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Hyperloop allows for improved transportation efficiency at higher speeds and a lower power consumption. Various magnetic levitation technologies in existing high-speed maglev trains are being considered to overcome speed limitations for the development of Hyperloop, which are driven inside vacuum tubes at 1,200 km/h; and superconducting (SC) electrodynamic suspension (EDS) can provide numerous advantages to Hyperloop. such as enabling stable levitation in high-speed driving without control, and increasing the levitation air gap. However, the analysis of the EDS system requires the electromagnetic transient analysis of complex three-dimensional (3D) features, and its computational load generally limits the use of numerical methods, such as the 3D finite element method (FEM) or dynamic circuit theory; This paper presents a novel model that can rapidly and accurately calculate the frequency-dependent equivalent inductance; and it can model the EDS system with the decoupled resistance-inductance (RL) equations of levitation coils. As a design example, the levitation coils of the SC-EDS were designed and analyzed for the Hyperloop, and the results were compared with those of the FEM results to validate the model. In addition, the model was experimentally validated by measuring currents induced by moving pods.

Hyperloop is a new, alternative, very high-speed mode of transport wherein Hyperloop pods (or capsules) transport cargo and passengers at very high speeds in a near-vacuum tube. Such high-speed operations, however, cause a large aerodynamic drag. This study investigates the effects of pod speed, blockage ratio (BR), tube pressure, and pod length on the drag and drag coefficient of a Hyperloop. To study the compressibility of air when the pod is operating in a tube, the effect of pressure waves in terms of propagation speed and magnitude are investigated based on normal shockwave theories. To represent the pod motion and propagation of pressure waves, unsteady simulation using the moving-mesh method was applied under the sheer stress transport k&ndash, &omega, turbulence model. Numerical simulations were performed for different pod speeds from 100 to 350 m/s. The results indicate that the drag coefficient increases with increase in BR, pod speed, and pod length. In the Hyperloop system, the compression wave propagation speed is much higher than the speed of sound and the expansion wave propagation speed that experiences values around the speed of sound.

In this study, numerical simulations were conducted at various pod speeds ( v p o d = 100–350 m/s) using an unsteady, compressible solver with the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes model to analyze the aerodynamic characteristics and pressure wave behavior in the Hyperloop system. Furthermore, the aerodynamic drag and pressure wave behavior were theoretically predicted based on quasi-one-dimensional assumptions. The flow around the pod is classified into three regimes according to the pod speed based on the compressible flow phenomena. In regime 1 ( v p o d = 100–170 m/s), the compression waves develop into normal shock waves even without the occurrence of choking at the throat. In regime 2 ( v p o d = 180–230 m/s), choking occurs at the throat and an oblique shock wave appears within the pod tail section. In regime 3 ( v p o d = 240–350 m/s), a trailing shock wave propagates at the end of the oblique shock wave. Due to fully accelerated flow in this regime, the Mach number of the flow behind the pod in a pod-fixed coordinates remains constant as 2.1, regardless of the pod speed. This constant Mach number causes the drag coefficient to decrease while the pod speed increases. Although non-isentropic conditions such as the formation of a boundary layer and flow separation cause variation between the theoretical prediction and simulation results, the predicted properties of the pressure waves and the aerodynamic drag of the pod concur with the simulation results. Because the boundary layer along the pod is thinner at a higher pod speed, the difference between the theoretical and simulation values of the leading shock pressure decreases from 9.71% to 2.83% and that of the leading shock speed decreases from 4.39% to 1.30% as the pod speed increases from 180 to 350 m/s. Additionally, the theoretically predicted drag of the pod shows good agreement with the simulation results with an error of around 6%.

The Hyperloop system is a new concept that allows a train to travel through a near-vacuum tunnel at transonic speeds. Aerodynamic drag is one of the most important factors in analyzing such systems. The blockage ratio (BR), pod speed/length, tube pressure, and temperature affect the aerodynamic drag, but the specific relationships between the drag and these parameters have not yet been comprehensively examined. In this study, we investigated the flow phenomena of a Hyperloop system, focusing on the effects of changes in the above parameters. Two-dimensional axisymmetric simulations were performed in a large parameter space covering various BR values (0.25, 0.36), pod lengths (10.75–86 m), pod speeds (50–350 m/s), tube pressures (~100–1000 Pa), and tube temperatures (275–325 K). As BR increased, the pressure drag was significantly affected. This is because of the smaller critical Mach number for a larger BR. As the pod length increased, the total drag and pressure drag did not change significantly, but there was a considerable influence on the friction drag. As the pod speed increased, strong shock waves occurred near the end of the pod. At this point, the flows around the pod were severely choked at both BR values, and the ratio of the pressure drag to the total drag converged to its saturation level. At tube pressures above 500 Pa, the friction drag increased significantly under the rapidly increased turbulence intensity near the pod surface. High tube temperatures increase the speed of sound, and this reduces the Mach number for the same pod speed, consequently delaying the onset of choking and reducing the aerodynamic drag. The results presented in this study are applicable to the fundamental design of the proposed Hyperloop system.