[Reading Science] 'Seoul-Busan 20 Minutes'... How Far Has Hyperloop Come?

Construction of Ultra-High-Speed Rail Network Over 1200km/h Enables 'Nationwide One-Hour Living Zone'
Recognized as Future Advanced Land Transport, Global Research Competition Fierce Including Elon Musk
Korea Invests 1 Trillion Won Over 9 Years for Research, Accelerates Test Track Construction Soon

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] One day in 2039. Kim Han-sol (27, a fictional character), a new office worker, got a job at a major company in Seoul but commutes from his hometown in Busan. This is thanks to the recently opened Seoul-Busan Hyperloop line (Hyperloop, a subsonic capsule train). It takes only 15 minutes from Busan Station to Seoul Station, eliminating the need to move. While Korea’s high-speed rail (KTX) made the entire country a daily living zone, the Hyperloop has created a one-hour living zone. Once Hyperloop lines are established nationwide, the concentration of money and people only in the metropolitan area will become a thing of the past. It marks a groundbreaking turning point in resolving issues such as real estate speculation in the metropolitan area, low birth rates, regional imbalance, and the disappearance of local areas.

The Hyperloop is emerging as an ultra-high-speed new concept land transportation system that can instantly transport humanity into the future world at speeds of 1,200 km/h. In particular, South Korea is competing with major technological powerhouses with similar levels of technology in this next-generation eco-friendly future mobility. Let’s take a look at the current status and future of Hyperloop technology.

[Image source=Yonhap News] Hyperloop design

No resistance in a vacuum

All existing land transportation means such as rockets, missiles, aircraft, cars, and high-speed trains face the challenge of minimizing air resistance. The Hyperloop technology emerged as a counterintuitive idea from this. It is a concept developed from the simple thought that in a vacuum state, there is no need to worry about air resistance and ultra-high speeds can be achieved. In 2009, Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI) began conceptual research, and in 2013, Elon Musk’s SpaceX proposed it, making it widely known. It is a technology that runs trains called capsules or pods suspended in the air inside a tube-shaped passage that is in a vacuum or near-vacuum state at speeds exceeding 1,200 km/h. The pods can carry 25 to 40 passengers and cargo, and energy can also be supplied through solar power. To realize this, technology to levitate the pods using magnetic fields or air pressure (air bearings) is required to eliminate friction caused by wheels. Vacuum tube technology is also essential. The interior must be maintained at a vacuum or about 1/1000 of atmospheric pressure to minimize air friction, reduce energy loss, and achieve the target speed.

Electromagnetic propulsion technology must also be developed to maintain the pod’s speed at a high level continuously. Unlike conventional trains that gain propulsion from motors, this method intermittently provides propulsion through electromagnetic force, similar to a railgun principle. Since the speed is at a subsonic level, it is stable, and technology to maintain communication with the outside for proper operation is also essential. So, are the cargo and passengers inside the Hyperloop safe? Dr. Lee Chang-young of the Hyperloop Research Institute at KRRI explained, “Even supersonic aircraft pilots are safe inside, and passenger planes flying at 700-800 km/h have no issues. According to the law of inertia, as long as there is no sudden start or stop, acceleration and deceleration do not cause problems.” The pressure exerted on humans during airplane takeoff is about 0.25-0.30G, while the Hyperloop is expected to be about 0.15-0.20G, slightly stronger than the KTX (0.1G).

Hyperloop Completion Concept Image

The Hyperloop also uses its own solar power generation and is highly efficient. Therefore, it consumes only 30% of the energy compared to existing high-speed trains and just 8% compared to aircraft. It produces less noise and costs only one-tenth of the construction cost of high-speed rail. It is evaluated as a transportation means suitable for the ‘carbon-neutral’ era by minimizing carbon dioxide emissions and reducing noise pollution.

Fierce development competition

Overseas, the Virgin Group led by British billionaire Richard Branson, Musk’s The Boring Company, and Hyperloop TT led by Andres de Leon are spearheading investment and technology development. Musk, who first proposed the Hyperloop, planned to start full-scale testing of a life-sized Hyperloop in the second half of this year, but there has been no news yet. Since 2017, they have been hosting Hyperloop pod competitions to encourage the development of optimal pods on given tracks. In August 2019, a pod that ran at 463 km/h won an award and attracted attention. Virgin Group is promoting Hyperloop projects in several countries including the U.S., India, and Dubai. In November 2020, they conducted the first manned test. Virgin’s two-person pod recorded a speed of 172 km/h. Although it was only 1/7 of the speed of sound and ran 500 meters, it proved that it is no longer just science fiction.

Hyperloop

On the 30th of last month, the Korea Research Foundation (NRF) report on ‘Information Technology for Hyperloop’ stated, “As intercontinental travel from Asia to Europe is reduced to a matter of hours, it will be possible to build an on-demand economy delivering goods anywhere in the world via Hyperloop,” and “As people’s freedom to choose residence and occupation expands, various economic and social benefits will arise.”

South Korea to spend 1 trillion won over 9 years

South Korea is also among the leading countries in Hyperloop technology development. KRRI succeeded in domestic production of the ‘1/1000 atmospheric pressure tube,’ a core device of the Hyperloop, in 2018. In November 2020, it achieved a world-first speed of 1,019 km/h at a near-vacuum level of 0.001 atmospheric pressure. It was evaluated as the first experimental verification of the running characteristics of the HyperTube running faster than an airplane inside an ultra-vacuum tube. KRRI plans to develop core HyperTube technologies by 2024, including superconducting electromagnets and propulsion devices, which are the engines of HyperTube vehicles, and ultra-high-speed running stabilization devices for the vehicles. In addition, the government announced in June that it will invest 1 trillion won over the next nine years in Hyperloop research and development (R&D). With plans to install a 10 km test bed in one of the metropolitan cities and provinces nationwide, full-scale R&D investment plans have been announced, igniting momentum.

However, unresolved issues remain. Because of the extremely high speed, accidents could lead to major disasters. There is no countermeasure if an emergency patient occurs inside the sealed pod. Considering that existing transportation means such as aviation, high-speed rail, and subways are not profitable, the actual demand must also be considered. As a new concept transportation means that has never existed before, regulatory frameworks through international cooperation and investment and support are also necessary.