Hyperloop Could Work, Simulation Suggests

Elon Musk's out-there idea might not be so crazy after all.

It's a pipe dream -- but it could become a pipe reality.

A simulation program suggests that the Hyperloop -- Tesla CEO founder Elon Musk's idea to catapult passengers from Los Angeles to San Francisco in a half-hour -- may be grounded in science reality, according to Bloomberg Businessweek.

Ansys, which tests designs of "planes, trains, automobiles and all manner of other things," fed Musk's proposals into a computer and came away "impressed."

The Hyperloop is an elevated tube that would shuttle pods between destinations at 800 miles an hour. The air inside the tube would create a reduced-friction environment, allowing the pulses from electric motors to send the pods along with greater efficiency.

And Ansys declared the idea feasible -- though in need of tweaks, such as "soup-can shaped" pod rather than tapered ones like Musk proposed.
 

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