Hyperloop is often proposed as a high-speed, sustainable solution for long-distance passenger transport. However, for hyperloop, the combination of comfort and high speeds into sharp turns remains largely unexplored, despite being crucial for enabling flexible route development within European infrastructure. In the past, banking has been implemented in other modes of transport to improve the perception of comfort.
This paper presents a comparative analysis of various banking technologies to determine which are suitable for full-scale hyperloop implementation. Each method is assessed for both basic and performance-based feasibility, using criteria such as passenger comfort constraints, mechanical integration, geometric limitations, required forces, and energy consumption. The methodology involves force and stress calculations, time-distance trade-off analyses, and system modeling.
Results show that the forces, stresses, and power consumption can realistically be provided. Besides, the method that combines canting with passenger cabin tilting accommodates the sharpest turns, reaching the limit of passenger comfort. This research supports critical design decisions needed to make the hyperloop a viable and scalable transport mode in real-world environments. Nonetheless, a different choice of track or pod geometry could drastically change results, which future research could investigate.
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