What competition?

The Cal Poly Hyperloop Team formed in Spring of 2018 and was selected to compete in the 2019 SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition. In this global competition, 22 teams are selected to take their fully constructed Hyperloop pods to SpaceX Headquarters in Hawthorne, California and compete for top speed.

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Our Pod

Propulsion
The pod is propelled with a direct drive system of drive wheels connected to brushless DC outrunner motors. The motors are tensioned into the I-beam centered in the Hyperloop tube with a pneumatic active tensioner.

Power
Power is supplied to the propulsion system by three independent Li-Fe battery packs. All non-propulsion power requirements will run off a 12V battery.

Braking
Our frictional braking system activates through a simple mechanism and is precisely controlled with a pneumatic pressure system. This system is designed to be an absolute failsafe, as the pod is quickly stopped in the event of any disruption in normal pod operation. 

Chassis
In order to keep manufacturing and maintenance as simple as possible, every component is bolt-on. The unibody chassis not only provides a uniform mounting surface for the required pod components, but allows cargo and people to be easily incorporated into a scaled hyperloop pod.

Transportation
Roll motion is minimized by four support wheels flanking the chassis. Pitch is maintained by a series of casters that sandwich the rail. Yaw motion is minimized by the active tensioner and can be manipulated to account for curves in the track.

Controls
The control system monitors an array of sensor values to ensure dependable system operation. The propulsion system and pneumatics are always managed by the control system during pod operation. A Raspberry Pi manages decision making with peripheral MCUs.