Delft Hyperloop & ASC Sensors: building the future of transportation

Delft Hyperloop is a non-profit organization to stimulate future mobility solutions. Whenever a new student team takes over, all previous progress gets transferred on to further push the boundaries of transportation innovation. Each team member dedicates one year of their time and efforts to contribute to innovating the hyperloop and to developing as a professional. This year’s hyperloop mission is “to accelerate full-scale implementation”.

Lane switch enabled by ASC sensor technology

A critical aspect of operationalizing a functional hyperloop system is its ability to switch lanes. ASC Sensors jointly with its strategic partner Althen Sensors & Controls decided to help with this difficult task. The groundbreaking work by Delft Hyperloop to develop sustainable high-speed travel alternatives closely aligns with both companies’ commitment to cutting-edge sensor and control system solutions.

In 2024, Delft Hyperloop aims to be the first team in the world to build a hyperloop system capable of performing a full lane switch. This maneuver, unveiled at the European Hyperloop Week in Zurich, is an extremely complex yet necessary step in creating a fully functional hyperloop.

To that end, the high-performance ASC IMU 8 Inertial Measurement Unit has been sponsored and supplied to Delft Hyperloop, to enable the novel lane switch functionality. The tactical grade performance and excellent long-term stability ensure the reliable, real-time monitoring and controlling of position changes in all 6 degrees of freedom, with highest repeatability. It is based on three gyroscopes featuring high bias stability (<0.1 °/h) and excellent angular random walk (<0.01 °/√h). In addition, the ASC IMU 8 integrates three accelerometers of outstanding in-run bias stability (3 to 45 μg), depending on measurement ranges from +/-2 g to +/-30 g, while Delft Hyperloop uses +/-2 g due to the requirements of the application.

FOG-like performance for advanced navigation

One critical parameter for the hyperloop lane switch to work is to capture and accurately process minimal angular velocities. The ASC IMU 8’s integrated gyroscopes’ extremely narrow measuring range of +/-10 °/s allows for this. However, they are also available with measuring ranges of up to 400 °/s to support a wide range of applications.

The bias stability of below 0,1 °/h of this MEMS vibrating ring gyroscope model matches that of fiber-optic gyroscopes (FOG) and other high-end solutions, which are typically available at significantly higher cost. This compelling bias stability is critical to achieving the level of accuracy required in advanced settings, including pioneering hyperloop applications, but also in microgravity research or other precise navigation challenges like gyro-compassing or Attitude Heading Reference Systems (AHRS) in the aerospace and defense industries.

Helios III navigating complex maneuver

The Delft Hyperloop’s external track guides the high-speed “Helios III” pod through levitation and propulsion. The lane switch design includes straight segments for cruising and braking and curved ones for lane-switching. Great emphasis has been put on reusing components for sustainability and cost efficiency.

A lane switch sounds simple, but is in fact very complex to execute for a hyperloop system. Many factors need to be considered for this to work, for example the balancing of all forces acting on the vehicle. It is critical to carefully determine the exact power of the magnets required to the left or right side of the pod to keep it in the correct position while navigating the switch. Centrifugal forces need to be carefully monitored that depend on the pod’s speed going through the switch.

Performing this maneuver, the pod and track components produce enormous heat. It is critical, therefore, that all components resist high temperatures and that the sensors used remain stable throughout. A prototype has been created to test all these features on a 40m-long test track in Delft. The test track splits halfway through, allowing the Hyperloop pod to either continue straight or take a turn without touching the track.

At ASC Sensors, we are proud to support the visionary work of exceptional students at the Delft University of Technology!

Read more: www.asc-sensors.de/en/sensoren/asc-imu-8-en