Tata Steel and Posco, a South Korean steel maker, will jointly develop and test cutting-edge steels and tube designs for hyperloop which will allow the passenger and freight pods to run at speeds of 1,000 km/h.
The two companies will develop and manufacture high quality steel grades which are tailored for use in the large diameter tubes of up to 3.5m. Additionally, the companies will join their efforts in research on innovative tube concepts and designs.
“Globally, hyperloops hold a lot of potential for the future of high-speed sustainable transport and these are very exciting projects. This is an important part of our ambitions towards decarbonisation,” Ernst Hoogenes, Chief Technical Officer at Tata Steel said.
“Posco has been conducting hyperloop related research such as feasibility, design and structural optimisation of various types of steel tubes for more than 10 years and has developed optimal steel materials and design solutions in terms of structural stability and economic efficiency. This will contribute to realising hyperloop as the future eco-friendly transportation method,” Lee, Duk-Lak, the Head of Technical Research Laboratories at Posco said.
The tube designs for hyperloop require numerous unique features compared with normal tubes. For instance, they need to allow the passenger or freight vehicle inside to travel in a low-pressure environment, where the air is removed to reduce resistance and minimise energy usage, as well as retaining straightness over long distances.
As society opts for low carbon cars and contemplates mass transport options such as the radical hyperloop, steel will continue to play a major part in ensuring the mobility choices of the future are safe, affordable and sustainable.
We remind you that on 8 November, Virgin Hyperloop made history when it had performed the world’s first passenger tests with the newly-unveiled XP-2 vehicle. The test was carried out at the 500-meter test track at the DevLoop site in Las Vegas.
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