[TusharK]

Since 2018, engineers from IIT Madras have been working on a hyperloop project called 'Avishkar'. The team have now partnered with a tech startup called TuTr Hyperloop to build India’s first cargo hyperloop system.



The Avishkar project will be further developed for commercialization with help from TuTr Hyperloop. For this purpose, a 400-meter test track with a 2-meter diameter will be constructed at the new Discover Campus at Thaiyur, near Chennai. It will be the largest hyperloop test facility in the world.

In the first phase of its operation, the hyperloop will be carrying cargo. The teams are in talks with authorities to explore opportunities to install the system at the Chennai port and airport. The cargo version is expected to achieve speeds of around 100-250 km/h, while the inter-city passenger version is expected to reach over 600 km/h.

Hyperloop is a high-speed transportation system that uses magnetic propulsion to accelerate pods through a tube. The vacuum inside the tube allows the pods to travel at extremely high speeds thanks to the lower air resistance.

Source: ET Auto

Link to Team-BHP News

[Livnletcarsliv]

If all goes well, this can remove a lot of trucks and trailers off the roads. In fact, it can also remove a lot of cargo trains as well. However, it depends on a lot of parameters - cost/km for transporting, cost/km for building the infra, money for investment, etc.
However, the demand for electricity will significantly increase though.

[PreludeSH]

Wish them all the success. There are some things that work well when scaled up. But this is something I am not sure will be cost efficient when scaled up. What is the potential saving this technology delivers compared to trains running on electric power ? The return also could be over a longer time given the huge investment needed.

Edit: sorry @Livnletcarsliv, hadnt refreshed my screen and see you had similar questions !

[srgntpepper]

Hyperloop tech is highly unlikely to work. Apart from the known issues of generating vacuum in long, possibility of cracking, loose parts, there is the issue of geology.

Above ground trains, evs are going to be far more cost efficient and implementable. As a passion buzz generating project this is great, but it is never going to see the light of a commercially viable day.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by TusharK

It will be the largest hyperloop test facility in the world.

Great initiative!

In their enthusiasm they did go overboard with the claim of being the largest in the world.

Tiny the Netherlands has a 2650 meter hyper loop test fascility.

https://www.delta.tudelft.nl/article...oop-test-track

The Virgin test track near Las Vegas is already 500 meters and they are aiming to build a 35 kilometer long test track in Saudi Arabia.

Jeroen

[srini1785]

Magnetic Levitation is not a new concept. Its started with the concept demonstration somewhere in the 80s and the first Maglev train debuted in Japan (Shinkansen) soon thereafter. The energy consumed (in Kwh) to lift a sizable mass and to move it at amazing speeds has since then decreased.

The hyperloop is just an extension of that tech. In short, a Maglev in a vacuum tube. However i am not able to find any data on how much energy does it take to evacuate say one meter cube of tube to say 1% vacuum. Commercial cargo hyperloop's success will largely depend on the payload to energy ratio.

PS : Connecting the hyperloop travel tube to outer space where vacuum exists in abundance can effectively solve most energy problems.