Managing Hyperloop Traffic and Safety

Overview

In this Research Paper, We are proposing methods by which, Next Generation Hyperloops like Virgin Hyperloop One can effectively manage Traffic and maintain their Safety Standards.

Goals

1. Infrastructure: First, we are proposing an efficient infrastructure, for Hyperloop Tracks, that covers as many areas in Urban Cities, as possible, efficiently. We are proposing this plan, Because, Big Cities are where this Hyperloop will be first built.
2. Safety and Traffic Management: This is the most important topic, this Research Paper deals with. We will discuss, how safely we can transport pods, with traffic managed efficiently. This process is decentralized so that if there is one crash at the central system, everything should not fall apart.

Infrastructure

The tracks I propose here are designed as a hub and spoke model, which is all two-wayed. We can build, Hyperloop stations as much as we want, anywhere on the Hyperloop track proposed. There are junctions with 4 roads and 3 roads, which will be built just like Road Traffic Flyovers.

Safety and Traffic Management

Slots

We are proposing a model, in which, Hyperloop Pods will move only in slots. These slots are places in the Hyperloop, which are stationary and do not move. The slots are evenly placed, with a distance of few miles, between them. The slots are the special places, arrival on which, Hyperloop pods will perform operations, which will be discussed further. If the Hyperloop Pods travel in this Hyperloop, the time taken by a Hyperloop Pod to travel from One Slot to the next Slot is only a few seconds. These slots are just special places inside the Hyperloop and do not need any Costly Infrastructure. Slots are not exactly the size of a Hyperloop Pod. It is an area covering a little comfortable distance.

Communication Infrastructure

These slots are places, which have sensors, that sense whether a Hyperloop Pod has arrived in that slot or not. There will be a communication Infrastructure, which will be used by one Hyperloop Slot to communicate to other Slots. This Infrastructure can be packaged with the already planned Hyperloop Tracks.

Speed of Hyperloop

The Speed of Hyperloop Pods, in a particular track, will not change. That is to cover all important places in New York, with the Hub and spoke model, Hyperloop pods will go with less speed. The speed is less, only compared to other Hyperloop Tracks, connecting two different cities, outside this Hub. If you are connecting two big cities, Speed will be maximum and the speed does not change on that track too.

Safety of Tracks

The important idea, proposed in this Paper is the Safety of Hyperloop Pods, while they travel within the Hyperloop. To check the Safety of the track, Hyperloop Pods, on arrival at every Hyperloop Slot, sends a signal to the next Hyperloop Slot and receives it back, through the track communication Infrastructure. The Hyperloop Pods traveling in this Infrastructure will know the condition of the track if Hyperloop Pods receive back the signal without being tampered with by the intermediate track. This includes all other discrepancies, whatsoever is there in between Two Hyperloop Pods. It eliminates the possibility of accidents, no matter what.

Hyperloop Pods, positioned at Hyperloop Slots

It is not necessary to send Hyperloop Pods at every consecutive available Hyperloop slot. There can be any number of empty Hyperloop Slots between, before, or after every Hyperloop Pod. The only factor is that one Hyperloop Pod can come only in one available Hyperloop Slot. Hyperloop Pod is sent according to the arrival of passengers, not bothered by consecutive availability or any other factor.

Test Signal

The test signal is sent by every Hyperloop Pod when it reaches some Hyperloop Slot. The Test signal is not sent by Hyperloop Slots. Hyperloop Slots are the places, Hyperloop Pods reach when they travel. These are the places, where Hyperloop Pods send signals. It is also not necessary that Test Signal is sent only between two Consecutive Hyperloop Pods, located in two consecutive Hyperloop Slots. There can be any number of empty Hyperloop slots, in between two available Hyperloop Pods. Test Signal is always sent between two Hyperloop Pods, situated at two Hyperloop Slots, with no Hyperloop Pods in between.

Test Signal Received without being Tampered

In Figure 3, We can see the Test Signal, being sent by Hyperloop Pods, to the next available Hyperloop Slots. It is returned by the received Hyperloop Pods in Hyperloop Slots, back to their Source. The signal has not been tampered with, damaged, or failed to be received back to the Source Hyperloop Pods. This happens when there is no fault whatsoever in the route, between the Two Communicating Hyperloop Pods.

Pass Status

As in Figure 5, The Test Signal sent by the Hyperloop Pod to its nearest available Hyperloop Pod( No matter if there are empty Hyperloop Slots in between ) is received back. If the received Signal is not tampered with or damaged in any manner, The Source Hyperloop Pod, which sent the originating Test Signal changes its status to Pass Status.

Test Signal Received being Tampered

As shown in figure 4, We can see the Test Signal, being sent by Hyperloop Pods, to the next available Hyperloop Slots. It is returned by the received Hyperloop Pods in Hyperloop Slots, back to their Source. The signal has been tampered with, damaged, or failed to be received back to the Source Hyperloop Pods. This happens when there is some fault whatsoever in the route, between the Two Communicating Hyperloop Pods.

