HYPERNEX: IGNITION OF THE EUROPEAN HYPERLOOOP

The aim of the project is to initiate collaborative research and cooperation between R&D institutions, academia and entrepreneurs in order to enable sustainable development of the new technology.  The project will result in a report which will address and analyse the most important aspects that could affect the development of hyperloop technology.

The project is expected to enable faster development of hyperloop technology, which uses capsules (pods) to carry passengers and goods, moving in a tunnel with pressure reduced to about 100 Pa.

The project covers 3 main topics:

• Transferability under Shift2Rail roadmap

This task will focus on identifying synergies between this research and the railways within the Shift2Rail project, strengthening those areas where research activities can be mutually beneficial.

• Transferability and cross fertilization to non-guided modes

The task will analyse the correlation/synergy of the project with other areas and programmes, i.e. climate, FCH, as well as mutual knowledge exchange with other transport modes.

• Standardization and regulation

The task should identify the applicability of current regulatory practices in Europe to the Hyperloop certification system, identify the roles and powers of Notified Bodies (NoBo) and Assessment Bodies (AsBo), and analyse the applicability of current railway technical standards to hyperloop technology components.

The Railway Research Institute is responsible for the development of the substantive input for item No. 3, i.e. Standardization and regulation, which will discuss, among others, issues related to:

• applicability of current European (railway) regulations and regulatory practices to the Hyperloop system (control-command and signalling, fire safety, etc.),

• the role of certification and notification bodies,

• the application of current standards to the Hyperloop technical components,

• identification of areas of standardization for the Hyperloop technology.

Hypernex Project about Railway Research Institute IK:   http://hypernex.industriales.upm.es/our-partners/