超迴路列車

<image>

超迴路列車（Hyperloop），又稱超級高鐵，是一種能在真空管中，高速運輸系統乘客或是貨物概念的總稱，有著比火車和飛機更快的速度，並且使用能源更低。目前該科技還處於研發階段。這套系統的運輸艙運行於減壓、近真空的管路中，在磁懸浮原理的軌道中行駛，運輸艙則使用線性感應馬達和空氣壓縮機推進，因此能大幅降低阻力，期望能使列車加速達每小時1080公里(670英里)。

企業家伊隆·馬斯克及其所屬的SpaceX公司於2012年重新提出新構想，Hyperloop原預定在美國建造，有感於北加州高速鐵路的工程緩慢，且造價昂貴。超迴路列車白皮書（Hyperloop Alpha）初步概念設計由Tesla及SpaceX二公司的工程師共同完成，而其設計文件最初是發佈在Tesla and SpaceX公司的部落格上，並最終在2013年8月向大眾公開。此版本的Hyperloop被稱之為Hyperloop alpha，其中記載了僅供載客的版本造價為60億，而能同時提供載客和車輛運輸的版本造價則為75億，也就是指說只有高速鐵路的十分之一。多位運輸工程師在2013年對規劃中的加州路線預算提出質疑，評估建設的規模和科技的不確定風險後，質疑者認為預算總金額過低且不切實際。超迴路列車在技術和經濟上的可行性並未有前例可實證，且仍有許多爭論。

初期設計文件中規劃了一條概念路線，以洛杉磯區域為起點，開往舊金山灣區，大部分的路線與5號州際公路平行。初步分析顯示此路線旅程的總運行時間為35分鐘，路線總長354mi，列車平均時速為598mph，最高時速則為760mph。

2015年10月下旬，超級高鐵有限公司(HTT)正式宣佈將在2016年初開始第一階段的工程，將在舊金山至洛杉磯間的中段位置，加利福尼亞州金斯郡境內建造一段耗資60億、可運行的正式軌道。

## 歷史

於1799年真空管道高速交通此構想首次被提出，在1904年由伍斯特理工學院的一年級生羅伯特·戈達德發明。

馬斯克於2012年7月在加利福尼亞州聖塔莫尼卡舉行的 PandoDaily 活動中，首次提到他正在構想「第五種交通方式」，其稱之為 Hyperloop。此高速運輸方式具有以下特點：不受天氣影響、不會有碰撞事件產生、速度是飛機的兩倍、低功耗以及可供 24 小時運行的儲能系統。

選擇Hyperloop這個名字是因為它會循環運行。馬斯克推測經過改善，之後將能夠以高超音速行駛。

2013年5月，馬斯克將他的 Hyperloop 比作「協和飛機、軌道炮和氣墊球桌之間的交叉點」。

從2012年底到2013年8月，來自特斯拉和 SpaceX 的一組工程師致力於為馬斯克的Hyperloop進行概念建模。

Tesla和SpaceX的部落格中發布了一個早期的系統概念模型，該模型描述了Hyperloop系統的可行設計、功能、路徑和成本。

根據設計，吊艙將使用線性電動機逐漸加速至巡航速度，並透過高架橋或是地下隧道的形式在空氣軸承的軌道上滑行，以避免平交道口此潛在危險。一個理想的超級高鐵系統將比現有的大眾運輸方式更節能、更安靜、更自主。

馬斯克還接受反饋，「看看人們是否能找到改進它的方法」。Hyperloop Alpha 首先被推出作為開源設計。

2017年4月4日，SpaceX 獲得了「HYPERLOOP」的商標，其適用於「貨物高速運輸隧道」。

2015年6月，SpaceX 宣布將在霍桑建造一條1英里長（1.6 公里）的測試軌道。軌道已完成並用於測試比賽中第三方提供的吊艙設計。

到2015年11月，隨著多家商業公司和數十個學生團隊致力於開發 Hyperloop 技術，《華爾街日報》報導，正如其一些非附屬成員所稱的那樣，「Hyperloop活動」的風氣已盛況空前。

