HyperLoopDesign
HIGH-SPEED TRANSPORTATION INTO THE FUTURE
Station layouts, airlocks and passenger loading
A Hyperloop station needs to be different from a train station, because of the vacuum and the structural requirements of the pressure hull. Here are the challenges and possible solutions.
Side doors on the pod, why they are not feasible
Mobile seating modules that travel to the passengers
End door for the airlock
Cheetah has an airlock door on the front, which is accessed by hinging up the front of the pod. This door engages with the airlock door at the station, giving minimum vacuum loss during docking.
This short video shows the animation of the docking process and passenger module in action. (note the pod front now hinges upwards). The pod engages with the airlock door, so both doors can be opened. The seating module is rolled out, and replaced by the next one.
The turnaround time for the pod is very fast, and the passengers have time to get comfortable in the seating module. The modules can easily be changed to allow for different mixes of economy, business and cargo.
Alpha described side-opening gull-wing doors. With the 10 tons/sq M internal pressure, these would be impractical, and waste a lot of internal space, airliner doors are massive and very complicated. There would need to be full-size airlocks at the station, with high pumping energy cost.