Telerex announces a partnership with Delft Hyperloop, the team from Delft University of Technology that is contributing to the further development of the Hyperloop in a competitive context. This super-fast and climate-neutral transport system should become the fifth leading means of transport after the car, train, plane and boat.
The Hyperloop concept was already invented in 1799 by George Medhurst. Elon Musk has further elaborated on this and published a whitepaper about it some time ago. How does the concept work? Pods powered by magnetic propulsion are shot through a tube at high speed that is almost vacuum. Due to the low resistance in the tube, speeds of over 1000 kilometers per hour are possible. The Hyperloop is therefore faster than the airplane. A ride from Amsterdam to Paris takes only half an hour with the Hyperloop.
Musk was also the initiator of the Hyperloop Pod competition organised by SpaceX in 2015. Between 2015 and 2019, twenty teams participated in this competition every year with the aim of creating the fastest Hyperloop pod. The pods of the participating teams were tested in a 1.25 kilometre long tube that is set up in front of the SpaceX headquarters in Los Angeles. In 2017, Delft Hyperloop took home the victory. A year later, the Dutch delegation came second.
Next steps
Delft Hyperloop has now set itself a new goal: winning the European Hyperloop Week 2022, which will take place in July of this year. The student team from Delft is therefore not sitting still. For example, they are working on the development of a floating pod, which is a crucial step in completing the Hyperloop concept. The team is also focusing on optimizing the magnetic drive.
Partners play an important role in these developments. They support Delft Hyperloop with knowledge, experience, materials and financial resources. For example, Telerex acts as a sponsor and as a knowledge partner in the field of Thermal Management.
Huge potential
The expectation is that the Hyperloop will be used commercially for the first time in ten to fifteen years. “The potential of the Hyperloop as a transport system for both people and goods is enormous,” says Gert Jan Uijtdewilligen, General Manager at Telerex. “Delft Hyperloop not only sets the standard in terms of speed, but is also leading the way when it comes to developing a climate-neutral, scalable and, above all, safe pod. We are pleased that we at Telerex can contribute to this.”
Patrick Sheppard, Team Captain of the student team, agrees: “Telerex is providing us with a complete Thermal Management system for our linear motor, which means the coils in the linear synchronous motor can always be kept at the right temperature. This gives us a lot of extra power and will help us win the Propulsion Subsystem Award at the European Hyperloop Week.”