1019 kilometers per hour (633 mph) is the new record speed for Hyperloop. Broken by Korean Railroad Research Institute, Korail, using what they call the hyper-tube train.
The previous record was 714 km/h (443 mph), also set by Korail.
The key to this achievement was to lower the atmospheric pressure in the tube close to vacuum and eliminate friction that slows the train down. Korail achieved 0.001 atm. Lower pressure than has been achieved in any comparable test.
“We have overcome the problem of vehicle driving obstacles caused by rapid acceleration driving friction in the accelerator section of the aerodynamic test system and exceeded the speed of 1,000km/h,” Korail said in a press release.
This was not a full-size hyperloop, but a 1:17 scale model. Scaling it up to full size will of course be hard, but the speed record and the low pressure were still important steps forward.
Last week another vital step was taken when Virgin Hyperloop transported the first-ever passengers at their test site in Nevada.
This project has support from the South Korean authorities, to have a Hyperloop system in place in 2024, cutting the travel time between Seoul and Busan from 3.5 hours to around 30 minutes.
Tips Thomas Ahlström.
