Würth Elektronik joins Cooper Hyperloop Team as financial partner
Würth Elektronik continues to be a supporter of engineering education and new technology designers by becoming the new financial partner for the Cooper Hyperloop Team, located in New York, USA. The Hyperloop mobility concept, with capsules in evacuated tubes, was first unveiled by Elon Musk in 2014 and has been mainly presented at the SpaceX site in California, USA.
The Cooper Hyperloop Team, which has previously competed in European Hyperloop Week, attended the Canadian Hyperloop Conference held May 27-29, 2022, where they were presented with the Growth Award in recognition of progress and diligence over the past years. The Cooper Hyperloop Team presented their preliminary Pod designs to an audience of industry professionals and other teams equally passionate about forwarding hyperloop technology.
At the conference, The Cooper Hyperloop Team presented three distinct subsystems to a mechnical and electrical jury consisting of experts in transportation, vehicle design, and electronic hardware and software. The presentation focused on power storage and distribution system, powertrain and vehicle stability mechanisms, and the onboard sensors and communication systems that are responsible for monitoring and controlling the pod during travel.
The communications subsystem was well-regarded by the low power jury. Sensors onboard the pod monitor position, speed, temperature, and strain on the vehicle frame and shell; the microcontrollers and PCBs responsible for power distribution and motor speed all connect to an onboard computer that ensures correct operation. After receiving feedback from the jury, the Cooper Hyperloop Team is now taking considerations into account to reconstruct an affordable and innovative design for the custom motor controller PCB and battery management system.
The Cooper Hyperloop Team plans to build a full pod to showcase at the 2023 European Hyperloop Week. Würth Elektronik was a Gold Partner at the European Hyperloop Week in 2022.