Posted on 18 Nov 2020
POSCO is set to develop a hyperloop train system, an eco-friendly transportation method of the future.
POSCO has recently signed an agreement with Tata Steel Europe to cooperate in the overall hyperloop business field, including developing steel materials and structural solutions and participating in global projects.
Introduced in 2013 by Elon Musk, hyperloop refers to a magnetic levitation train that can travel as fast as 1,000 km per hour in a low-pressure tube. The energy consumption level of the hyperloop is merely 8 percent of an aircraft and 30 percent of a high-speed train, and it does not generate any carbon dioxide and noise. Hence, this new means of transport has been drawing attention as an eco-friendly transportation for the next-generation.
The Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI) announced on Nov. 11 that it has achieved a speed of at least 1,000 kilometers per hour in a 1/17 hyper-tube train aerodynamic test model.
The institute announced that a hyperloop prototype hit a top speed of 1,019 km/h (633mph). The velocity of 1,000 km/h is approximately equal to that of international flights.
For the hyperloop to travel at such a high speed, the most crucial factor is ensuring that the tube is straight and stable. Therefore, the material used to fabricate the tubes should acquire several features, such as air tightness, machinability, and economic feasibility. Steel has been evaluated as the most appropriate material because it can maintain the pressure inside the tube to an almost vacuum-like level while enabling the accurate machinability of its connected parts.
Under the agreement, POSCO and Tata Steel Europe will fabricate a massive steel tube with a diameter of about 3.5 meters as a solution to ensure the performance and stability of the hyperloop and will develop customized high-quality steel materials and innovative tube designs. The two companies will also participate in global hyperloop projects and expand cooperation with other related companies.
A signing ceremony was held virtually on Nov. 6 with the attendance of Ernst Hoogenes, chief technical officer of Tata Steel Europe, and Lee Duk-lak, head of POSCO Technical Research Laboratories.
Lee said, “For the past 10 years or so, POSCO has been conducting hyperloop-related research, such as designing various types of steel tube and optimal structures. POSCO will contribute to realizing the hyperloop as the future eco-friendly transportation method by coming up with the best solutions in terms of stability and economic efficiency.”
Hoogenes added saying, “Hyperloop is at the center of attention globally as the future of high-speed sustainable transport, and we are delighted to work with POSCO for this exciting project. Utilizing the expertise of both companies, we will work together towards decarbonization and providing customers with innovative products.”
Since POSCO possesses several optimized steel materials and technical solutions for hyperloop and Tata Steel Europe has expertise in tube structures, cooperation of the two companies is expected to create great synergy. This open collaboration, which is the first of its kind between global steelmakers, is considered an exemplary case that will contribute to sustainable growth, like decarbonization, and accelerate the commercialization of hyperloop, the next-generation eco-friendly technology.
Source:Business Korea
