Aerodynamic Design and Optimization of a Hyperloop Vehicle

The Hyperloop is a newly proposed transportation method which caters to the rising demand of high-speed transportation, while adhering to stringent emission requirements. This system comprises pods that are propelled through a partially evacuated tube at velocities of 300 m/s. The low-pressure environment paired with high-subsonic Mach numbers create an unconventional flow regime. This thesis project is an investigation on the aerodynamic characteristics of a Hyperloop pod, whereby an optimization is performed in order to find a pod shape that yields minimum drag. A low-fidelity solver is developed to perform the analysis and optimization. Investigations show a large pressure peak at the nose due to violation of the Kantrowitz limit. Furthermore, a blunt nose paired with a concavity in the tail section yield minimum drag due to the alleviation of the choked flow effect. The solver can readily be embodied into a larger, multi-disciplinary optimization framework.Aerospace Engineerin