Engineering Applications: High Speed Transportation
High-speed transportation often involves rail, and allows many people to travel together to get to their location quickly, like in this scenic image above from Railway Technology.
In the backdrop of increasing vehicle emissions, high-speed public transportation is increasingly important. Engineering innovations have led to significant improvements in innovation, including developments in high-speed rail and emerging technologies like Hyperloop, which will be explored more in this Engineering Applications article.
Civil Engineering
Of course, the main engineering discipline focused on these transportation infrastructures is civil engineering. Railways, tunnels, bridges, and terminals require precision to accommodate high-speed systems. One example in the United States of this is the California High-Speed Rail project emphasizes sustainable design, with tracks capable of reducing travel time between major cities while minimizing environmental impact (Wired). When implementing these technologies, important challenges to address are track alignment and vibration reduction, and civil engineers at Japan’s Shinkansen, a bullet train, use advanced construction techniques to ensure stability and safety amidst earthquake threats.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineers focus mainly on optimizing the high-speed vehicles themselves, including trains and pods. In maglev (magnetic levitation) trains, a high-speed train using magnetic attraction, reduces air resistance, resulting in more aerodynamic movement. China’s maglev trains, which can reach speeds exceeding 350 mph, are a testament to the importance of these innovations (ASME). Hyperloop systems, which propel maglev in low pressure tubes, also rely heavily on mechanical engineering to develop the passenger pods.
Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineers develop signaling systems and smart grids to ensure efficient energy use and operational safety. Modern trains rely on advanced electrical propulsion systems, such as linear motors, for rapid acceleration and smooth operation. Siemens’ investment in high-speed train manufacturing is an example of these advanced electrical systems being used to improve transportation (Reuters).
Future Directions
As in our other engineering application articles, collaboration across engineering subfields is the key to the future. Combining ideas from software engineering, like AI-driven traffic optimization, with civil engineering advancements in the transportation systems and mechanical engineering’s improvements in the vehicles themselves, will cause breakthroughs not only in speed, but also efficiency and sustainability.
Bottom Line
Engineering developments in high-speed transportation, from Hyperloop to Magrev, can help create more efficient technologies and systems, ultimately allowing more people to travel using public transportation, resulting in lower vehicular emissions, interconnected cities, and people getting to their location faster and more safely.
Bibliography
C, Mark. “Topics & Resources for Engineers & Technical Experts.” ASME, 26 Dec. 2022, www.asme.org/topics-resources/content/7-innovations-advancing-transportation-tech.
Revill, John. “Siemens Investing $60 Million on High-Speed Train Plant in Upstate New York | Reuters.” Edited by Franklin Paul and Mark Potter, Reuters, 12 Sept. 2024, www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/siemens-investing-60-million-high-speed-train-plant-upstate-new-york-2024-09-09/.
Davis, Anthony. “Hyperloop Day Unveils Breakthrough for High-Speed Transportation Hyperloop Day Unveils Breakthrough for High-Speed Transportation.” Highways Today, 9 Nov. 2024, highways.today/2024/11/09/hyperloop-day.
Fallows, James. “Even under Trump, California (Yes, That Hellscape) Will Keep Moving the World Forward No Matter What.” Wired, Conde Nast, 31 Oct. 2024, www.wired.com/story/california-will-keep-moving-the-world-forward/.
Nilson, Peter. “The 10 Fastest High-Speed Trains in the World.” Railway Technology, 25 July 2024, www.railway-technology.com/features/the-10-fastest-high-speed-trains-in-the-world/.
