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Printing Up a Hyperloop and Structural Arches vs Pillars

Well done Jerry Ropelato, CEO of WhiteClouds, maybe the Colorado Hyperloop can be expanded to Ogden, Utah!

If I had a 3d printer I would have tried to design the hyperloop too. First heard about it here: http://gigaom.com/2013/08/20/model-of-hyperloop-created-in-24-hours-with-3d-printing but then saw the real deal at the creators website: http://www.whiteclouds.com/

“While the Hyperloop will take some time and advances in technology to come to fruition, 3D printing has already left the pages of science fiction and is impacting the way we conceptualize and build objects. Maybe by time the Hyperloop transit system is ready to be built, it will be 3D printed.”

What a great design process.

In my mind, I have always thought that a Hyperloop system would have graceful arches across the land. Pillars make it look like a oil pipeline. Arches convey minimalism, elegance and swiftness, which would help when it has to go through your backyard….

 Here is what I envision (only rotated so the green is at the bottom).

Crucially I envision that the material that the arches are made out of is a easy to print or pour. Like a foam or something, it would be very lightweight but stronger than concrete. This new material would be a white color (looks like a cloud), the hyperloop tube would still have solar panels on top. 
So lets now get a fully functioning, 3d printed hyperloop up and running in Colorado! 

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Planning a Lobbing effort for the Colorado Hyperloop Marvel

The herculean lobbying effort that would be needed for a hyperloop project seems insurmountable. Colorado hasn’t had a statewide infrastructure project since the creation of the interstate or to a smaller kind, the light rail project. (following the light rail model and best practices would be instrumental in implementing the Hyperloop in Colorado)

Some of the key players I see are:

-Colorado Legislature (Governor, Senate and House ) and most importantly the Joint Budget Committee
-CDOT
-RTD
-Federal Programs
-Local Government
-Regular Citizens
-Colorado Tourism

The list could go on and on. One way to get the hyperloop project off the ground could be to follow: Take Back Your Government: A Citizen’s Guide to Grassroots Change by State Senator Morgan Carroll.

I will need to remember what action steps it recommends, but it is a citizen/grassroots led initiatives.

Also, something that I see Colorado needing is a organization or government body that is like Google X labs. This lab could write up recommendations on future technology that could alter how citizens interact with their government. Right now there isn’t a future technology recommendations body. However, I suppose the universities in colorado make up the advice giving sector.

The front range hyperloop or even though the mountains, would be on par with Colorado’s history. “The Georgetown Loop Railroad was one of Colorado’s first visitor attractions. This spectacular stretch of narrow gauge railroad was completed in 1884 and considered an engineering marvel for its time.” It is time for us to make another engineering marvel,  its time to make history again. 

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Minimizing Future Traffic Accidents with Hyperloop in Colorado Tied to Funding

Just read a 9News article about about a near fatality of a pedestrian walking in front of traffic.  I then Googled and found a Denver Post article about more statistics of traffic vs peditrain vs cyclist casualties. What was interesting to me was that a hyperloop system enables easier further distance travel, but it also might change fatalities for shorter distances.

“Colorado’s total traffic deaths have tumbled 44 percent since 2002, but deaths of pedestrians are up 9.8 percent and cyclist deaths are up 44 percent.” 
Further in the article …”“We’re not adequately funding basic repairs on some of our roads,” said the Boulder Democrat. “And we’ve got a lot of needs for the funds we have.””

Clearly if a hyperloop system is implemented and it is successful with lots of people using it, it will change the way CDOT and Colorado’s Statewide Traffic Records Advisory Committee work in keeping people safe. 

However, Currently they do not have the data on Colorado traffic accidents to provide a knowledge guess on how a Colorado Hyperloop system will affect these statistics. 

Thus, I agree with Joey Bunch, the The Denver Post reporter, that “If legislators found more money for records, Meyer would invest in hiring more records staff, then moving all state law enforcement agencies to electronic records submissions, like the one used by Minnesota and other states.” Because, “Law enforcement, traffic planners and politicians are looking at ways to respond — and looking more than ever for data to provide insight into causes that could identify a path to solutions.”
The Hyperloop system will force the cities to bulster their public, short distance, transportation options (like bus, lightrail, cycling and walking paths, taxi stands, and other connections like to airports). Hopefully it will also force them to get into collecting data and statistics for e-goverment more efficiently.

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Critics of hyperloop site costs

From The New York Times:

Could the Hyperloop Really Cost $6 Billion? Critics Say No

While physicists agree that technically Elon Musk’s vision for the Hyperloop is possible, economists seem to agree that technically the price tag of $6 billion is impossible.

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Air Evacuated vs Air Column Hyperloop Systems as well as Distances of Systems

Pneumatic Travel System that is touted by ET3 requires an air evacuated tube to achieve the amazing speeds.

While Musks system allows for air to be in the tube system because each transporter depends on air to achieve levitation while in the tube.

There are many reasons that having air in the tube make for easier construction and maintenance.

The air vs non air debate also is a huge difference between these two different systems for the length they will be deployed. The ET3 system is meant for continental travel because of the speeds involved. While Musks system, much slower but far faster than anything in existence, would be better suited for smaller distances of less than 500 miles. Musk also said that supersonic air travel will be easier eventually for longer distances (where are my supersonic air passenger planes!?!)

So, for Colorado I think Musks system would be better. Plus, we in Colorado are already a mile high, less wind resistance! A hypothetical loop could be along the front range from Fort Collins to Pueblo.

Another loop (but not sure if it is economically feasible) would be from Denver to Grand Junction. 
Notice that the loop doesn’t go out of state? Current political will probably doesn’t exist in the surrounding states to invest in a hyperloop system(s). Perhaps, when the other state legislatures or citizens see the benefits of having hyperloop systems for emergency care (commander a pod as an ambulance or disaster relief), they will be persuaded to invest in them. 

So the big question will be where will ET3 plans to test their hyperloop transport system? Colorado? Can the system be both air evacuated and air infused to test both theories? Why hasent anybody made a small scale model to test this stuff out already?

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A Colorado Hyperloop

Welcome to Colorado Hyperloop blog.Hope this will be a place where people can share ideas and come together to implement a hyperloop system for Colorado.

Lots of news yesterday of Musk’s announcement as well as other news articles from all over discussing the roots of the hyperloop system starting in Colorado with et3.com .

http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2013/08/hyperloop_daryl_oster_elon_musk_colorado.php

Probably a 300 mph line between Boulder and Denver @wind4me. You do the RTD equation.
— ET3 Transport (@ET3Transport) August 12, 2013