TransPod

TransPod Inc. is a Canadian-French company designing ultra-high-speed transportation technology and vehicles.[1]

TransPod
TypePrivate
IndustryHigh-speed rail
Clean technology
Founded2015
Founders
Headquarters
Toronto, Ontario
,
Canada
Website

TransPod vehicles are being designed to travel at over 1,000 km/h (620 mph) between cities, using fully electric propulsion to carry passengers and cargo.[2][3] The proposed system would create a faster and carbon-free alternative to jets and automobiles.[4] The TransPod pods are designed to travel through a tube guideway which is similar to a hyperloop system, with variations based on magnetic levitation rather than air bearings to promote vehicle stability.[3]

In November 2016, TransPod raised a $15 million USD seed round from Angelo Investments, an Italian high-tech holding group specializing in advanced technologies for the railway, space, and aviation industries.[5] It has since expanded from Toronto, Canada, to open offices in Toulouse, France, and Bari, Italy.[6][7]

In September 2017, TransPod's inventor Ryan Janzen revealed part of the technology in a paper published in the journal Procedia Engineering.[8] The paper was presented at the EASD EURODYN 2017 conference,[9] and introduces basic design elements of the TransPod system.[3]

Technology

The TransPod tube system is being developed to carry vehicles at speeds greater than 1000 km/h. Announced in 2016,[2] the TransPod system contains aerodynamic and propulsion systems to reduce friction compared to trains, automobiles and jets, and to carry passengers at a faster speed.[3] TransPod's technology is designed to be compatible with renewable energies including solar generation, supplemented by regional electrical grid connection link-ups. TransPod states the purpose of this is for reduced carbon emissions.[10]

To achieve fossil-fuel-free propulsion, TransPod pods take advantage of electrically driven linear induction motor technology, with active real-time control [3] and sense-space systems.[11]

The TransPod tube system is distinct from the hyperloop concept proposed by Elon Musk's Hyperloop Alpha white paper.[lower-alpha 1] Unlike hyperloop, the TransPod system uses moving electromagnetic fields to propel the vehicles with stable levitation off the bottom surface, rather than compressed air.[3]

Passenger vehicles include seating, while cargo vehicles have a loadable interior. Each vehicle includes an aircraft-like fuselage[2]  pressurized for atmospheric air circulation and control – and includes propulsion, guidance and control systems to operate at speeds exceeding 1000 km/h within a protected tube guideway.[4] The tubes are twinned to permit bidirectional vehicle travel.[3]

The cargo transport TransPod pods are designed to carry payloads of 10–15 tons and have compatibility with wooden pallets, as well as various unit load devices such as LD3 containers, and AAA containers.[12]

The vehicle's front has an axial compressor to reduce air resistance when moving through the tube.[3] Even in low air pressure, a small amount of air exists in the tube which would otherwise cause drag forces at high speed.[4] This compressor diverts airflow at high speed through ducts in the vehicle out through exhaust nozzles in the back thus reducing the effect of drag on the pod.[3]

At high speed, the vehicle's dynamic forces are controlled by an internal guidance system. Deviations of the vehicle's trajectory are sensed and tracked by a combination of inertial sensors and optical sensors.[3] TransPod's systems use sense-space processing[11] and real-time computer vision algorithms.[13]

At the InnoTrans Rail Show 2016 in Berlin, TransPod premiered their vehicle concept, alongside implementation of Coelux technology – an artificial skylight to emulate natural sunlight within the passenger pods.[14][15]

Test track in France

In January 2017 TransPod announced plans for a test track to be constructed in the village of Droux near Limoges[16] in collaboration with the French department of Haute-Vienne. The proposed test track would exceed 3 km in length, and operate as a half-scale system 2m in diameter.[17][18][19] In February 2018, Vincent Leonie, vice president of Limoges Métropole and a deputy mayor of Limoges,[20] announced that agreements for the "Hyperloop Limoges" organization have been signed to promote and accelerate the technology.[17]

Organisation

Funding & Partnerships

In November 2016, TransPod secured $15 million USD in seed funding from Angelo Investments.[5] As part of the partnership, Angelo Investment's member companies SITAEL, MERMEC, and Blackshape Aircraft will become key industrial partners with TransPod, collaborating with the development and testing of the TransPod tube system.[21][22]

TransPod's Toronto office is located at the MaRS Centre,[23] home of MaRS Discovery District.

TransPod's Italian office in Bari, Italy is home to commercial and industrial partners from Angelo Investments. TransPod is working there with SITAEL, Blackshape and MERMEC for testing and development.[22]

TransPod's French office is located in Toulouse, a hub for the European aerospace industry. TransPod is additionally partnered with IKOS,[24] an engineering firm, and REC Architecture which are also both centered in the Toulouse area.[23][7]

In June 2017, TransPod announced a partnership with Liebherr-Aerospace to support the research, development, and production of new cabin and vehicle thermal systems.[25]

Governance

Sebastien Gendron is the CEO and co-founder of TransPod.