麻省理工學院Hyperloop團隊開發了第一個Hyperloop吊艙原型，他們於2016年5月13日在麻省理工博物館揭幕。設計理念為使用電動懸架進行懸浮和渦流剎車。

2017 年1月29日，大約在Hyperloop吊艙競賽第一階段的一年後，麻省理工學院Hyperloop吊艙展示了世界上第一次低壓Hyperloop運行。

2020年11月，Virgin Hyperloop 與該公司的兩名員工成功地執行首次使用Hyperloop技術的乘客測試，最高時速達到172公里/小時（107英里/小時）。

## 理論和運行方式

超迴路列車的運送艙行駛於幾乎真空狀態的管道中，每艙可搭乘28人，在管道中以電磁懸浮原理推動運送艙高速前進，每艙配有排氣系統，減少摩擦力。運送艙前方亦配有大型風扇，吸氣排向後方減輕風阻。

<image>

- 超迴路列車運輸艙示意圖：前方為空氣壓縮機，乘客座位部分位於中段，後方裝有蓄電池，底部則為空氣軸承

<image>

- 超迴路列車土建工程的3D示意圖。鋼製的管道在圖片中以透明色表現

The vactrain concept resembles a high-speed rail system without substantial air resistance by employing magnetically levitating trains in evacuated (airless) or partly evacuated tubes. However, the difficulty of maintaining a vacuum over large distances has prevented this type of system from ever being built. The hyperloop is similar to a vactrain system but operates at approximately 1mbar of pressure.

### 初始設計概念

The hyperloop concept operates by sending specially designed "capsules" or "pods" through a steel tube maintained at a partial vacuum. In Musk's original concept, each capsule would float on a 0.5-1.3mm layer of air provided under pressure to air-caster "skis", similar to how pucks are levitated above an air hockey table, while still allowing higher speeds than wheels can sustain. With rolling resistance eliminated and air resistance greatly reduced, the capsules can glide for the bulk of the journey. In the alpha design concept, an electrically driven inlet fan and axial compressor would be placed at the nose of the capsule to "actively transfer high-pressure air from the front to the rear of the vessel", resolving the problem of air pressure building in front of the vehicle, slowing it down. A fraction of the air was to be shunted to the skis for additional pressure, augmenting that gain passively from lift due to their shape.

In the alpha-level concept, passenger-only pods were to be 2.23m in diameter and were projected to reach a top speed of 760mph to maintain aerodynamic efficiency. (Section 4.4) The design proposed passengers experience a maximum inertial acceleration of 0.5 g, about 2 or 3 times that of a commercial airliner on takeoff and landing.

### 建議路線

<image>

A number of routes have been proposed for hyperloop systems that meet the approximate distance conditions for which a hyperloop is hypothesized to provide improved transport times (distances of under approximately 1500km).Route proposals range from speculation described in company releases to business cases to signed agreements.

#### 美國

2013年在alpha級設計文檔中建議的路線是從大洛杉磯地區到舊金山灣區。這一概念系統將從位於Tejon Pass以南的Sylmar開始，沿加利福尼亞州的5號州際公路向北行駛，最終到達舊金山灣東側的Hayward。設計文檔中還展示了幾個建議的分支，包括薩克拉門托、阿納海姆、聖地牙哥和拉斯維加斯谷。

目前沒有任何根據馬斯克的alpha設計提案的實際工作得到進展。原因之一是該系統將在洛杉磯和舊金山兩大都市區的邊緣地區終止，並不會進入市中心，雖然這將顯著降低建設成本，但也要求從Sylmar和Hayward出發的乘客需要轉乘其他交通工具才能到達最終目的地。這將顯著延長到達這些目的地的總旅行時間。

A similar problem already affects present-day air travel, where on short routes (like LAX–SFO) the flight time is only a rather small part of door to door travel time. Critics have argued that this would significantly reduce the proposed cost and/or time savings of hyperloop as compared to the California High-Speed Rail project that will serve downtown stations in both San Francisco and Los Angeles.Passengers traveling from financial center to financial center are estimated to save about two hours by taking the Hyperloop instead of driving the whole distance.

