China Claims To Find Fix For Hyperloop Flaw That Stalled Elon Musk’s Maglev Dream

Chinese researchers claim they have solved a big problem with ultra-high-speed maglev transport, which had stopped Elon Musk’s Hyperloop plans. Zhao Ming and his team from China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) have created a new hybrid suspension system at the Datong, Shanxi province maglev research center to reduce turbulence by almost half.

In vacuum-tube systems, even small issues, such as uneven coils or the bridge flexing, can make the levitating pods jump around and give passengers a bumpy ride. These high speeds, such as 249 mph (400 km/h) and 373 mph (600 km/h), made the ride very uncomfortable, according to the Sperling Index. At 612 mph (1,000 km/h), the turbulence was a bit less severe, but it was still considered “barely tolerable.”

To address this, Zhao’s team designed a system that uses both passive air springs and electromagnetic actuators, which are controlled by artificial intelligence. The AI relies on skyhook damping to keep the pod balanced and PID control to make quick and accurate adjustments. NSGA-II, a genetic algorithm, was used to improve the system by making it respond to changes in the environment.

Tests on scale models and motion simulators showed that vertical vibrations were reduced by 45.6% and the Sperling Index was under 2.5, so the rides were described as “pronounced, but not unpleasant.”

Although Musk’s Hyperloop stopped in 2023, China is still developing maglev as a key part of future transport and space travel. The engineers at Datong have made important progress, such as building airtight vacuum tunnels and precise track joints. There are still problems, such as making the system work for large pods and guaranteeing safety during emergencies. Nevertheless, Chinese researchers think their system could change the way ultra-fast ground travel is done worldwide.