Ryan Janzen is the CTO and co-founder of TransPod. Janzen is also a composer of orchestral music, and was the first composer to create music for the hydraulophone.[26]

Planned Transportation Routes

TransPod has plans to develop routes worldwide, and is designing line configurations between international cities. For example in Canada, TransPod lines are being designed for Toronto-Montreal,[27][28] Toronto-Windsor,[29] and Toronto-Waterloo corridors in Ontario and Quebec, as well as the Calgary-Edmonton corridor in Alberta, Canada.[30] TransPod is preparing to build a test track for the pod vehicles in Canada.[31] This track will be extendable as part of a full route pending a combination of private and public funding to construct the line.[30]

In June 2017, the first designs were unveiled for a TransPod station,[32] based in a future transportation hub in Downtown Toronto at the Port Lands district. In June 2017, the governments of Toronto, Ontario and Canada announced a joint funding plan of $1.185 billion to revitalize this area with new developments and infrastructure.[33] TransPod's station design is being developed in partnership with REC Architecture.[32]

Toronto-Windsor Corridor

In July 2017, TransPod released an initial cost study[34] which outlines the viability of building a hyperloop line in Southwestern Ontario between the cities of Windsor and Toronto.[35] The Government of Ontario announced an environmental assessment for a high-speed-rail line along this route in May 2017 for the same corridor.[36] The study indicates a TransPod tube system would cost half the projected cost of a high-speed rail line along the same route, while operating at more than four times the top speed of high speed rail.[34]

Notes
  1. Elon Musk's Hyperloop Alpha white paper

References
  1. "About TransPod". TransPod. TransPod Inc. Archived from the original on 5 October 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  2. Janzen, Ryan. "The TransPod System, InnoTrans 2016 Presentation, Berlin". Missing or empty |url= (help)
  3. Janzen, Ryan (2017). "TransPod Ultra-High-Speed Tube Transportation: Dynamics of Vehicles and Infrastructure" (PDF). Procedia Engineering. 199: 8–17. doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2017.09.142. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  4. Janzen, Ryan. "The future of transportation". YouTube. TEDx Toronto. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  5. "TransPod Raises $15 Million Seed Round to Commercialize Hyperloop Travel". TechVibes. November 23, 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  6. "TransPod Accelerates Growth Opening Three Global Offices". Blackshape Aircraft. March 15, 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  7. Brown, Mike (March 15, 2017). "TransPod Wants to Develop a Hyperloop for Canada by 2020". Inverse. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  8. Janzen, Ryan (2017). "TransPod Ultra-High-Speed Tube Transportation: Dynamics of Vehicles and Infrastructure". Procedia Engineering. 199: 8–17. doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2017.09.142.
  9. "Keynote Lectures - Eurodyn". Eurodyn 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  10. "TransPod Releases Initial Cost Study for Hyperloop System in Europe". MERMEC. MERMEC. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  11. Janzen, R; Mann, S (2016). "The Physical-Fourier-Amplitude Domain, and Application to Sensing Sensors". Proc. IEEE International Symposium on Multimedia.
  12. "PARIS AIR FORUM – Intervention de Sebastien Gendron – TransPod Hyperloop". YouTube. TVLaTribune. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  13. "TransPod Research". TransPod Research. TransPod. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  14. "This Canadian Hyperloop Concept Features a Faux Sunroof". WIRED. 2016-10-04. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  15. Wood, Eric. "Toronto startup's hyperloop technology makes a splash at Berlin trade show". itbusiness.ca. itbusiness.ca.
  16. "Une piste pour l'Hyperloop à l'étude au nord de la Haute-Vienne". Le Populaire. January 25, 2017. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  17. Chapperon, Olivier (February 20, 2018). "Première esquisse pour la piste d'essai de l'hyperloop en Haute-Vienne". Le Populaire. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  18. "Limoges-Paris en 40 minutes". 20 Heures. January 25, 2018.
  19. Gradt, Jean Michel (February 27, 2018). "Train supersonique : HyperloopTT prend de l'avance En savoir plus sur". Les Echos. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  20. "Les élus". Limoges Metropole. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  21. "MERMEC joins Transpod Inc. in hyperloop system development". MERMEC. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  22. "Sitael joins TransPod Inc. in hyperloop system development". SITAEL. 2016-11-23. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  23. "TransPod Accelerates Global Growth with Opening of Three Offices in North America and Europe". Mass Transit. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  24. "TransPod partners with IKOS on design of hyperloop pod". Canadian Green Tech.
  25. Lewis, Rob. "TransPod Partners with Liebherr-Aerospace to Develop Technology for Hyperloop". Techvibes. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  26. "Orchestral Compositions, Film Music, Performance Art, and Live Productions". Ryan Janzen.
  27. "Rapid Transit". CBC. CBC. Sep 18, 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  28. "Toronto-Montreal Hyperloop plan could see travel time cut to 39 minutes View description Share". The Morning Show. Sep 18, 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  29. Aboelsaud, Yasmin (Jul 26, 2017). "Toronto tech company proposes Toronto-Windsor hyperloop connection". Daily Hive. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  30. "Calgary to Edmonton in 30 minutes? Hyperloop could be the future of transportation in Alberta". CBC. CBC. April 7, 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  31. Thomas, Brodie. "Hyperloop startup TransPod scouting Alberta for test track options". Metro News. Metro News. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  32. "HYPERLOOP TRANSPOD". REC Architecture. REC Architecture. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  33. "Governments of Canada, Ontario and Toronto announce funding to protect and transform Toronto's Port Lands". Prime Minister of Canada. June 28, 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  34. "INITIAL ORDER OF MAGNITUDE ANALYSIS FOR TRANSPOD HYPERLOOP SYSTEM INFRASTRUCTURE" (PDF). TransPod. TransPod. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  35. Kowlton, Thomas (July 13, 2017). "Hype for Hyperloop in Canada: Half the Cost, Quadruple the Speed of Proposed High-Speed Rail Plan". Techvibes. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  36. Benzie, Robert (May 19, 2017). "Kathleen Wynne is all aboard $21B high-speed-rail Toronto-Windsor project". Toronto Star. Toronto Star. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
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