This paper presents the design process and resulting technical concept for an integrated hyperloop system, aimed at realizing efficient high-speed ground transportation. This study integrates various functions into a coherent and technically feasible solution, with key design decisions that optimize performance and cost-efficiency. An iterative design process with domain-specific experts, regular reviews, and a dataset with a single source of truth were employed to ensure continuous and collective progress. The proposed hyperloop system features a maximum speed of 600 $\frac{\mathrm{km}}{h}$ and a capacity of 21 passengers per pod (vehicle). It employs air docks for efficient boarding, electromagnetic suspension (EMS) combined with electrodynamic suspension (EDS) for high-speed lane switching, and short stator motor technology for propulsion. Cooling is managed through water evaporation at an operating pressure of 10 $\mathrm{m}$$\mathrm{bar}$, while a 300 $\mathrm{k}$$\mathrm{W}$ inductive power supply (IPS) provides onboard power. The design includes a safety system that avoids emergency exits along the track and utilizes separated safety-critical and high-bandwidth communication. With prefabricated concrete parts used for the tube, construction costs can be reduced and scalability improved. A dimensioned cross-sectional drawing, as well as a preliminary pod mass budget and station layout, are provided, highlighting critical technical systems and their interactions. Calculations of energy consumption per passenger kilometer, accounting for all functions, demonstrate a distinct advantage over existing modes of transportation, achieving greater efficiency even at high speeds and with smaller vehicle sizes. This work demonstrates the potential of a well-integrated hyperloop system to significantly enhance transportation efficiency and sustainability, positioning it as a promising extension to existing modes of travel. The findings offer a solid framework for future hyperloop development, encouraging further research, standardization efforts, and public dissemination for continued advancements.

The hyperloop concept envisions a low pressure tube and capsules, called pods, traveling at the speed of commercial aircraft as a sustainable, future-proof mass transportation system between cities. However, in contrast to the use case of such a system, the detailed technical concept is still under development. One challenging difference in comparison to other modes of transportation lies in the technical concept of the infrastructure, which is hard to change in the long term and therefore allows a few iterations only. This study’s key contribution is to showcase the conceptual design decisions of the 24 m full-scale Hyperloop Demonstrator at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) for the propulsion and suspension system, featuring the design decision tree (DDT) method as a framework to visualize and explain the technical design decisions and dependencies of complex hardware systems. The construction of the full-scale demonstrator not only proved the feasibility of the concept but also provided valuable concept-level experiences, which are shared within this work. Compared to existing maglev and hyperloop concepts, the presented concept features a separated air-cored long stator propulsion system and a homopolar electromagnetic suspension at the bottom with the track wrapping around the vehicle, revealing promising advantages like the structural simplification of the infrastructure and the independence of the guideway and tube.

Thermal management in Hyperloop vehicles presents a major challenge due to operation in low-pressure environments (1–15 mbar), where conventional cooling is ineffective. Various Hyperloop drivetrain concepts and tube pressures are under consideration. Especially vehicle-based drivetrain systems and high tube pressures result in high thermal loads to the cooling system. Two primary cooling approaches have emerged: latent Thermal Energy Storage (TES) and evaporative cooling coupled with stationary vapor removal systems. TES systems (using ice or water) are simple but have a relatively low energy density, meaning they are only feasible for moderate thermal loads, given the stringent mass budget of the vehicle. Alternatively, evaporative cooling dissipates heat by releasing water vapor into the tube, which is extracted by infrastructure-based condensers. While efficient at higher pressures (above 10 mbar, COP > 3), this method introduces challenges in vapor management and system integration. After quantifying the thermal load of each drivetrain concept for 1 and 10 mbar it was concluded that the TES cooling concept is feasible for offboard and combined type drivetrains. Fully onboard drivetrains require evaporative cooling. Above 10 mbar, an efficient vaporizer/mixing condenser can be used while below, at 1 mbar, a batched sublimator/ice condenser system is required.

Lane-switching in maglev systems is a key functionality necessary for their successful implementation in commercial solutions, that has largely remained unexplored in terms of experimental validation. The present work investigates a full-scale electrodynamic suspension for its use alongside a conventional electromagnetic suspension. A combined levitation system that incorporates the repulsive force of an electrodynamic suspension and the attraction-based behavior of an electromagnetic suspension facilitates high-speed vertical lane-switching capability. The passivity of electrodynamic suspensions renders them appealing for their integration in this context. A test bench designed for full-scale analysis of this process is presented. The electrodynamic suspension system is discussed, and a finite element model used for system design is established. Acquired experimental lift and drag forces are fitted using an analytical model consisting of an equivalent multi-branch electric circuit, showing good agreement between datasets. A large speed range (10-600 km/h) is tested over several air gaps (35-50 mm). Measurements at smaller air gaps (25 and 30 mm) are used to validate the analytical model. Moreover, full-scale force capability necessary for vehicle levitation is achieved.