Chinese researchers at the Applied Superconductivity Laboratory of Southwest Jiaotong University claim their fast transportation concept based on magnetic levitation (Maglev) technology could potentially be three times faster than an airplane.

Maglev technology was first proposed in the mid-20th century. Nowadays, the Shanghai Maglev Train can reach speeds of over 430 kilometers (260 miles) per hour and is the world’s fastest passenger-carrying train.

The “Super-Maglev” could, however, beat even that. Chinese researchers have been testing a concept train encapsulated in a vacuum tube, thus decreasing the speed limitations imposed by air resistance on regular Maglev trains.

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hard to imagine what a 3000kmh accident would look like in this scenario……

Postpocelipse said:

Chinese researchers at the Applied Superconductivity Laboratory of Southwest Jiaotong University claim their fast transportation concept based on magnetic levitation (Maglev) technology could potentially be three times faster than an airplane.

Maglev technology was first proposed in the mid-20th century. Nowadays, the Shanghai Maglev Train can reach speeds of over 430 kilometers (260 miles) per hour and is the world’s fastest passenger-carrying train.

The “Super-Maglev” could, however, beat even that. Chinese researchers have been testing a concept train encapsulated in a vacuum tube, thus decreasing the speed limitations imposed by air resistance on regular Maglev trains.

more

hard to imagine what a 3000kmh accident would look like in this scenario……

Something like this, i imagine:

yes capt, that looks pretty accurate.

JudgeMental said:

yes capt, that looks pretty accurate.

actually it looks tastier than I expected……

The idea of maglev trains running in a vacuum tube has been around for just as long as the maglev idea itself. The problem is how to build it in full scale. Pardon my lack of enthusiasm for a bloke in China making a toy one is his lab.

party_pants said:

The idea of maglev trains running in a vacuum tube has been around for just as long as the maglev idea itself. The problem is how to build it in full scale. Pardon my lack of enthusiasm for a bloke in China making a toy one is his lab.

I only noticed because of the “3000kmh” reference……

party_pants said:

The idea of maglev trains running in a vacuum tube has been around for just as long as the maglev idea itself. The problem is how to build it in full scale. Pardon my lack of enthusiasm for a bloke in China making a toy one is his lab.

It looks like the idea precedes maglev by quite a bit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_Palace_pneumatic_railway

sibeen said:

party_pants said:

The idea of maglev trains running in a vacuum tube has been around for just as long as the maglev idea itself. The problem is how to build it in full scale. Pardon my lack of enthusiasm for a bloke in China making a toy one is his lab.

It looks like the idea precedes maglev by quite a bit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_Palace_pneumatic_railway

Piss of Sibeen, don’t go correcting me with facts on a Sunday morning!

I love concepts…

party_pants said:

Piss of Sibeen

that a beer or spirit?

Postpocelipse said:

party_pants said:

Piss of Sibeen

that a beer or spirit?

You too eh?

That’s it, I’m off to do something else. I think the panadol has kicked in anyway.

Why not start by building a small scale version

then test it in a loop

then scale it up

CrazyNeutrino said:

Why not start by building a small scale version

then test it in a loop

then scale it up

AT 3000kph I don’t think it does curves.

Skeptic Pete said:

CrazyNeutrino said:

Why not start by building a small scale version

then test it in a loop

then scale it up

AT 3000kph I don’t think it does curves.

prototypes wouldn’t have to run at full speed

that would come later

some, well most, of the comments under the article are terrible.

JudgeMental said:

some, well most, of the comments under the article are terrible.

We used to lock the mentally ill up in cells, but in this enlightened age, we store them on the internet.

sibeen said:

party_pants said:

The idea of maglev trains running in a vacuum tube has been around for just as long as the maglev idea itself. The problem is how to build it in full scale. Pardon my lack of enthusiasm for a bloke in China making a toy one is his lab.

It looks like the idea precedes maglev by quite a bit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_Palace_pneumatic_railway

:) Yes.

It’s not a bad idea, particularly for long distance near-straight line transport of goods. The combination of magnets and pneumatics makes more sense than pneumatics alone.