Altair > Case Studies > Ryerson’s International Hyperloop Team: Innovating Transportation with IoT

Ryerson’s International Hyperloop Team: Innovating Transportation with IoT

Altair Logo
Technology Category
  • Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Event-Driven Application
Applicable Industries
  • Equipment & Machinery
  • Transportation
Applicable Functions
  • Product Research & Development
Use Cases
  • Additive Manufacturing
  • Rapid Prototyping
Services
  • System Integration
  • Training
About The Customer
The customer in this case study is the Ryerson’s International Hyperloop Team (RIHT), a group formed by Graeme Klim, a Masters Student at Ryerson University, and his peers. The team was formed in response to the Hyperloop Design Competition introduced by Elon Musk of SpaceX. The RIHT decided to focus on a low speed and emergency subsystem that is similar to an aircraft’s landing gear, which they named the Hyperloop Deployable Wheel System. The team has grown significantly and now includes six students, as well as 5 advisors. They aim to continue the development of its Hyperloop Deployable Wheel System and would like to include the Deployable Wheel System on another team’s pod so a full system can be developed.
The Challenge
The Ryerson’s International Hyperloop Team (RIHT) was faced with the challenge of designing a deployable wheel subsystem, similar to aircraft landing gear, for a Hyperloop Pod that could easily move at speeds under 100mph. The Hyperloop Design Competition, introduced by Elon Musk of SpaceX, was the platform where this challenge was presented. The RIHT, led by Graeme Klim, a Masters Student at Ryerson University, decided to focus on a low speed and emergency subsystem that is similar to an aircraft’s landing gear, which they named the Hyperloop Deployable Wheel System. The team had to submit their design concept to the competition’s first elimination round, which had thousands of entries. After surviving the elimination rounds, the team was invited to the Hyperloop Design Weekend in January of 2016, where they won the Subsystem Innovation Award for their wheel system.
The Solution
The solution to the challenge was the redesign of a custom motor bracket using solidThinking Inspire. This bracket was specifically designed for and produced with additive manufacturing. After winning the Subsystem Innovation award, the team began the development process on its wheel system and started reaching out to sponsors. During this process, they discovered the benefits of implementing optimization tools on their design. The team was introduced to solidThinking Inspire, which they used to redesign the bracket that mounts their motor. The final design for the bracket was very organic and unique, making it suitable for production with additive manufacturing. The team ran a number of different finite element analysis tests on the new design to verify that it would perform well during all usage scenarios. The final part was produced in AlSi10Mg and was over 70% lighter than the machine from solid bracket.
Operational Impact
  • The operational results of the solution were significant. The team was able to design a bracket that was not only significantly more efficient, but also allowed for a significant reduction in wasted material. The design process was fast, with the full design cycle for the part taking only about a week’s time. The PolyNURBS tools in Inspire were very useful for the team, allowing them to quickly design the final part that was printed after the optimization. The final part was produced in AlSi10Mg and was over 70% lighter than the machine from solid bracket. The team plans to continue the development of its Hyperloop Deployable Wheel System and is exploring options to include the Deployable Wheel System on another team’s pod so a full system can be developed.
Quantitative Benefit
  • Weight reduction of approximately 77%
  • Bracket produced in AlSi10Mg with additive manufacturing
  • Additive manufacturing process helped save 53 in3 of wasted material per bracket

Case Study missing?

Start adding your own!

Register with your work email and create a new case study profile for your business.

Add New Record

Related Case Studies.

Contact us

Let's talk!
* Required
* Required
* Required
* Invalid email address
By submitting this form, you agree that IoT ONE may contact you with insights and marketing messaging.
No thanks, I don't want to receive any marketing emails from IoT ONE.
Submit

Thank you for your message!
We will contact you soon.