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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. Change Inc. went by to see what they are working on.

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 Cem Celikbas. "We don't build the switch link on the track, but in the capsule itself. That requires less material such as copper, making the solution cheaper."

In addition to the technical solution, the team is also focusing on the social acceptance of the hyperloop. Teammate Noor Rinkes: "We want to make people familiar with the concept. Soon the technology will be ready, but the social acceptance will not be there. We want to prevent that. We had a pop-up store at Rotterdam Central Station, where we explained a lot to train passengers. We are also working on a website."

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 Amsterdam and work in Paris. Or go for a coffee in Munich. When it comes to travel, I mostly hear that we need to cut down. Less flying, less driving. If we come up with a smarter and more sustainable alternative, we don't have to. We should not necessarily travel less, but rather travel smarter. The hyperloop can play a big role in that."

In mid-July, the team will participate in the European Hyperloop Week in Zurich. There it will compete with forty other student teams. "It's a competition, but it's also meant to learn from each other. Everything is open source, so we can see how other teams have solved certain problems. Very instructive," Rinkes said.

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 Xiaodong Scherpbier. "Those efforts were crowned with a world record last year. That seemed like a good time for us to try something different. We want to take the hydrogen car onto public roads."

To do that, the car has to meet a lot of requirements. "A total of 1,301," clarifies teammate Sten de Roon. "Think about space wipers, the height of the lights, heating so the windshield doesn't kick in, you name it. There's a lot involved. In terms of engineering, that creates additional challenges. It gets harder, but also more fun."

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 North Sea with a foiling hydrogen boat

Team Hydro Motion also sees potential in hydrogen, but for shipping. It is building a hydrogen boat with which it will sail from the Netherlands to England. "In inland shipping, hydrogen is gaining momentum," observes team member Floor Verhoeven. "But for hydrogen to have a serious future, the infrastructure has to be in place. In the Netherlands, it is now possible to refuel hydrogen on the water. In Rotterdam it is already possible and Amsterdam will soon follow. In July we will sail to England. We contacted the port there and shared our plan. Our contact informed us that there are no refueling possibilities or rules for hydrogen in the port yet. That is exactly why we are going to make the crossing. We want to show that it can be done and at the same time put the limited infrastructure on the agenda. After all, the latter really needs to improve."

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 Daan Posthumus. "This allows you to sail faster while using less fuel. Especially on the open sea, with lots of currents and waves, it can make a big difference." He says the technology can also be applied to existing boats. "Think of speedboats and ferries. We are in talks with Loodswezen, a party that has several vessels. They want to make their fleet more sustainable and are looking with interest at the solutions we are working on. That's very cool, because that's ultimately what we're doing it for."

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