Hyperloop technology validation and spillover applications in e-mobility.
In 2022 Zeleros started the construction of a test track to prove the linear motor as Electro Magnetic Hyperloop Launching System in dynamic conditions and in a relevant industrial environment: the port of Sagunto. The track and tests have now been successfully completed. What have been the implications of this project?
Linear motors have been used in diverse applications such as rollercoasters, elevators, or industrial machinery. As linear motors allow to minimize contact and resistance, they are particularly relevant for means of transport that do not have wheels and for which the objective is precision and speed. This is ideal for hyperloop, designed to transport passengers and cargo sustainably with the ability to reach ultra-high speeds (up to 1000 kms/hr) in an automated, safe way.
This technology, applied in the early acceleration and braking phases of the hyperloop, will minimize on-board energy consumption during start-up, which is when the system demands the most energy.
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The Zeleros team successfully completed the construction of the track in the summer of 2023. Since then, tests and validations have been undertaken, proving the optimal kinetics, mechanics, positioning, and energy use of the linear motor as electromagnetic hyperloop launching system, providing key information on the design and integration of this subsystem for next deployments towards hyperloop certification and commercialization.
The integration from design to assembly of this prototype, working along knowledgeable partners such as Acciona or Arcelor Mittal, has also proven Zeleros capabilities to deliver fully electric and automated mobility demonstrators in record time.
Set in Sagunto, the construction of the test track also allowed Zeleros to be in close contact with the port’s logistics requirements. Concentrating on the need to decarbonize and alleviate road congestion, Zeleros developed the SELF technology demonstrator, a solution to move containers within ports sustainably and through a modular and automated design. The SELF solution is currently being analyzed with different ports worldwide.
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This one-of-a-kind test has opened new opportunities for commercial e-mobility applications, further adding to Zeleros’ mission of creating solutions for a more efficient, sustainable, and resilient transport of people and freight.
The project has had the support of the European Commission’s Eureka-Eurostars via the Spanish Ministry of Science (CDTI) and has been possible thanks to the execution and know-how of the Zeleros team and its partners.
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