Swissloop's Hyperloop Prototype: Engineering the Future

Blog by Swissloop Switserland.

Swissloop’s PCB Design and Testing Journey

First Full-Scale Hyperloop Prototype by a Student Team

Our aim at Swissloop, a student team based at ETH Zurich, is to advance Hyperloop technology and expedite its implementation as a fifth mode of transportation. Each year, the team develops and tests a new experimental system for the European Hyperloop Week, a global student competition. This year, our focus lies on creating a fully functional vehicle prototype with a vacuum-tight body capable of accommodating a human passenger. We also develop a novel emergency brake system utilizing electromagnets to disengage the brakes, eliminating the need for pneumatics or hydraulics.

In order that the system can function as intended, two completely new electrical systems must be implemented:

• The Brakes Power Board is responsible for supplying power to the electromagnetic coils of the brakes and monitoring laser sensor readings to detect brake engagement status. Its components include two 50V, 20A asymmetric bridge converters, DC link capacitors, precharge and discharge circuits, and a battery monitoring system.
• The Pressure Regulation System is designed to oversee the pressure levels within the pod and, when needed, release pressure from onboard air tanks to ensure a safe environment. It monitors various pressure sensors within the high-pressure system and measures the absolute pressure inside the pod to determine appropriate actions. The system aims to regulate the pressure to 800mBar, mirroring the standard pressure experienced in an airplane.

In addition to these novel systems, all PCBs have been redesigned to improve and adapt the system to the new challenges of this year’s prototype. Some of the most notable changes were:

• The control board, found on all subsystem control PCBs, has undergone a comprehensive overhaul. It now boasts enhanced features such as Ethernet communication, an USB-C port for streamlined programming and debugging, and a PSRAM chip with a direct connection to the FPGA, enabling high-throughput data logging.
• The power electronics have been entirely redeveloped to meet the requirements of both the propulsion and levitation systems. This approach allows for the utilization of a single type of power converter for all systems.
• The battery management system has been revamped with a focus on optimizing charging processes.

Currently, we’re in the testing phase, where we’re testing the power PCBs, implementing the communication between all systems, and ensuring the safety of the battery management system. Simultaneously, the control boards have been soldered and are undergoing software testing. Thanks to careful PCB design, many aspects have progressed according to plan thus far. However, not everything can go according to plan, which is why we were very happy to be able to fix some issues on one of the completely new boards, order them at Eurocircuits and be able to continue testing just a few days later.

All of our efforts are focused on the European Hyperloop Week, which is a student team competition about hyperloop systems where teams from all over the world compete in to demonstrate the most scalable hyperloop system.

We’re eager to see what the competition will bring this year!