Category: Blog

http://www.9news.com/news/article/352342/339/Longmont-co-paves-way-for-space-travel-on-earth

Great to have the public hear more about this, but one sad thing is that the first test platform could be built in Las Vegas. Why not along the front range? Where it will be a demonstrator and useful for the inhabitants. Building it in Las Vegas reeks of tourist attraction gimmick, people will think its a gamble…

Also I wonder what happens when a capsule traveling through am air evacuated hyperloop encounters a breach or a mass of air molecules. Would it crumple the compartment? Would it force the air back out the whole and rupture the tube even more? All I know is that I like Elon Musk’s design with air. It provides at least a bit of safety margin if there is a rupture in the seal.

Anyway, any Press is good Press.

SkyTran is a three person pod, and CDOT says they’re open to the idea not only on the plains but also in the mountains. More articles here http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2013/08/skytran_boulder_longmont.php and  here http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2013/08/hyperloop_daryl_oster_elon_musk_colorado.php, the general theme is that there two Colorado CEO that have invented this industry. the reason why these ideas of hyperloops and monorails are because:

Evacuated Hyperloop Transport, E3T, developed by Daryl Oster, in Louisville.

SkyTran Colorado CEO R. Paul Williamson.

Maybe these two companies should work together…or I should interview them…respectivly.

http://www.9news.com/rss/story.aspx?storyid=351517

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).

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. 

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.

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?