1
AeroMech113: Engineering Bootcamp
Technical Writing Assignment: The Hyperloop
INTRODUCTION

Mark: 15% of the total module mark
You will be asked to read three articles:
One short newspaper article (Telegraph_article.pdf)
One proposal summary (Hyperloop_Proposal.pdf)
One peer-reviewed journal article. (Maglev_review.pdf)
Your task is to study these three articles and use them as sources for a brief technical report on
Hyperloop Technology. You will be expected to broaden your literature search to find other sources.
The report should be targeted at an educated audience, but not necessarily from the scientific field
(in other words someone like me).
The purpose of this assignment is to practice:
• searching for technical information
• summarising published information in your own writing
• practicing your story telling
• practicing report structure and formatting
• practicing Harvard referencing
2
INSTRUCTIONS
Use MS Word to write a report summarising the three articles. Your report should include:
1. A Title Page including your own descriptive title for the report followed by your name,
student number, programme and date.
2. Musk proposes Hyperloop Alpha; Discuss:
a. What the concept is all about
b. How it works
c. Advantages over existing Rail and Maglev
d. Disadvantages of system
e. Efficiency and cost benefits
[hint: see Musk and Gray]
3. Currently ‘Maglev’ technologies are in operation throughout the world. Provide a brief
discussion of the history of Maglev, and a brief description of the advantages the technology
has over current traditional rail travel. [hint: see Lee, Kim, Lee]
4. Maglev trains use Linear Synchronous Motors (LSM), describe how these work [hint: see Lee,
Kim, Lee]
5. Concluding Remarks referring to recent developments and the likely future of the Hyperloop
FURTHER GUIDANCE
i. Include a Table of Contents that features properly numbered sections and page numbers
ii. Use headings and Sub-headings to divide up your report into logical sections that give your
report structure and help the reader navigate your writing
iii. Concentrate on storytelling – progress logically from start to finish
iv. Support your writing with a range of figures to bring the document to life and better explain
technical concepts
v. Apply technical writing rules and conventions
vi. Use page numbering
vii. Keep the reader interested
viii. Format your document properly
ix. Your report should be between 3 and 4 pages excluding title page, ToC, figures etc.
Maximum 2500 words. Recommended 2000 words.
x. Submit your finished document, by the specified deadline, through the Canvas upload link
accessed from Canvas.
xi. No other types of submission will be accepted, and you will be penalised if you do not
submit by the deadline.
xii. WORK ALONE: electronic submission means I will find & penalise copying
xiii. Your report is not restricted to the supplied references. You are free (and encouraged) to
use your own sources, found in books, articles, or on the internet. Using other references
will improve the quality and validity of your report. DO NOT REFERENCE WIKIPEDIA, this is
an open source information sharing site which can be edited and therefore is not a reliable
source.
xiv. Use Harvard referencing to properly identify your sources (as covered by Carol Rhodes). ALL
SOURCES, EVEN THOSE I HAVE GIVEN YOU, MUST BE REFERENCED. Any data or quotes taken
3
from the articles that appear in your report must include a citation after them, to allow me
to know you have obtained them from a published source.
EXAMPLE OF HOW TO REFERENCE
In text;
The system dates back to Hermann Kepler, who patented the system in 1934 (Lee, 2006).
At end of document;
Lee, Hyung-Woo, Kim, Ki-Chan, Lee, Ju, (2006): ‘Review of Maglev Train Technologies’,
IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, Vol. 42 No. 7, pp. 1917-1925.