Station Capacity Calculation - aka "Why the 4400 number cannot be pphpd"First, what is pphpd?
passengers per hour per direction is the standard measure of transit systems, so when you see "XXXX Metro carries 25,000/hour" that's the number they're using
examples:
Expo Line (Vancouver, Canada): 25,000 pphpd
L1 New York: 36,000 pphpd
Central Line (London UK): 32,550 (35 trains/hour * 930/train)
VEGAS LOOP
What we can assume:
40 second load/unload (cars have seatbelts, every ride I've seen people buckle up)
3 persons/vehicle
West and South stations:
8 load/unload bays
10 sec/minute lost to pedestrians crossing the loop (seriously - check out the attached image)
... 3000 operational seconds /hour
-> car leaves every 5 seconds (40 seconds / 8 bays)
-> 600 cars/hr (3000 / 5)
carrying 3 people each
=
1800 people per hour (not anywhere near 4400)Central station:
5 load/unload bays
-> car leaves every 8 seconds
-> 450 cars/hour
carrying 3 people each
=
1350 people per hour (also not 4400)--------------------------------
And I still stand by my "a tad over 3 minutes"Boffin: "
a tad over 3 minutes" (assumed some load/unload time)
Demo Video: 2m39s with no allowance for stopping (1m38s - 4m27
)
LVCVA (2019): "just over one minute"
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/las-vegas-convention-center-makes-history-as-elon-musks-the-boring-company-begins-tunneling-the-destinations-first-underground-people-mover-300959530.htmlLVCVA (2020): "under two minutes"
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/development-of-elon-musks-innovative-underground-transportation-system-achieves-milestone-301059887.htmlLVCVA (2021): "just under two minutes"
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-look-inside-elon-musks-underground-transportation-system-beneath-the-las-vegas-convention-center-301266042.htmlReality (from world of concrete - last week)
Video:
depart west station: 5:41
arr south station: 8:54
Total Time 3m 23s-------------------------------
And the Math says...Theorhetical fastest @ 44mph
What we know:
LVCVA: "Doing 40mph"
LVCVA: "10mph through the central station".
'speed zone' in the middle of 10mph (5m/s) is about 80m long
'speed zone' approaching the end station of a similar distance (note there's a 90 degree corner exiting one end, nasty)
total tunnel distance: 1350m (0.85mi) - (not 1.7mi, that's counting both tunnels)
What we can assume:
Let's give them the benefit of the doubt, and assume 20m/s and 5m/s (about 10% more than their claim, but makes the math easier)
Acelleration: 2m/s² (brisk, not back snapping)
START
accel: 0-20m/s @ 2m/s² for 10 seconds = 100m (ut + ½at²)
steady: 20m/s for 20 seconds = 400m
CENTRAL STATION: SLOW TO 5M/S
decel: 20-5m/s @ -2m/s² for 7½ seconds = 94m
steady: 5m/s for 16 seconds = 80m
CENTRAL STATION: SPEED UP AGAIN
accel: 5-20m/s @ 2m/s² for 7½ seconds = 94m
steady: 20m/s for 20 seconds = 400m
WEST STATION: SLOW TO ENTER STATION
decel: 20-5m/s @ -2m/s² for 7½ seconds = 94m
steady: 5m/s for 16 seconds = 80m (approach)
decel: 5-0m/s @ -2m/s² for 2½ seconds = 6m
END
time 107s absolutely best case assuming best case acceleration/deceleration, max speed maintained as long as possible, no impeding merge traffic, and no impeding pedestrian traffic (sad I have to add that 3rd one)
<sigh> I beginning to feel that people learned nothing from Solar Roadways and Batteriser