Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Inc. (HTT) has announced a base technology of the Hyperloop System: passive magnetic levitation, originally developed by Dr. Richard Post and his team at Lawrence Livermore National Labs (LLNL) as part of the Inductrack system. (VIDEO: Watch Animation)
HTT and LLNL have been working together over the past year to develop and build test systems using passive magnetic levitation and HTT has exclusively licensed the system from LLNL for their Hyperloop application.
“I had the honor of meeting with Dr. Post in 2014 prior to his passing,” said Dirk Ahlborn CEO of Jumpstartfund and Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Inc. “He saw the Hyperloop transportation system as the perfect fit for this technology and was excited to see it become part of the project.”
Passive magnetic levitation, which was was developed at Livermore National Labs over a multi-year study that culminated in the successful construction of a test track, is a cheaper, safer alternative to an active magnetic levitation systems like MagLev.
“Utilizing a passive levitation system will eliminate the need for power stations along the Hyperloop track, which makes this system the most suitable for the application and will keep construction costs low,” said Bibop Gresta, COO of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies. “From a safety aspect, the system has huge advantages, levitation occurs purely through movement, therefore if any type of power failure occurs, Hyperloop pods would continue to levitate and only after reaching minimal speeds touch the ground.”