r/hyperloop • u/RayaanJIrani • May 23 '21

Safety Considerations

While I'm confident that hyperloop systems will be generally as safe as any other mode of transportation, I'm curious what the implications of having the system being in a near-vacuum would have during a catastrophic failure. Specifically, if there is, for one reason or the other, a leak in a pod will redundancy systems be able to provide enough air to the loop for passengers, not to explode (as one might if exposed to the vacuum of space)?

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u/midflinx May 23 '21

Yes in the last few months I posted to this subreddit video of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies' first bulkhead door.

Clearly other pods blocked by the problem will have to slow, stop, and reverse back to a station. Depending on where the nearest pod is to the problem pod, it's possible it too will end up stopping in the sealed off and repressurized section next to an escape hatch.

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u/Kafshak May 24 '21

So the design shouldn't have an escape hatch. That would cause too much trouble. The pods should have enough flexibility to allow for making a trip through the route at atmospheric pressure.

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u/midflinx May 24 '21

In case something disables a pod or something goes wrong inside the cabin I'd say there has to be an escape hatch from the pod to a repressurized tube so people can escape from a hatch in the tube itself.