
Elon Musk's Hyperloop is coming closer to reality.

One of two competing LA-based firms today showed off a magnetic technology that it says will help its system move at 760 mph.

Dubbed 'Inductrack', a video explains how the system will provide 'a cheaper, safer alternative' to regular magnetic levitation.

This 'fifth mode of travel', as Musk calls it, could eventually take passengers the 380 miles (610km) from LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes - half the time it takes a plane.

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Elon Musk's Hyperloop is coming closer to reality. One of two competing LA-based firms today showed off a magnetic technology that it says will help its system move at 760 mph. Dubbed the 'Inductrack', a video explains how the system will provide 'a cheaper, safer alternative' to regular magnetic levitation

WHAT IS THE HYPERLOOP? Hyperloop is a proposed method of travel that would transport people at 745mph (1,200km/h) between distant locations. It was unveiled by Elon Musk in 2013, who said it could take passengers the 380 miles (610km) from LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes - half the time it takes a plane. It is essentially a long tube that has had the air removed to create a vacuum. The tube is suspended off the ground to protect against weather and earthquakes. Passengers would sit in either individual or group pods, which would then be accelerated with magnets. Capsules carrying six to eight people would depart every 30 seconds, with tickets costing around $20 (£13) each way. The cost of building a line from LA to San Francisco has been estimated at $16 billion (£10 billion) - although critics say it would be nearer $100 billion (£65 billion). Advertisement

Hyperloop is essentially a long tube that has had the air removed to create a vacuum.

The removal of air in a tube allows for the passage of capsules at speeds of 760mph (1,225km/h) – that's twice as fast as the Central Japan Railway's record-366mph run.

The cost of building a line from LA to San Francisco has previously been estimated at $16 billion (£10 billion) although critics said it would be nearer $100 billion (£65 billion).

The tube is suspended off the ground to protect against weather and earthquakes and passengers would sit in either individual or group pods, which would then be accelerated with magnets.

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) says it has today signed a deal with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to harness Inductrack, which is a form of passive repulsion technology.

Traditional MagLev systems need a constant supply of power, which drives up the cost and complexity.

Passive repulsion, however, uses a single series of magnets that can be attached on each capsule, making it easier and cheaper to maintain.

The magnets are placed in rectangular array, known as a Halbach array.

The pattern would align the magnetic force outwards, instead than in towards the capsule, allowing the pods to hang in mid-air.

Without any friction, and with Hyperloop's near-vacuum environment, the pods could travel at 760mph (1,225km/h).

The system originally developed by Dr Richard Post and his team at Lawrence Livermore National Labs (LLNL) is part of the Inductrack system.

'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.

'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 was developed at Livermore National Labs over a multi-year study that culminated in the successful construction of a test track.

Traditional MagLev systems need a constant supply of power, which drives up the cost and complexity. Passive repulsion, however, uses a single series of magnets that can be attached on each capsule, making it easier and cheaper to maintain

HOW DOES INDUCTRACK WORK? inductrack is a form of passive repulsion'. Traditional MagLev systems need a constant supply of power, which drives up the cost and complexity. Passive repulsion, however, uses a single series of magnets that can be attached on each capsule, making it easier and cheaper to maintain. The magnets are placed in rectangular array, known as a Halbach array. The pattern would align the magnetic force outwards, instead than in towards the capsule, allowing the pods to hang in mid-air. Without any friction, and with Hyperloop's near-vacuum environment, the pods could travel at 760mph (1,225km/h). Advertisement

'Utilising a passive levitation system will eliminate the need for power stations along the Hyperloop track,' said Bibop Gresta, COO of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies.

'[This] makes this system the most suitable for the application and will keep construction costs low.'

'From a safety aspect, the system has huge advantages, levitation occurs purely through movement.

'Therefore if any type of power failure occurs, HyperloopTM pods would continue to levitate and only after reaching minimal speeds touch the ground.'

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) is a crowdsourced project led by German entrepreneur Dirk Ahlborn.

The firm has around 100 engineers on the projects, and nearly all of them have day jobs at companies like Boeing, Nasa, Yahoo, Airbus, SpaceX, and Salesforce.

It filed permits with the local Kings County authorities in January to build a test track in the California town of Quay Valley.

If it is granted permission to begin construction, HTT says it will open the facility to passengers by 2018.

Its rival, Hyperloop Technologies is currently building its Hyperloop test facility at the Apex Industrial Park in the City of North Las Vegas, Nevada.

The test track will only run for five miles (8km) around central California, and it won't be fast as the 760mph that Musk had originally envisioned.

The magnets are placed in rectangular array, known as a Halbach array. The pattern would align the magnetic force outwards, instead than in towards the capsule, allowing the pods to hang in mid-air. Without any friction, and with Hyperloop's near-vacuum environment, the pods could travel at 760mph (1,225km/h)

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) is building a test track in Quay Valley, California. Pictured is what the inside of the Hyperloop could look like

However, the company hopes that it will provide a testing ground for the radical concept which could someday be rolled out to cities around the world.

The Hyperloop will be built scratch on 7,500 acres of land around Interstate 5, between San Francisco and Los Angeles

Musk has previously described Hyperloop is a 'cross between a Concorde, a rail gun and air hockey table'.

He came up with the idea in 2013 but claims he doesn't want to develop the technology himself.

Instead, he has made the Hyperloop open source and invited people to 'find ways to improve it' - although last year he did say he would build his own test track in Texas.

Capsules carrying six to eight people would depart every 30 seconds, with tickets costing around $20 (£13) each way.

Musk has previously described Hyperloop is a 'cross between a Concorde, a rail gun and air hockey table'. He came up with the idea in 2013 but claims he doesn't want to develop the technology himself. Pictured are the regions HTT wants to connect to Hyperloop

'Utilising a passive levitation system will eliminate the need for power stations along the Hyperloop track,' said Bibop Gresta, COO of HTT. '[This] makes this system the most suitable for the application and will keep construction costs low'

Capsules carrying six to eight people would depart every 30 seconds, with tickets costing around $20 (£13) each way. Pictured on the left is an early prototype. On the left is Elon Musk who came up with the concept