SPACE X HYPERLOOP POD COMPETITION 2015, SEMI-FINALIST IN DESIGN ONLY CATEGORY
AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO A FLAT NOSE SURFACE WITH AN INLET FAN THAT WAS DESCRIBED IN HYPERLOOP ALPHA, THE IDEA WAS TO DESIGN A COWL THAT WOULD BALANCE OFF THE AESTHETICS WITH LESSER FRONTAL AREA TO MINIMIZE DRAG, AND ALSO INSTEAD OF A CONVENTIONAL TURBINE, AN ORIGINAL MULTI-FLOW IMPELLER IS EMPLOYED, THE COMPRESSOR OF WHICH OCCUPIES LESS SPACE IN THE POD DUE TO ITS SPIRAL DUCT. THE IMPELLER’S BLADES WERE DESIGNED TO BE BULGING OUT FROM THE DESIGN SURFACE IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE BOUNDARY LAYER’S SUCTION. THAT MEANS THAT THE POD’S BODY BEHIND THE IMPELLER TRAVELS WITH MINIMAL SURFACE DRAG.
THE MAIN FLOW AND THE BOUNDARY FLOW ARE BEING SUCTIONED IN AND FURTHER PUSHED INSIDE OF THE SPIRAL COMPRESSOR (TURBO LIKE PRINCIPLE). THE RESIDUAL FLOW IS EVACUATED THROUGH THE NARROWING CHANNELS THAT MAY BE REFERRED TO AS “AIR GILLS” (OR BLEEDS), IN WHICH THE FLOW SPEEDS UP DRASTICALLY AND EXHAUSTS PARTIALLY TOWARDS THE WALLS OF THE TUBE AND PUSHES AGAINST THEM TO ALLOW FOR BETTER LATERAL STABILITY IN THE TUBE. THIS EFFECT ALTHOUGH IS A CONCEPTUAL AERODYNAMIC ASSUMPTION THAT HAS TO BE CALCULATED IN ORDER TO AVOID PRODUCING AN EXCESSIVE DRAG AND FLOW DISTURBANCES WHERE TWO FLOWS RECONNECT.