have it finished. They could get something started with the technology side, but that would likely be the quickest part of the project if they money is there.

[Deadgye]

Oh man. Technology boasting the ability to transport stuff at a speed, rate, and efficiency currently thought of as blasphemous. Spearheading from California as well. Where have I heard this before?

The Central Pacific Railroad (CPRR) is the former name of the railroad network built between California and Utah, USA that formed part of the "First Transcontinental Railroad" in North America. It is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad.

This has the potential to be equally as revolutionary. The design document plans ahead and allows for cargo/goods transport while simultaneously maintaining strict human safety precautions. The cost, or rather the relative lack of cost, is quite amazing as well.

I haven't been able to give the tube design a once over yet, but the capsule and propulsion system look decently solid. The design hurdles for this project are mostly aero/fluid dynamics. All the 'electrical components' (linear induction motors, solar panels, batteries, etc) are actually very simple.

Kind of sad my field of engineering can't be a big part of this potential project.

[AoE]

Think oil companies would care at all? Question out of curiosity.

[Cantih]

Probably not TOO much, this is currently semi-frequent distance travel, not local. Though with this and Tesla, Musk basically is going after replacing cars, trains, and planes usage profiles with electric based vehicles, so expect some hatchet jobs to start coming.
Battery performance still has some milestones to reach before it becomes truly practical and desirable for universal usage, so you aren't going to see fuel vehicles disappear super fast.

And fuel using planes, trains, and boats aren't going to go away fast either.
The peak capacity (only for rush hour) the pdf gives is one pod every 30 seconds. That means, one way, if its used 24 hours at peak capacity, that's only 80k people a day it can move (until such time demand requires they basically stack a shitload of tubes in parallel). Comparatively, the SF metropolitan area has a population of 4 million, the LA metropolitan area has 12 million (8 & 18 if you want to use the wider CSAs).
If demand booms because they can keep it affordable, not everybody than can/wants to use it will be able to. Everything else will pick up the slack, so you'll probably see a shakeup in prices.

[octopus]

This looks really awesome.... which means it will probably not happen here (and watch China implementing it like their Maglev trains...)