Others questioned the cost projections for the suggested California route. Some transportation engineers argued in 2013 that they found the alpha-level design cost estimates unrealistically low given the scale of construction and reliance on unproven technology. The technological and economic feasibility of the idea is unproven and a subject of significant debate.

In November 2017, Arrivo announced a concept for a maglev automobile transport system from Aurora, Colorado to Denver International Airport, the first leg of a system from downtown Denver.Its contract described potential completion of a first leg in 2021. In February 2018, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies announced a similar plan for a loop connecting Chicago and Cleveland and a loop connecting Washington and New York City.

In 2018 the Missouri Hyperloop Coalition was formed between Virgin Hyperloop One, the University of Missouri, and engineering firm Black & Veatch to study a proposed route connecting St. Louis, Columbia, and Kansas City.

On 19 December 2018, Elon Musk unveiled a 3km tunnel below Los Angeles. In the presentation, a Tesla Model X drove in a tunnel on the predefined track (rather than in a low-pressure tube). According to Musk the costs for the system are 10 million.Musk said: "The Loop is a stepping stone toward hyperloop. The Loop is for transport within a city. Hyperloop is for transport between cities, and that would go much faster than 150 mph."

The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, or NOACA, partnered with Hyperloop Transportation Technologies to conduct a $1.3 million feasibility study for developing a hyperloop corridor route from Chicago to Cleveland and Pittsburgh for America's first multistate hyperloop system in the Great Lakes Megaregion. Hundreds of thousands of dollars already have been committed to the project. NOACA's Board of Directors has awarded a $550,029 contract to Transportation Economics & Management Systems, Inc. (TEMS) for the Great Lakes Hyperloop Feasibility Study to evaluate the feasibility of an ultra-high-speed hyperloop passenger and freight transport system initially linking Cleveland and Chicago.

#### 印度

2016 年，超迴路運輸科技公司曾與印度政府考慮在清奈和邦加羅爾之間修建一條計畫路線，345km的旅途只需要30分鐘。

HTT還與安德拉邦政府簽署了一項協議，將建設印度首個超迴路列車項目，連接阿馬拉瓦蒂和維傑亞瓦達，車程6分鐘。

2018年2月22日，Hyperloop One與馬哈拉什特拉邦政府簽訂了一份合作備忘錄，將在孟買和浦那之間建設一個超迴路列車交通系統，將旅途時間從目前的180分鐘縮短至20分鐘。

Indore-based Dinclix GroundWorks' DGWHyperloop advocates a hyperloop corridor between Mumbai and Delhi, via Indore, Kota, and Jaipur.

#### 其他國家

Many of the active Hyperloop routes that have been considered are outside of the US. In 2016, Hyperloop One published the world's first detailed business case for a 500km route between Helsinki and Stockholm, which would tunnel under the Baltic Sea to connect the two capitals in under 30 minutes.Hyperloop One undertook a feasibility study with DP World to move containers from its Port of Jebel Ali in Dubai.In late 2016, Hyperloop One announced a feasibility study with Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority for passenger and freight routes connecting Dubai with the greater United Arab Emirates. Hyperloop One was also considering passenger routes in Moscow during 2016,and a cargo hyperloop to connect Hunchun in north-eastern China to the Port of Zarubino, near Vladivostok and the North Korean border on Russia's Far East.In May 2016, Hyperloop One kicked off their Global Challenge with a call for comprehensive proposals of hyperloop networks around the world.In September 2017, Hyperloop One selected 10 routes from 35 of the strongest proposals: Toronto–Montreal, Cheyenne–Denver–Pueblo, Miami–Orlando, Dallas–Laredo–Houston, Chicago–Columbus–Pittsburgh, Mexico City–Guadalajara, Edinburgh–London, Glasgow–Liverpool, Bengaluru–Chennai, and Mumbai–Chennai.

