Arx Pax MFA Technology Accommodated in SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition

LOS GATOS, Calif., Oct 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Arx Pax, creator of the patented Magnetic Field Architecture (MFA™) hover engine technology, today announced that SpaceX has accommodated MFA technology in the draft specifications for the Hyperloop Pod Competition. As a result, Arx Pax is now taking orders for its hover engines as part of the competition.

"It's an honor for MFA to be accommodated in this competition," said Greg Henderson, co-founder and CEO at Arx Pax. "We are excited that our hover engines will be in the hands of very talented individuals, and can't wait to see what they can achieve. The applications for MFA are limitless, and we believe it's the most feature-rich maglev technology available."

The SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition aims to accelerate the development of a functional Hyperloop prototype. Geared toward university students and independent engineering teams, the competition seeks the best half-scale Hyperloop pod. SpaceX will construct a test track next to its Hawthorne, California headquarters to test the pods.

"Arx Pax established itself as the startup to watch when it made a big splash with the debut of its Magnetic Field Architecture technology in the Hendo hoverboard last fall," said Jonathan Knowles, director of strategic initiatives at Autodesk. "The SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition participants are fortunate to be some of the first to work with Arx Pax's hover engines. We have a longstanding relationship with Arx Pax and we're pleased to help make the future of transportation a reality by providing leading-edge design and engineering tools."

In theory, a functional Hyperloop pod could safely reach speeds of more than 700 miles per hour, enabling fast and convenient transportation unaffected by the elements. The concept requires technology that can levitate the pods within the tube, making Arx Pax hover engines a great choice for participants as they ready their pods for the competition.

Why would contestants use MFA hover engines over other technologies?  MFA is an affordable new technology that provides more capabilities than traditional maglev or air bearings, self-contained in a simple-to-install and simple-to-control hover engine. No super cooling, no active tracks, no bulky high-pressure air storage systems or heavy compressors. The passive conductive aluminum surface provided in the SpaceX tube is the only surface needed to levitate these pods on a frictionless cushion of magnetic flux. 

Hover engines provide a hover height 10X to 24X higher than older mag lev or air bearing systems. They also provide an easily adjustable shock-absorbing suspension that can be adjusted on the fly to optimize pod stability.

Unlike air bearing and older mag lev technologies, MFA hover engines can both levitate pods and provide significant thrust and control. This means that pods equipped with MFA hover engines can be positioned simply by gently pushing them while they are hovering frictionless on a conductive surface, or they can be driven in and out of the Hyperloop under their own power.

There are many other advantages that MFA provides, such as natural banking in turns, maglev transport outside the tube, tube switching, affordable tracks, less complexity, higher reliability, operation of trains in close proximity, and better routing through crowded landscapes because banking will enable passengers and cargo to handle sharper curves at higher speeds than other methods.  This technology is so cutting-edge that the key patents were just issued in September 2015.

Additional information can be found at www.arxpax.com/technology/transportation/ or inquiries can be made at www.arxpax.com/contact.

About Arx Pax
Arx Pax, LLC is the Silicon Valley technology company that invented the patented Magnetic Field Architecture (MFA) technology, a more efficient way to transmit electromagnetic energy. Strategic applications of MFA technology and the use of its hover engines include structural isolation, recreation and entertainment, industrial automation, and transportation. MFA will fundamentally change the way people work, play and live. The initial proof of concept for MFA was the Hendo Hoverboard that launched in October 2014.

For more information, please visit www.arxpax.com.

SOURCE Arx Pax