September newsletter
Hard at work as we arrive back on campus
BACK TO SCHOOL!
With the new academic year kicking off, the CU Hyperloop team is excited to return to campus and hit the ground running. This month marks the beginning of an intense period of work as we gear up for our first deliverable to The Boring Company in preparation for the 2025 Not-a Boring Competition. We expect to make significant progress as we refine our designs and start to see our hard work from the summer really start to pay off.
SEPTEMBER DESIGN REVIEW - JOIN US!
We are pleased to announce that CU Hyperloop will be hosting a design review on September 22nd, and we invite our community members to attend. Your presence is vital, as your insights and feedback are invaluable to the success of our project. This event offers a unique opportunity to closely examine the innovations driving our tunnel boring machine (TBM) and to influence its future development. If you would like to join us, please contact us for more details. We highly encourage you not to miss this occasion.
CAD model of our gantry design
GANTRIES
The structures team is focused on enhancing our TBM’s launch system and optimizing the machine’s internal structure. We’ve introduced gantries—carts that carry essential systems behind the TBM—allowing for larger, easily accessible support equipment. This design improves efficiency in mining and launch operations. To enable these carts to pass through the push plate of our launch stand (which is currently a solid metal plate), we are adding a circular opening. This modification allows our gantries to easily follow the TBM underground when the machine is on the launch stand and begins digging.
If you have any questions please feel free to reach out!
Phone: 720-519-9882
Email: cuhyperloop@colorado.edu
Joey Weber running hardware tests
TUNNEL SUPPORT
Our tunnel support system, which stabilizes the soil after excavation, is undergoing an innovative redesign to enhance cooling. Instead of printing a continuous plastic tube, we're now printing 1-foot sections on a water cooled metal shell to better manage heat and maintain structural integrity. We're actively testing this new approach to optimize plastic adhesion and pellet feeding as we refine our design.
CAD model of gantry in launch structure
SOFTWARE
Our software team is exploring new ways to improve communication within our machine. We currently use a network of microcontrollers connected via Ethernet to create an internal internet that facilitates sensor data collection and decision-making. However, we’re moving away from our current messaging system, ROS, due to inefficiencies and poor documentation. We're testing alternatives like Redis and ZeroMQ to find a more efficient solution. This upgrade aims to enhance the reliability and simplicity of our software communication.