Halt Status

As in Figure 5, The Test Signal sent by the Hyperloop Pod to its nearest available Hyperloop Pod( No matter if there are empty Hyperloop Slots in between ) is received back. If the received signal is tampered with, damaged in any manner, or not all received back, The Source Hyperloop Pod, which sent the originating Test Signal changes its status to Halt Status.

Movement according to the Status

If the status of a Particular Hyperloop Slot becomes Halt Status, No Hyperloop Pods will be allowed to pass across the Halt Status Hyperloop Slot. To Confirm the Halt Status of a Hyperloop Slot, The Test Signal is once again sent and received, confirming Halt Status again clearly. If the status of a Particular Hyperloop Slot becomes Pass Status, That Particular Hyperloop Pod in that Particular Hyperloop Slot can move to the next consecutive Hyperloop Slot. Then again send a Test Signal to the next Hyperloop Slot.

Checking the condition of Hyperloop Track, every few seconds

The status of the Hyperloop Track is checked continuously every few seconds. These few seconds are the time required for a Hyperloop Pod to move to the next consecutive Hyperloop Slot. Literally, the Entire Track of the Hyperloop is checked for any defects, every few seconds, making Hyperloop completely robust and safe.

Shortest Possible Path

It is advisable to always take the shortest possible path between two Hyperloop Stations. Traffic congestion is not an issue for Hyperloop, because, the time wasted at 4 Road Junction or 3 Road Junction, is negligible compared to the time, the alternative Path takes, if routed differently. The Full Track from the Source to Destination Route is fed to each and every Hyperloop Pod when it starts its journey. No deviation from the Shortest Possible Path happens, as long as there is no Emergency Situation.

Emergency Exit

Now, we will get into an emergency situation where a part of the Hyperloop Track is damaged, tampered with, or somehow lost connectivity. In that case, We can provide Emergency Exit, by connecting the To and From Hyperloop Track, i.e., Forward Track and Backward Track, which will always run parallelly, as shown in Figure 6. This connection will be at Certain places to divert the Hyperloop Pods, back to the Source or to neighboring Hyperloop Stations. From there, We can again start the Journey to Destination Hyperloop Station, through a different Track, leaving out the Damaged Portion of the Hyperloop Track. Remember to take always the Shortest Possible Path, Wherever you Begin.

Hyperloop Pods at Junctions

Hyperloop Pods converge on Junctions and disperse out of Junctions. I.e., When Hyperloop Pods comes near Junctions, the Hyperloop Pods jump Hyperloop Slots and get as near as possible to the junction. Remember all Hyperloop Pods go at the same speed. The Hyperloop Pods coming before, on reaching the Junction waits for its turn. At that Junction, Hyperloop Pods behind it jump slots ahead, while the previous Hyperloop Pod waits or moves slowly. This increases the efficiency of the Hyperloop Routes, utilizing the Hyperloop Routes as close as possible. As illustrated in Figure 7.

Round Robin Scheduling at the Junctions

The most effective Scheduling that can be done at 3 or 4 Road Junction is Round Robin. If required, other Scheduling can be done at junctions, which may help, if there is an important event running near a Particular Station. Maximum traffic is routed through Junctions to that particular Hyperloop Station. This is a decentralized Traffic Management System, which runs efficiently without a central Coordinator.

Distress Signal

Whenever a Halt Status comes in a Hyperloop Slot, All the remaining backward Hyperloop route, till there is a Junction, is closed. That means in the Figure 8, if there is Track Tampering on Route C Portion, the whole Portion, which is zoomed, remains closed. That means, this path is closed, Hyperloop Pods can not enter this whole Portion. Hyperloop Pods outside this Whole Portion has to take some other route, ignoring this whole Portion. The Hyperloop Slot which has Halt Status, sends the Hyperloop Pods behind it a Distress Signal, till a Junction, which has an alternate route.

Hyperloop Pods caught inside the whole distressed Portion

The Hyperloop Pods caught in the portion either reaches the nearby stations directly or by taking a Emergency Exit, do a U-Turn and reach the nearby station. Suppose, Portion C is tampered, Distress Signal is sent to B and A Portion. In that scenario, Hyperloop Pods in portion A reaches Hyperloop Station 1. Hyperloop Pods in Portion B reaches Hyperloop Station 1 or Hyperloop Station 2. Hyperloop Pods caught in the Portion C takes Emergency Exit, takes a U — Turn and returns back to the nearby station. If the Emergency Exit is in a distant place, we can do a Back Track, if Technology permits and its economy is not affected. Otherwise, we can do a Manual Pull Back, till the Emergency U-Turn Spot.

Two way Hyperloop Track

All Hyperloop tracks are two way, So the damage done on one Side, should not stop the other Hyperloop Pods, operating in on other Side.

Conclusion

Thus a innovative method to operate Next Generation Transport System can be developed. This is a classic literary Paper on Hyperloops. Happy Journey.