The technology is currently still in the testing phase, and its success depends not least on the quality of the vacuum technology. This is because only in a vacuum tunnel is air resistance low enough to enable energy-saving gliding at speeds of up to 1,000 km/h through a tube to become a reality. According to its own announcement, vacuum technology manufacturer Leybold is also involved in the project.
Leybold and Eurotube have been cooperating for years
The cooperation between Leybold and the non-profit foundation has proven successful and has grown over the years. Eurotube was founded in 2019 by a group of former students from ETH Zurich and EPF Lausanne who successfully participated in the Space X Hyperloop Competitions. It has since developed into a research center with 15 employees, an office, and a laboratory in Dübendorf near Zurich.
Leybold supports the Hyperloop project with its products and application knowledge. "We are convinced that our commitment will make the Hyperloop project a success," says physicist Dr. Tom Kammermeier, who has been involved in the project at Leybold since 2017.
The two partners first met in August 2017 at the Space X Hyperloop Pod Contest in Hawthorne, California, on the Space X premises. There, the ETH Zurich students prevailed against thousands of teams in the competition with their Swissloop concept. The Swissloop student initiative has certainly accelerated the development of the Hyperloop. "That's why we immediately offered Leybold's support," reports Kammermeier. "Five colleagues traveled from Cologne to Zurich to visit two students and learn about their ideas," he adds. These were so well-founded that other specialists from Leybold have since joined the project: In addition to Dr. Tom Kammermeier, Sebastian Rosensträter has been supporting the Eurotube team in a management role for four years.
Vacuum pump stand consisting of Ruvac WH4400 and Dryvac DV650
Among other things, Leybold has regularly performed calculations and simulations for Eurotube because the framework conditions have developed dynamically. The designs therefore had to be repeatedly adjusted and recalculated. With positive results, because in July 2024, Eurotube celebrated the kick-off of the first construction phase of the Hyperloop test facility "Demotube" in the Zurich Innovation Park. Eurotube currently has a vacuum pump stand from Leybold running on this demonstrator, consisting of Ruvac WH4400 series Roots pumps and Dryvac DV650 dry-compressing screw vacuum pumps. "These are typically volumetric pumps that reach up to the fine vacuum range," Kammermeier explains. The pump stand container also has space for an additional system so that the pumping capacity can be increased as needed during test operation once the project is complete.
How long and how often evacuation is required, and on which section of the route, are the crucial questions. "And that is the input that Leybold was able to provide. There are two important variables," explains Kammermeier: the pumping time and the leak rate. The pumping time determines how quickly a Hyperloop can be put back into operation after the tube has been ventilated, and the leak rate determines how many pumps of what size need to be running in order to maintain the operating pressure. Various pressure gradients can influence the positioning and distribution of the suction capacity along the route. "However, this only really becomes relevant for large dimensions that have not yet been realized today," reveals Kammermeier.
Maintaining energy-efficient vacuum pressure in the tubes
Leybold can rely on its vacuum technology to achieve the target values. The two big players, Virgin Hyperloop One, owned by investor Richard Branson, and Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT), have already ordered pump systems consisting of up to eight Dryvac and eight WH Roots pumps from Leybold. In addition, the HTT system has been designed in a container so that the vacuum technology can then be offered on a mobile basis. The HTT unit fits into a standard shipping container. The system is designed to achieve and maintain negative pressure in the tubes with minimal energy consumption and maximum uptime. The containers are set up at intervals of 10 km along the route.
The practicality of the transport system has yet to be proven. In addition, a structural change is underway: Virgin Hyperloop One, a major player, has already withdrawn. According to Rosensträter, apart from the Eurotube research institute, almost all of the companies currently active are start-ups that are banking on the growth potential but pursuing different approaches: "Some see the Hyperloop as a replacement for medium-haul flights. This would require new vacuum tube routes to be built from airport to airport. The Hyperloop capsules would cover the distances just as quickly as an airplane – but with significantly reducedCO2 emissions," he explains. The second group sees the Hyperloop more as an alternative to high-speed trains. The reason: all train routes are already at their capacity limit, and due to speed and braking distances, the frequency of high-speed trains is so low that building a new Hyperloop route could be cheaper than expanding the conventional network. According to Sebastian Rosensträter, the existing railways could then be reserved primarily for freight transport.
Whether the Hyperloop will replace or supplement other modes of transport in the future remains to be seen. "The fact is that, not least thanks to the support of Leybold, test tracks have been successfully planned and implemented, making the Hyperloop concept technically suitable for transporting people and goods," Rosensträter concludes. Technically and in terms of vacuum technology, there are currently no insurmountable hurdles. According to Rosensträter, the projects should ideally be implemented through government tenders. In his opinion, it would also be conceivable to implement prestigious projects in the Middle East or for major sporting events such as the Olympic Games.