Copyright © ChangeInc 2023
The world's most efficient hydrogen car, a boat that floats on water and the hyperloop: according to students at TU Delft, they are the means of transportation of the future. They are working hard on these innovations to make the mobility sector more sustainable.
Team Hyperloop. | Credit: TU Delft
The engineering students unite in Dream Teams and put their studies on hiatus for one year to work on an invention.
Making a job change with the hyperloop
A team of students is working on the hyperloop for the eighth time this year. The system consists of vacuum tubes in which floating capsules move thanks to electromagnets. Because there is no air pressure, this can be done at lightning speed: at more than 1,000 kilometers per hour. Some see it as the solution for long-distance transportation.
Although a worldwide hyperloop network is still a long way off, the students are already preparing for it. The team is developing a method to make track changes possible in the future. "If it succeeds, it will be a first. We would be the first to pull it off," said team captain
In addition to the technical solution, the team is also focusing on the social acceptance of the hyperloop. Teammate
When technology and society are ready for it, Celikbas says the potential is enormous. "Then we will be able to travel incredibly fast. In fact, there are no more borders. You can live in
In mid-July, the team will participate in the European Hyperloop Week in
Taking the most efficient hydrogen car onto the public road
Every year 25 students tinker with a hydrogen car that drives as efficiently as possible. Last year, the car covered 2,488.5 kilometers with just 950 grams of hydrogen gas, smashing the world record. This year, the team does not want to drive laps on a racetrack, but on public roads.
"For a long time, the focus was on efficiency," said team manager of Eco-Runner
To do that, the car has to meet a lot of requirements. "A total of 1,301," clarifies teammate
The team still wants to drive as efficiently as possible on hydrogen. Although that is very different on public roads than on a circuit. De Roon: "We will soon have to deal with traffic lights, traffic circles and regenerative braking. That makes us extra valuable with the energy."
Which route the Eco-Runner XIV will soon drive is already known: ten times the Elfstedentocht, a distance of 2,056 kilometers. A conscious choice, says Scherpbier: "It is a concrete example of climate change. The Elfstedentocht hasn't been skated for years. That's why we want to drive it now with a clean car. We are combining a new technique with an old tradition."
Crossing the
Team Hydro Motion also sees potential in hydrogen, but for shipping. It is building a hydrogen boat with which it will sail from
In addition to hydrogen, the boat also uses the so-called foiling technique. This means that three pillars are placed under the boat. When speed is gained, the front of the boat detaches from the water. "As a result, it has less resistance," explains
© The Content Exchange, source