Others have put forward European routes, including a route beginning at Amsterdam or Schiphol to Frankfurt.In 2016, a Warsaw University of Technology team began evaluating potential routes from Cracow to Gdańsk across Poland proposed by Hyper Poland.

TransPod explored the possibility of hyperloop routes which would connect Toronto and Montreal,Toronto to Windsor,and Calgary to Edmonton.Toronto and Montreal, the largest cities in Canada, are currently connected by Ontario Highway 401, the busiest highway in North America.In March 2019, Transport Canada commissioned the study of hyperloops, so it can be "better informed on the technical, operational, economic, safety, and regulatory aspects of the hyperloop and understand its construction requirements and commercial feasibility."

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) reportedly signed an agreement with the government of Slovakia in March 2016 to perform impact studies, with potential links between Bratislava, Vienna, and Budapest, but there have been no further developments.In January 2017, HTT signed an agreement to explore the route Bratislava—Brno—Prague in Central Europe.

In 2017, SINTEF, the largest independent research organization in Scandinavia, announced they were considering building a test lab for hyperloop in Norway.

An agreement was signed in June 2017 to co-develop a hyperloop line between Seoul and Busan in South Korea.

#### 火星

根據馬斯克的觀點，超迴路列車在火星上具有實用性。由於火星大氣層只相當於地球海平面濃度的1%，使得列車不需要管道就能運行。

在地球上，列車需要低壓管道來降低空氣阻力；但若能在火星上建造該系統，更低的空氣阻力可使得列車不再依賴管道，只需軌道即可運行，使其更接近於磁懸浮列車。

### 開源設計演進

In September 2013, Ansys Corporation ran computational fluid dynamics simulations to model the aerodynamics of the capsule and shear stress forces that the capsule would be subjected to. The simulation showed that the capsule design would need to be significantly reshaped to avoid creating supersonic airflow, and that the gap between the tube wall and capsule would need to be larger. Ansys employee Sandeep Sovani said the simulation showed that hyperloop has challenges but that he is convinced it is feasible.

In October 2013, the development team of the OpenMDAO software framework released an unfinished, conceptual open-source model of parts of the hyperloop's propulsion system. The team asserted that the model demonstrated the concept's feasibility, although the tube would need to be 4m in diameter,

significantly larger than originally projected. However, the team's model is not a true working model of the propulsion system, as it did not account for a wide range of technical factors required to physically construct a hyperloop based on Musk's concept, and in particular had no significant estimations of component weight.

In November 2013, MathWorks analyzed the proposal's suggested route and concluded that the route was mainly feasible. The analysis focused on the acceleration experienced by passengers and the necessary deviations from public roads in order to keep the accelerations reasonable; it did highlight that maintaining a trajectory along I-580 east of San Francisco at the planned speeds was not possible without significant deviation into heavily populated areas.

In January 2015, a paper based on the NASA OpenMDAO open-source model reiterated the need for a larger diameter tube and a reduced cruise speed closer to Mach 0.85. It recommended removing on-board heat exchangers based on thermal models of the interactions between the compressor cycle, tube, and ambient environment. The compression cycle would only contribute 5% of the heat added to the tube, with 95% of the heat attributed to radiation and convection into the tube. The weight and volume penalty of on-board heat exchangers would not be worth the minor benefit, and regardless the steady-state temperature in the tube would only reach 30- above ambient temperature.

According to Musk, various aspects of the hyperloop have technology applications to other Musk interests, including surface transportation on Mars and electric jet propulsion.

Researchers associated with MIT's department of Aeronautics and Astronautics published research in June 2017 that verified the challenge of aerodynamic design near the Kantrowitz limit that had been theorized in the original SpaceX Alpha-design concept released in 2013.

In 2017, Dr. Richard Geddes and others formed the Hyperloop Advanced Research Partnership to act as a clearinghouse of Hyperloop public domain reports and data.

