Will the Internet Work at Mach 1 Speed? ... Development of Core Communication Technology for 1200 km/h Hyperloop

UNIST and Dongguk University Researchers Identify Characteristics of Communication Channels Inside Hyperloop Tubes

Hyperloop system concept diagram. An oval-shaped pod is running inside the tube.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] Is wireless internet service possible inside the cabin of an ultra-high-speed train that travels from Seoul to Busan in about 20 minutes, close to Mach 1 speed?

Domestic researchers have attracted attention by developing core technology for hyperloop communication running at 1,200 km/h.

The research team led by Professor Kim Hyo-il of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) has introduced a method to analyze wireless communication waves (communication channels) inside the hyperloop. This is a foundational technology for designing wireless communication systems to monitor the safety of high-speed running cabins and provide internet services.

The hyperloop is a next-generation transportation system that accelerates a cabin called a "pod" inside a tube, which is almost a vacuum, to run at 1,200 km/h. When designing a wireless communication system for the hyperloop, communication channel analysis that predicts how radio waves spread in three-dimensional space is essential to determine antenna design, carrier frequency, bandwidth, and more.

However, in the case of the hyperloop, there were limitations in analysis using conventional electromagnetic wave simulators. The tube resembles a waveguide that can confine radio waves, and since it is very long?on the order of hundreds of kilometers?radio waves spread much farther than in general space.

In such situations, the range of targets such as base stations included in the simulation becomes much wider. The effects caused by pods running at high speed inside the tube also had to be considered as another variable.

Research Model of Communication Environment Analysis Method Inside Developed Hyperloop Tube Illustration.

To solve this, the research team simulated three representative sections separately and used a modeling method that mathematically connects them to analyze the entire tube.

The sections were divided into a single base station section, a single pod section, and an empty tube section without base stations or pods. Electromagnetic wave simulations were performed for each, and then connected using a "network parameter modeling" technique.

As a result of the analysis, the team confirmed that various signal distortion phenomena such as signal transmission and reflection occur at each pod. A representative example was the reception of multiple interference signals caused by some interference signals transmitted from other base stations passing through multiple pod sections.

Based on these analysis results, the research team identified the most suitable frequency band, maximum possible bandwidth, and optimal electromagnetic modes for wireless communication inside the hyperloop. They were also able to accurately predict the reception strength of communication signals according to the pod’s running position.

Professor Kim Hyo-il, UNIST.

Professor Han Ki-jin, Dongguk University.

Professor Kim Hyo-il explained, “The analysis method is flexible, so it can be easily applied even if the specifications of the hyperloop change.”

He expressed confidence, saying, “It can serve as core technology in related fields such as antenna design optimized for the hyperloop environment, development of communication methods, and pod design considering communication performance.”

This research was conducted jointly with Professor Han Ki-jin of Dongguk University as co-corresponding author, and Researcher Kim Jung-tak (integrated master's and doctoral program in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at UNIST) participated as the first author. The research results were published in the IEEE Vehicular Technology Magazine, a leading journal in the mobility field.

The research was supported by UNIST’s internal research support project and the National Research Foundation of Korea.

Professor Kim Hyoil (left) and Researcher Kim Jungtak.

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