2019 SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition Primer
The Queen’s Hyperloop Design Team (QHDT) has worked diligently for our inaugural acceptance to the 4th annual SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition
It’s only fitting that Elon Musk, the polarizing CEO and founder of Tesla and SpaceX, has invited his alma-mater Queen’s University to compete in the upcoming 4th annual SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition.
Which schools are Queen’s competing against?
On July 21, 2019 in Hawthorne, California, the Queen’s Hyperloop Design Team (QHDT) will be representing one of three Canadian teams (University of Windsor & St. Clair College; Memorial University) at the student-only event. Queen’s will join 20 other schools from the US, India, Netherlands, France, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, Germany and Wales to compete for the ultimate prize of performing a high speed run in the SpaceX HyperTube - with Elon Musk himself watching on.
Who won last year?
Last year, the Technical University of Munich won their third SpaceX Hyperloop competition. The WARR (as they are called) Hyperloop team’s self-propelled capsule was one of only three teams to pass safety inspections and preliminary rounds. Warr’s 154-pound (70 kg) carbon fiber pod was powered by a 50kW electric motor and featured pneumatic friction brakes that propelled the pod to a top speed of 467km/h.
What’s this year’s competition like?
This year’s competition takes place on a 1 km long, 1.8m diameter (6ft) test track. Test pods are judged solely on one criteria: maximum speed with successful deceleration (e.g. without crashing). Where exists competition is that there are three primary variations of exterior designs for the vehicle pods.
One pod design uses uses air bearings; this design relies on a system to create a bed of air for the pod to glide upon and is the basis of Elon Musk’s original Hyperloop idea.
Another pod design uses magnetic levitation; this design was used by the winner of the “Best Overall Design Award”.
The third design uses high speed wheels for speeds under 100 mph and air bearings for higher speeds.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk launched the challenge with hopes of propelling his hyperloop concept into reality. SpaceX says the competition acts as a gathering of worldwide talent to discuss the next versions of Hyperloop pods, and eventually scale them to full size. By sponsoring the upcoming minds from top-tier educational institutions worldwide, the Hyperloop Pod Competition provides and opportunity to expose students to real-life application and recruit prospective talent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO0sPME3j2s Click Here to watch the 2018 competition in action.