Re:Elon Musk's Hyperloop is viable, says maker of simulation...
by nether on Wednesday September 18, 2013 @06:49PM
(#6408692)
1. Most of the tubes would need some bowing anyway for curves, since they can't find a perfect straight path from LA to SF
2. Tests show that tubes where L >> D, thermal expansion is linear along the length. If you restrained both ends you'd get the buckling in the interior sections that you describe. That might even be a bigger problem though because it would affect the path geometry and alter the attitude control requirements of the pods. I think the wrinkling in the tube skin would also be more dangerous than just letting it stretch.
My friends and I were wondering aloud if you could put a slight bow in the pipe - so instead of expanding lengthwise, the pipe might raise and lower at certain places. Of course, none of us are engineers in that sense.