Numerical study of unsteady compressible flow induced by multiple pods operating in the Hyperloop system

Abstract

This study investigated the variations in aerodynamic drag and the pressure wave effects caused by more than two pods operating in a Hyperloop tube. Three speeds, i.e., 100, 200, and 300 m/s, and two distances between two separate pods, i.e., 43 and 86 m, were simulated using SST k-ω turbulence model. The results indicate that drag of single- and multi-pod systems have similar tendencies that increase with increasing pod speed. For pod speed exceeding the critical Mach number, irrespective of the connectedness or separation of the pods, the last pod always experiences the highest drag. Otherwise, at lower speeds, the differences between the drag acting on each of the pods is negligible. The distance between two pods has a minor influence of less than 4% on the drag. The effects of two different pod shapes, i.e. rectangular and semicircular, on the drag of three connected pods are also small. The average drag per pod was calculated, and it was observed that when more pods were operated, the average drag reduced significantly. The operation of the connected-pod system creates a slightly lower drag than that of a separate-pod system. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd