{"id":14095,"date":"2013-08-15T21:29:47","date_gmt":"2013-08-16T01:29:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ssgreenberg.name\/PoliticsBlog\/?p=14095"},"modified":"2013-08-16T19:48:52","modified_gmt":"2013-08-16T23:48:52","slug":"track-to-the-future-and-loopy-no-its-hyperloopy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ssgreenberg.name\/PoliticsBlog\/2013\/08\/15\/track-to-the-future-and-loopy-no-its-hyperloopy\/","title":{"rendered":"“Track to the Future” and “Loopy? No, it\u2019s Hyperloopy”"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s amazing what a little hype can do. Although there is a 57 page document of the Alpha Version of the Hyperloop Design<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

To give you a little background, view The Daily Show<\/em> video Track to the Future<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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I get a kick out of new discoveries and inventions that I read about almost 40 years ago. (Since I have read part of the design document mentioned above, I realize it is not Elon Musk that is making claims that he has invented anything completely different from anything that has ever been studied before.)<\/p>\n
Here is what the IEEE Spectrum<\/em> article Loopy? No, it\u2019s Hyperloopy<\/a><\/strong> has to say:<\/p>\n
\nIt\u2019s been known for decades that an electro-pneumatic tubular transport can, in principle achieve stupendous speeds. IEEE Spectrum covered the idea back in 1984, in a sidebar, written by contributing editor Eric Lerner, to a feature article on the then-new idea of maglev trains. The sidebar, \u201cCoast to coast in half an hour,\u201d makes Musk\u2019s proposal seem prudent by comparison. It was based on a Rand Corp. study that imagined a transcontinental tunnel virtually evacuated, to eliminate aerodynamic drag.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
I read the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Spectrum<\/em> much more regularly back in 1984 than I do now since I have retired.<\/p>\n
I remember trying to calculate if the g forces would kill you.  Turns out, it’s not a problem.<\/p>\n
To only get to 800MPH with 1g acceleration would take less than 37 seconds.<\/p>\n
Download the Excel spreadsheet<\/strong><\/a> to check my math. Your browser may think this linked item is just a regular HTML page, but if you save it, you can open it up in Excel and see the formulae.<\/p>\n