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muriel_volestrangler

(105,588 posts)

18. Now imagine the air from behind rushing past the pod

Sun Aug 11, 2013, 03:59 PM

Aug 2013

Either it's a good seal, to preserve the vacuum in front - in which case you have enormous friction at 800mph+, or it's not, in which case you are blowing air at supersonic speeds through a narrow gap, and trying to remove it somehow. Which makes the idea of a this being a simple pipe that Gardi suggests rather unlikely.

How are we supporting the weight of the pod? With wheels would mean something like the supersonic land speed record holder - not cheap. Maglev? Again, this means it's not just a simple pipe, and not cheap. Some subtle aerodynamic design in which the pressurised air from behind is also pushed under the pod to support its weight? Again, what stops the air escaping at the front?

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Highlight:

Inside the Hyperloop: the pneumatic travel system faster than the speed of sound [View all] dkf Aug 2013 OP

Elon Musk can make things happen. Tesla. Solar City. SpaceX. NYC_SKP Aug 2013 #1

Who wants to be the first?! (Not me!) reformist2 Aug 2013 #2

Rider you mean? Yeah I'll wait for them to iron out the kinks dkf Aug 2013 #3

Kinks would be bad. pscot Aug 2013 #6

... NuclearDem Aug 2013 #4

cost prohibitive? Electric Monk Aug 2013 #5

Musk claims it would cost a fraction of high-speed rail. DirkGently Aug 2013 #7

Elon Musk Admits Hyperloop Is Maybe Too Crazy to Build Starry Messenger Aug 2013 #8

I smell a science fiction movie. "Attack Of The Hyperloop Blob People". Safetykitten Aug 2013 #9

Hyperloop Inferno: Circle of Fire! DirkGently Aug 2013 #10

This combination of 'pneumatic' and 'faster than sound' seems rather strange muriel_volestrangler Aug 2013 #11

My queasy stomach is not re-assured but the idea is fascinating. dkf Aug 2013 #12

Now imagine a vacuum in front of the pod Recursion Aug 2013 #14

Now imagine the air from behind rushing past the pod muriel_volestrangler Aug 2013 #18

it is unlikely that it would be driven by air pressure Motown_Johnny Aug 2013 #19

Maglev seems physically feasible muriel_volestrangler Aug 2013 #20

But a car isn't usually 6 feet tall Motown_Johnny Aug 2013 #21

No, a car is considerably shorter, and thus this is easier to get into muriel_volestrangler Aug 2013 #23

30 minutes from LA to SF? XemaSab Aug 2013 #13

Just for the record Shankapotomus Aug 2013 #15

I'm pretty sure it was Josh Groban Motown_Johnny Aug 2013 #17

Okay now you're talking crazy Shankapotomus Aug 2013 #22

this is going to be even bigger than the Segway. nt arely staircase Aug 2013 #16