Method of using air and hydrogen in low pressure tube transportation

A method for maintaining a gaseous composition within a tube, the tube being a part of tubular transportation system for transporting one or more passengers or one or more cargos via a capsule, the tube being arranged along at least one predetermined route, the method comprising:

• (a) pumping the tube to a pressure that is below atmospheric pressure until the tube is substantially evacuated, and maintaining the tube below atmospheric pressure;
• (b) identifying a predetermined power value;
• (c) identifying a desired capsule speed;
• (d) identifying a first percentage, x, of hydrogen based on the predetermined power value identified in (b), the desired capsule speed identified in (c) and a leak rate associated with each tube;
• (e) maintaining, within each tube in the plurality of substantially evacuated tubes, a gaseous composition a gaseous composition comprising a mixture of a first percentage, x, of hydrogen and a second percentage, (100-x), of air.

A method for maintaining a gaseous composition within a tube, the tube being a part of tubular transportation system for transporting one or more passengers or one or more cargos via a capsule, the tube being arranged along at least one predetermined route, the method comprising:

• (a) pumping the tube to a pressure that is below atmospheric pressure until the tube is substantially evacuated, and maintaining the tube below atmospheric pressure;
• (b) for each of a plurality of bypass ratios and a plurality of leak ratios, storing, in memory, data representative of a first range of total powers, a second range of percentages of hydrogen, and third range of tube pressures, each total power in the range of total powers representing a power value that is a function of a first power to pump each tube to the substantially evacuated state and a second power to overcome aerodynamic drag in each tube;
• (c) identifying a predetermined power value;
• (d) identifying a desired capsule speed;
• (e) identifying a first percentage, x, of hydrogen based on data stored in (b) corresponding to the predetermined power value identified in (c), the desired capsule speed identified in (d), and a leak rate associated with each tube;
• and
• (f) maintaining, within each tube in the plurality of substantially evacuated tubes, a gaseous composition a gaseous composition comprising a mixture of a first percentage, x, of hydrogen and a second percentage, (100-x), of air.