SPACE X HYPERLOOP POD COMPETITION 2015, SEMI-FINALIST IN DESIGN ONLY CATEGORY
THE TUBE
THE VERTICAL STACKING OF TUBES IS CHOSEN AS A MORE RIGID STRUCTURAL SCHEME AND ALSO TO PROVIDE A CONTINUOUS INTERMEDIATE SERVICE SPACE IN BETWEEN THE TUBES AND BEAMS, FOR MOTORS’ AND OTHER SYSTEMS’ LOCATION AND MAINTENANCE. IT IS ALSO AN IMPORTANT PART OF AN EMERGENCY EVACUATION STRATEGY. EVACUATION HATCHES ARE SPACED EQUALLY EVERY (TBD) METERS. WHEN EMERGENCY STOP OF THE POD OCCURS, PASSENGERS LEAVE THE POD AND LADDER DOWN INTO THE SERVICE SPACE FROM WHICH THEY CAN GET TO THE GROUND BY THE LADDERS OR STAIRS LOCATED IN SELECT PYLONS, THAT ARE SPACED WITHIN TO-BE-CALCULATED EASILY WALKABLE RANGE.
THE WINDOWS
THE GOAL FOR HAVING THE WINDOW OPENINGS IN THE TUBE IS NOT ONLY TO RELIEVE CLAUSTROPHOBIA IN THE POD’S PASSENGERS, BUT ALSO TO ALLOW FOR A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE OF REALLY FAST TRAVEL SPEEDS, WHICH IS BETTER SENSED IN RELATION TO A LANDSCAPE AND ITS OBJECTS. IT IS A KIND OF A SPECTACLE IN ITSELF THAT PERHAPS WOULD ATTRACT MANY MORE PEOPLE TO USE HYPERLOOP. IT IS ALSO A HELP FOR AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. PROVIDING ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING FOR AN ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE TUBE IS EXPENSIVE, AND EVEN A SMALL SOURCE OF DAYLIGHT CAN HELP. THE WINDOWS ARE BEING SEALED BY TRIPLE LAYERED ETFE PATCHES WHICH ARE ADHERED TO THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE TUBE. EQUALLY SPACED ON EVERY FRAGMENT OF THE TUBE, SPACING IS DIFFERENTIATED BASED OFF OF CRUISING SPEED - THE CALCULATION IS QUITE SIMPLE: FOR EACH FRAGMENT OF THE TUBE THE DISTANCE TRAVELED IN ONE SECOND IS DETERMINED, THEN THIS DISTANCE IS DIVIDED BY 25 - THE AMOUNT OF FRAMES (FPS) FOR A HUMAN’S EYE TO PERCEIVE A STEADY IMAGE - RESULTING NUMBER IS THE REQUIRED DISTANCE BETWEEN THE WINDOWS . FOR THE HIGHEST CRUISING SPEED OF 333 M/S (AND ALSO SHOWN ON THE RENDERING), THE SPACING IS 12M.
PHOTOVOLTAIC ARRAYS
PV ARRAYS FOR THE TUBE IS A FLEXIBLE SHEETING WITH PV CELLS. IT IS A SOLUTION THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR AN EASY INSTALLATION TO FOLLOW THE CURVATURE OF THE TUBE, MOUNTED BY SELF-ADHESIVES PATCHES ON THE BACK OF THE SHEET. PV’S POSITION AND SURFACE AREA IS DETERMINED BY THE SUN’S ANGLE FOR ORIENTATION OF THE EACH FRAGMENT OF THE TUBE.
THE CASTELLATED BEAM
THE INTRODUCTION OF A CASTELLATED BEAM WOULD INCREASE THE SPAN AND PYLONS’ SPACING. BEING MOUNTED SIDEWAYS ON THE PYLON’S FRAME, IT SUPPORTS THE GRAVITATIONAL LOAD OF THE UPPER TUBE; THE LOWER TUBE IS HANGING FROM IT.
IT ALSO BECOMES A “RECEIVER” FOR ALL ADVERSE FORCES
SUCH AS SEISMIC AND OTHERS, WHICH WOULD BE ALLEVIATED BY DAMPENING JOINTS TO KEEP THE TUBE ITSELF OFF OF DESTABILIZING VIBRATIONS.
THE PYLONS
SPACED EVERY 50M, HOLLOW PREFABRICATED CAST CONCRETE WITH PREFABRICATED STEEL INSERTS TO PICK UP THE CASTELLATED BEAMS. STEEL POSTS CLADDED WITH METAL AS AN OPTION.
THE CLADDING
SIMPLE THIN SHEET METAL CLADDING MAY BE PROVIDED TO PROTECT THE TUBE AND MOTORS FROM ATHMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS.
EXPANDABILITY
THE SIDEWAYS MOUNTING OF THE BEAM THAT RESTS ON THE STEEL INSERTS ALLOWS FOR ADDING TUBES IN THE FUTURE IN CASE AN INFRASTRUCTURE DEMAND IS GROWING.