Researchers from the University of Houston and Germany have developed a concept that uses superconductors to revolutionize both transportation and energy transmission while cutting costs. By embedding superconductors in existing highway infrastructure, vehicles with magnetized undercarriages, including personal vehicles, cargo trucks and trains, can travel at high speeds of up to 400 mph.
The superconductor guideway is cooled by liquified hydrogen, which also provides a way to store and transport the clean energy source. The liquified hydrogen reduces the need for a separate specialized pipeline system capable of cooling the fuel to minus 424 Fahrenheit. The superconductor guideway allows for energy storage and transmission without any power loss, reducing waste.
The researchers have built a model to demonstrate the key technical aspect of the concept, which involves levitating a magnet above a superconductor guideway cooled by liquified nitrogen. Future models will use hydrogen. While the concept is not economically feasible yet, combining transit and energy systems and using existing roadways would reduce costs compared to any individual system. The upfront costs of this combined system would be outweighed by its potential long-term economic and environmental benefits.
The concept offers a “super system” that could replace air travel and traditional freight transport. Personal and commercial vehicles could travel at high speeds, reducing both the cost and environmental footprint. The proof-of-concept paper does not include an economic analysis, and technical details remain to be resolved. Nonetheless, the researchers believe that this “world-changing technology” has the potential to change the world.
Source: University of Houston