A recent experiment in Switzerland marked a historic step for the project Hyperloopsetting the record for the longest journey ever made by a capsule inside a tube empty. This test, conducted at an EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) facility, highlighted significant technical developments, raising expectations for the future of very high-speed transport.
At the heart of this record is LIMITLESS (Linear Induction Motor Drive for Traction and Levitation in Sustainable Hyperloop Systems), an innovative project based on a linear induction motor (LIM) capable of guaranteeing optimal performance at high speeds. During the test, a 1:12 scale capsule traveled 11.8 kilometers in an environment a 50 millibars of pressure, a distance that, if scaled, would correspond to 141.6 kilometers. This represents a milestone for vacuum vehicles, showing significant progress in the propulsion and energy efficiency of the Hyperloop system.
System performance: autonomous capsule test
Through as many as 82 tests, the team monitored various essential subsystems, such as propulsionthermal management, power electronics and communication infrastructure. The tested capsule stood out for its navigation autonomy, energy supply and propulsion capabilities, key elements that demonstrate the potential of the Hyperloop project in real operating conditions. Cyril Dénéréaz, CTO of Swisspod, explained: “Our system works as a closed loop, with no inherent length limitations. Our track allows us to test the energy efficiency of the capsule and propulsion systems, overcoming the limits of current Hyperloop infrastructures”.
First proposed in 2013 by Elon Musk, theHyperloop it promises very high-speed travel thanks to magnetic levitation and the absence of atmospheric friction. With theoretical speeds up to 1,200 km/hthis technology aims to transform long-distance transportation. During the Swiss tests, the capsule reached a maximum speed of 40.7 km/h (equal to 488.2 km/h in real size), a significant performance but which does not yet represent the absolute record: just a few months ago, the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation recorded a speed of 623 km/h.
Although the Hyperloop project has lost some media visibility, the new record demonstrates that the technology is evolving, aiming to revolutionize long-distance transportation. The innovations developed with LIMITLESS in fact, they can also find applications in other sectors such as automotive, metropolitan transport and aerospace, opening up new perspectives for the sustainability and efficiency of the transport systems of the future.
