TU Delft Hyperloop

TU Delft Hyperloop builds the most innovative Hyperloop

Delft Hyperloop, a team of students from TU Delft, has accomplished an impressive achievement by creating an exceptionally advanced hyperloop prototype. This significant project took place over the course of a year. During which 41 dedicated and diverse students collaborated to envision, build, and showcase this revolutionary hyperloop prototype at the European Hyperloop Week 2023, held in Edinburgh.

Imagine a journey from Amsterdam to Paris taking half an hour, at speeds of up to 1000 kilometres per hour. This idea becomes more and more a reality thanks to the hard work of Delft Hyperloop.

Throughout the week-long competition, the committed Delft Hyperloop team unveiled the result of their year-long effort. They demonstrated their presentation skills through well-crafted discussions and finally a live demonstration on a thrilling Saturday. Their commitment paid off when they impressed the panel of judges. Winning the Innovation Award on the last day of the competition. Not stopping there, Delft Hyperloop’s success extended to three additional awards: the Mechanical Award and both Full-Scale Awards.

Throughout the eventful week, Delft Hyperloop introduced three groundbreaking innovations they had developed. Firstly, they revealed an highly efficient motor of significant scale. Referred to as the Linear Flux Switching Permanent Magnet Motor (LFSPM-motor), this motor was integrated into the levitation system of the prototype. Its very high efficiency promises to play a vital role in the eventual implementation of hyperloop technology. Also, the motor is now on board of the pod except of propelling the pod forward from the track. This innovative approach reduces the consumption of costly track materials, making infrastructure implementation more cost-effective. Secondly, their pod achieved nearly zero Ampere energy consumption while fully levitating (so no physical contact between the track and the pod). Additionally, Delft Hyperloop presented a functional cooling system that can operate in a vacuum environment.

Eurocircuits played a crucial role by providing the necessary PCBs for their pod. Facilitating the integration of various subsystems and ensuring the prototype’s safety through automatic emergency braking in case of subsystem malfunction.

The partnership between Delft Hyperloop and Eurocircuits is very important for the innovation in the  transportation sector. Delft Hyperloop, known for its innovative work in hyperloop technology, joined forces with Eurocircuits to further push boundaries.

As the week concludes and the excitement subsides, the Delft Hyperloop team stands proud as they reflect on their year-long journey. Their goal to create an innovative and scalable hyperloop system has been remarkably achieved. Guillermo Van, Chief Engineer of Delft Hyperloop, encapsulates this sentiment: “We set incredibly high goals for ourselves, and we are extremely satisfied with the system we’ve established and demonstrated this week. I am exceedingly proud!”