In February 2020, Hardt Hyperloop, Hyper Poland, TransPod and Zeleros formed a consortium to drive standardisation efforts, as part of a joint technical committee (JTC20) set up by European standards bodies CEN and CENELEC to develop common standards aimed at ensuring the safety and interoperability of infrastructure, rolling stock, signalling and other systems.

## 乘坐舒適度考量

高速列車轉向時會產生一定的向心力，要達到舒適的程度，軌道曲線的半徑不可少於9公里，意味系統需要異常地筆直與精確，也不能有山地與都市等障礙物擋住路軌，這限制了超迴路列車，特別是在人口分布均勻密集、地勢高低起伏多、頻發地震的地區的實際應用。

另外近真空的管道系統在建設上難度與成本相對於火車高出不少，相當於隧道的造價，可能導致其單程票價也會在成本問題下不敵航空運輸，難以營利與投資建設。車廂空間方面，由於抽氣扇設計，車廂前後間距必須很短，多節車也無法以常態存在，對車內載電池的能力要求也很高(管路沒有電力線接觸，最多只能磁感應)，同時還要支持車廂內的封閉維生系統，沿途行車安全出口、停等車站等重要設計考量也尚未構思，極待解決。

## 該領域公司

### 海波盧普科技公司

2016年11月，海波盧普科技公司位於美國拉斯維加斯的Hyperloop One (與伊隆·馬斯克無關) & Hyperloop Genesis 與杜拜簽署協議，開始進行可行性分析研究如何建造杜拜到阿布達比超迴路列車。至2020年11月時，已進行過高達400多次無人試驗，11月首次載人測試成功。預計2025年完成安全認證，2030年正式營運，未來將以時速1000公里甚至1080公里的速度來運送乘客及貨物。

2023年12月31日，海波盧普科技公司倒閉。

### 超級高鐵有限公司

在2018年，超級高鐵有限公司（HTT）成功研發出了世界第一台超迴路列車的車廂。車廂長32公尺，每次載客量為28至50位乘客。而且設計能以時速1216公里的超快時速行駛。

2019年，超級高鐵有限公司在法國南方的土魯斯興建一條長達320公尺的測試軌道

### 中國航天科工集團

2019年9月，中共中央、國務院印發了《交通強國建設綱要》，綱要中指出了要安排低真空管（隧）道高速列車的儲備研發。2021年5月24日，中國航天科工集團開始建造高速飛車山西省實驗室揭牌暨大同(陽高)試驗線工程，著手研製超高速低真空管道磁浮交通系統。2023年1月，首台管道磁浮高精度智能無人巡檢車在陽高縣高速飛車試驗基地完成實驗。2023年11月10日，高速飛車大同（陽高）試驗線一期主體工程全部完工。

## 超迴路列車路線競賽

2016年Virgin Hyperloop 舉辦了一個跨世界的競賽，邀請了世界各地的設計團隊，對不同地方進行評估，選出世界各國最適合興建超迴路列車的地。選拔從2600個候選者，然後縮減至35個入圍者，最後在各方評比下選出10個優秀路線。這些團隊將能夠與 Virgin Hyperloop 進行合作。

## 超迴路列車運送艙競賽

從2015年開始每年都由SpaceX主辦，讓大學生設計並打造小尺寸的超迴路列車的運送艙，進階者作品能在實際的低壓管內試跑。

擁有最快速度者，為該屆比賽冠軍。於2016 SpaceX在其加州總部旁搭建約1.6 km(1英里)長的試驗低壓管，尺寸比白皮書中的略小。SpaceX於該年網站上聲明:「SpaceX或是馬斯克並無與任何其他公司有關係。SpaceX並不是為了商業化目的而舉辦，而是要支持促進超回力列車運送艙原型的設計速度。

## 外部連結

- Hyperloop Technologes
- Tesla Motors： Hyperloop Alpha
- SpaceX： Hyperloop Alpha