Transatlantic tunnel

A transatlantic tunnel is a theoretical tunnel which would span the Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe and would carry mass transit of some type—trains are envisioned in most proposals.Using advanced technologies, speeds of 300 to 5,000 mph (500 to 8,045 km/h) are envisioned. cite episode
title = Transatlantic Tunnel
episodelink =
url = http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/engineering/transatlantictunnel/interactive/interactive.html
series = Extreme Engineering
serieslink = Extreme Engineering
credits = Joseph Giotta (Narrator), Powderhouse Productions
network = Discovery Channel
station =
city =
airdate = 2003-04-16
transcripturl = ]

Plans for such a tunnel have not progressed beyond the conceptual stage, and no one is actively pursuing such a project.Most conceptions of the tunnel have it between the United States and the United Kingdom, or more specifically, New York City and London.The main barriers to constructing such a tunnel are cost—as much as $12 trillion—and the limits of current materials science.Existing major tunnels, such as the Channel Tunnel and Seikan Tunnel, despite using less expensive technology than proposed for the Transatlantic tunnel, struggle financially.A Transatlantic Tunnel is 215 times longer than the longest current tunnel [length ratio computed from 3100 miles vs. 14.5 for the Seikan] and would cost perhaps 3000 times as much. [price ratio is $3.6 billion for the Seikan vs. $12,000 billion = 3333.33 times]

In 2003, the Discovery Channel's show Extreme Engineering aired a program entitled "Transatlantic Tunnel" which discusses the proposed tunnel concept in detail.

History

Suggestions for such a structure go back to Michel Verne, son of Jules Verne, who wrote about it in 1888 in a story "Un Express de l'avenir". This story was published in English in "The Strand Magazine" in 1895, where it was incorrectly attributed to Jules Verne, [cite web
url = http://homepage.ntlworld.com/forgottenfutures/express/express.htm
title = An Express of the Future
author = Michel Verne
publisher = The Strand Magazine
month = November | year = 1895
accessdate = 2008-08-02 ] a mistake frequently repeated today. [cite web
url = http://www.law.harvard.edu/alumni/bulletin/2002/summer/bf_04.html
title = Tunnel Vision
author = Michael Rodman
publisher = Harvard Law Bulletin, Harvard University
date = Summer 2002
accessdate = 2007-09-12 ] In 1913, the novel "Der Tunnel" was published by German author Bernhard Kellermann, which inspired four films of the same name: one in 1914 by William Wauer, and separate German, French, and English versions released in 1933 and 1935. The German and French versions were by Curtis Bernhardt and the English was written in part by science fiction writer Curt Siodmak. Suggesting contemporary interest, an original poster for the English version was estimated at more than $2000 by Heritage Auction Galleries in Dallas in the Summer of 2006.

Robert H. Goddard, the father of rocketry, [ cite web
url = http://www.time.com/time/time100/scientist/profile/goddard.html
title = TIME 100: Robert Goddard
author = Jeffrey Kluger
date = March 291999
publisher = Time
accessdate = 2007-12-28 ] [ cite web
url = http://www.fathom.com/course/21701743/session1.html
title = Part I: Chemical Propulsion and the Dawn of Rocket Science
work = The Past and Future of Rocket Engine Propulsion
year = 2002
publisher = Regents of the University of Michigan
accessdate = 2007-12-28 ] was issued two of his 214 patents for the idea. cite web
url = http://www.law.harvard.edu/alumni/bulletin/2002/summer/bf_04.html
title = Tunnel Vision
author = Michael Rodman
publisher = Harvard Law Bulletin, Harvard University
date = Summer 2002
accessdate = 2007-09-12 ]
Arthur C. Clarke mentions intercontinental tunnels in his 1956 novel, The City and the Stars. [See synopsis in The City and the Stars] The 1975 novel, "A Transatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah!", describes a vacuum/maglev system on the ocean floor. [ cite web
url = http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/nonfiction/transatlantic.htm
title = Harry Harrison: A Transatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah!
author = Stuart Carter
date = 11 November2000
publisher = Infinity+
accessdate = 2007-09-12 ] The April 2004 issue of "Popular Science" suggests a transatlantic tunnel is more feasible than previously thought and without major engineering challenges. It compares it favorably with laying transatlantic pipes and cables, but with a cost of 88 to 175 billion dollars. [ cite web
url = http://www.popsci.com/popsci/science/5e610b4511b84010vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html
title = Trans-Atlantic MagLev—Vacuum Tube Train
author = Carl Hoffman
month = April | year = 2004
publisher = Popular Science
accessdate = 2007-10-01 ]

Variations

Many variations of the concept exist, including a tube above the seabed, a tunnel beneath the ocean floor, or some combination.

A 1960s proposal has a 3,100-mile (5,000-km) long near-vacuum tube with vactrains, a theoretical type of maglev train, that could travel at speeds up to 5,000 mph (8,000 km/h).At this speed, the travel time between New York and London would be less than one hour. Another modern variation intended to reduce cost is a submerged tunnel floating about fifteen stories below the ocean surface to avoid ships, bad weather, and high pressure. It would consist of 54,000 prefabricated sections held in place by 100,000 tethering cables. Each section would consist of a layer of foam sandwiched between steel. It too would have reduced air pressure. The cables would be anchored into the seafloor, and would have room to sway if a submerged object like a submarine were to hit the tunnel. If a hole were punctured in the tunnel, the trains would be going faster than the water and would be blocked off from the section the hole was punctured in by titanium pressure lock doors. The theory of rocket, jet, scram-jet, and air pressurized tunnels for train transportation have also been proposed. Only one way to stop the G forces from killing passengers was proposed: spinning chairs with future models of G-suit technology would be standard for each train, lessening the impact of the high acceleration on passengers. But the spinning chairs would also cut down massively on passenger capacity, and would also be expensive, therefore raising the cost per ticket to a much higher level.

A proposed alternative route suggests a tunnel north from Newfoundland over the ice sheet of Greenland and across Iceland to the Faroe Islands and then Scotland. This route is cheaper to build, not least because it can have multiple tunnel heads, but more difficult due to adverse weather conditions in Greenland and the difficulty of maintaining the system near the ice sheet, though lessons learned from the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System might mitigate such difficulties.

There are also some issues with what the purpose of such a tunnel would be. If it is intended for passengers, then the journey might be too slow to make it competitive with aircraft. If it is intended for freight, then a Bering Strait bridge or tunnel could present fewer problems.

ee also

* Archimedes bridge
* Atlantic Ocean tunnel
* Channel Tunnel

References

External links

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