Building a SPEED Hyperloop

The problem with aerodynamics and just fluids in general is they don’t scale linearly like distance or speed do.

Tape the sides of the tube with tape, make a vacuum inside, break one of the sides, and you have a real supersonic train, not a scale model supersonic one. As in a pingpong balls cannon.

I think its not gravity that centers the train wheels. Its the different diameters. If its not centered, the bigger diameter travels more, than the smaller. Its like self steering.

You can't actually have a "scaled speed of sound" because aerodynamics works completely differently at transonic speeds, something you cannot simulate at a scale speed and it would definitely affect your top speed Adittionally I think there is a limit to how fast you will ever be able to achieve with an air pressure driven vehicle like this due to choked flow, essentially once your vehicle in the tube reaches mach 1 the air flowing into the end of the pipe will not be able to flow in any faster to fill the void behind your vehicle and will create a drag force that limits your top speed to around mach 1, no matter how high a vacuum you can draw at the other side of the vehicle. This effect will only happen at actual mach numbers though as again mach effects do not scale

I remember reading years ago that the ideal ratio of tube to vehicle diameter - for a hyperloop-style system - is 2:1 respectively, so the vehicle's maximum diameter is two thirds that of the inside of the tube. That'd probably improve things drastically from an efficiency standpoint (perhaps not speed though). Also, hyperloops don't tend to use the vacuum for propulsion; the lower air pressure is to minimise drag, whereas propulsion is provided by what is essentially a magnetic linear motor.

Awesome project! I'd love to see you build a circular track (with some kind of switch when the train passes the vacuum cleaner), and increase the carriage to ever greater speeds

I love this project!

For future reference, you could try printing the rail ties (or other parts of projects) using white filament, which absorbs much less heat than dark colors like black. Awesome project!!!

I think air passing the seals are a good thing as long as it's not too much. They reduce friction between the piston and the tube

Cheers for pointing out that this is not a new idea (unlike some people think)! Surprisingly good results in the end, at least for a small scale. Large-ish scale in the vineyard reminded me of how roller coasters are built, with the main large tube in the middle and smaller rail tubes on it. This construction would certainly make building corners easy since you could sort of 'wrap' the rails around the main tube to bank, or tilt, the train.

love your videos! You inspired me to get in to DIY, and i really look up to you! Keep up the great work!

Surprised you didn't try to add a leaf blower to the other end. That would definitely add a pressure difference with (hopefully) minimal modifications

"Scale speed" is a strange concept. Scale momentum or scale kinetic energy might make slightly better comparisons, physically speaking, if they're scaled based on all the relevant factors. The use of a completely separate force generator (the vacuum cleaner) that can be independently scaled makes things harder to compare. Power efficiency goes completely out the window as a meaningful figure. Maybe scale acceleration (or force), scaled by the surface area of the piston (and maybe its mass) would be the most appropriate comparison.

This was fascinating! You must have an awful lot of fun working on these projects!

This video is super awesome! I had no idea that there were actual vacuum train systems that had been built, but it definitely has me thinking of the Hyperloop concept in a new light.😊

If you just intend going in a straight line, use aluminium angle ( L ) instead of flat rails to prevent spreading ( the shape of real train rails reduces sideways buckling )

I would suggest that instead of metal rails on top, that you use the tube itself as a monorail. If the thruster tube was rectangular like a 2x3, and the train rides on the edge like a monorail, the tube itself would be the track. The wheel carriage would be an upside down U with one vertical wheel at the top and one horizontal on each side. I am wondering if the magnets were on the sides of the thruster, and raised a bit that might give the train a bit of vertical lift Or if you had wings on the train, the train could hydroplane above the track... To measure train speed, just use 2 electric eyes.. 1st one starts a counter and 2nd one stops the counter, and gives the result... a 3rd eye at the end of the track could apply the breaks....

I just cut my toe nails and i calculated that if the clipping was an airplan it would have broken the sound barrier, a true feat of engineering

That SolidWorks thing sounds cool!! Seriously first time I watched an ad on YouTube and clicked the link. I used the full version back in the day as an engineer but moved to Inventor. Really wanted something like this for home use. Will check it out. :)

Awesome work, James! Really well done! 😃 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