IIT Kanpur develops tech to revolutionise transportation of coal and mineral

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has made a significant contribution to the field of transportation technology with its innovative compressed air-based pipeline system for coal and mineral transport.

The system developed at the Smart Materials, Structures and Systems (SMSS) Lab of IIT Kanpur also received positive feedback from experts in the field at UP Global Investors Summit, 2023. This is primarily because it promises to reduce air pollution, material loss, and cut down on travel time significantly.

The system is designed to transport coal or slurry from one point to another with compressed air as its energy source. The hyperloop system allows for speeds of up to 120 km/hr and can transport the loaded block to the designated receiving/unloading sub-section continuously. More than one robotic vehicle operating in a series depending on the workload and requirement can be deployed. Within the hyperloop are storage wagons, a wheel assembly system, guiding rails and more, to enable seamless transportation of minerals.

Each module of the vehicle is connected to the adjacent modules through ball and socket joint. This provides connectivity as well as manoeuvrability to the system which enables the robot to pass through complex bends present in the pipeline network. The system has a power consumption of approximately 107 KW with a delivery rate of 5.6 T/min/km corresponding to a pipe of just 40 inches.