Thermodynamics and Heat Transfers in Vacuum Tube Trains (Hyperloop)

Dear Colleagues,

Hyperloop, which presents a maximum velocity of 1,200 km/h in near-vacuum tubes of 0.001 atm, has recently gained considerable interest in the development of future transportation systems. Hyperloop pods move through near-vacuum tubes to significantly reduce air drag, which is one of the major factors affecting the velocity of ground transportation systems.

In contrast to this, the near-vacuum environment, where heat transfer to the outside is only available by conduction and is negligible (i.e., nearly adiabatically closed system), brings a new significant thermal problem to all of the mechanical and electrical systems in the tubes. For example, the heat generation of electromagnetic rails (ERs), which include epoxy-molded propulsion and levitation coils, could result in a system failure mode, i.e., an increase in the resistances and electrical breakdown of coils after their normal operation for a day.

Without doubt, in order to guarantee the stable and efficient operation of a hyperloop system for commercialization, efficient heat-dissipation and vacuum technologies are being considered as key milestones among hyperloop technologies. This Special Issue, therefore, seeks to contribute towards efficient and practical heat transfer as well as vacuum issues in near-vacuum tubes through technical innovation and enhancement. Additionally, we are looking forward to inviting papers on novel concept designs, technical developments, reviews, case studies, and analytical assessments.

At the same time, this Topic is not limited to vacuum tube trains, but covers all of the systems exposed to the vacuum environment, e.g., particle accelerator, satellite, aerospace applications, etc.

Dr. Suyong Choi
Dr. Minki Cho
Dr. Jungyoul Lim
Topic Editors