Students from the University of Valencia introduce Auran, their first levitating vehicle.
A team of students from the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) have been working since 2016 with the aim of designing a functional prototype of the Hyperloop to make the transport of the future a reality.
This year they unveiled their new revolutionary prototype, Auran. They will compete in the new edition of the European Hyperloop Week (EHW) in July 2022.
The Auran is the first vehicle in the history of the team and the EHW to be able to levitate effectively. The way the prototype levitates is completely different and revolutionary compared to what they have done until now. It is an innovative levitation system, which eliminates one of the most frequent problems in this type of system, the high current consumption.
In this way, by eliminating friction on the surface, Auran is lighter and faster than the UPV team's previous prototypes.
The vehicle is also equipped with a linear induction motor, which makes it possible to accelerate and brake with the motor itself, without touching the rail. In addition, it seems that Auran is the safest prototype in the history of Hyperloop UPV.
The team itself emphasises that the most disruptive part of the project is its scalability. They have created an innovative interior design as well as a key infrastructure to develop this technology: A 20-metre-long, 10-tonne pipe, through which Auran will run in the EHW The highlight of the interior is its design which provides privacy and intimacy for passengers.
From 18 to 24 July, the UPV team will compete with Auran in the European Hyperloop Week at Delft University (Netherlands). Hyperloop UPV will be one of the two Spanish teams participating in the competition, where they will arrive with a clear objective: to win.
It is an ambitious challenge, with many parallel issues: coordinating an engine with levitation, with new infrastructure and including interior design for the first time.
References:
El Correo. 2022. Estudiantes de la Universidad de Valencia presentan su primer vehículo capaz de levitar. [online] Available at: <https://www.elcorreo.com/motor/reportajes/estudiantes-universidad-valencia-presentan-primer-vehiculo-capaz-levitar-20220623013000-ntrc.html> [Accessed 7 July 2022].
Noticias de la Ciencia y la Tecnología (Amazings® / NCYT®). 2022. Auran, el primer vehículo de Hyperloop UPV capaz de levitar. [online] Available at: <https://noticiasdelaciencia.com/art/44503/auran-el-primer-vehiculo-de-hyperloop-upv-capaz-de-levitar> [Accessed 7 July 2022].