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ThyssenKrupp Multi – world’s first rope-free elevator [video]

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Re: ThyssenKrupp Multi – world’s first rope-free elevator [video]

#41

Post by dom0 »

the8472 wrote: post #22
DanBlake wrote: post #9

Looks to be about.... 10? times the cost of a normal elevator if I had to guess. I bet the maintenance costs are fun as well. As such, doubt you will see these except in niche buildings (things like the porsche tower, etc..)

The tallest skyscrapers have issues with elevators because the cables can only be so long before they snap under their own weight, so you need elevator changing floors, which take up space and lower throughput. Either you find flexible materials with a higher tensile-strength to weight ratio than steel or you forego cables entirely.

Classic elevators also need a lot of floor space to achieve good throughput. This system is basically like a paternoster on steroids; it can rise much higher, move much faster, use arbitrary circuits and has none of the safety issues. Even if this system only saves, say, 40 % floor space, it'd still be a win for many projects.

Re: ThyssenKrupp Multi – world’s first rope-free elevator [video]

#42

Post by dom0 »

samstave wrote: post #30
sharpercoder wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If the rails are solid state using for example magnetic levitation, I can see this being much cheaper to maintain.

Ever been in an elevator during a power outage?

Probably no one at ThyssenKrupp thought of that. You should write them a letter outlining your concerns.

Re: ThyssenKrupp Multi – world’s first rope-free elevator [video]

#43

Post by mschuster91 »

samstave wrote: post #30
sharpercoder wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If the rails are solid state using for example magnetic levitation, I can see this being much cheaper to maintain.

Ever been in an elevator during a power outage?

No problem either - do it like on freefall towers or on other park attractions, where eddy current brakes, fully passive, are employed as safety mechanism.

Re: ThyssenKrupp Multi – world’s first rope-free elevator [video]

#45

Post by dom0 »

mschuster91 wrote: post #43
samstave wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ever been in an elevator during a power outage?

No problem either - do it like on freefall towers or on other park attractions, where eddy current brakes, fully passive, are employed as safety mechanism.

All elevators have multiple safety brakes working on their guide rails (this is the famous invention of Otis); so do these. Besides batteries lasting longer (two hours, they say) than the median European power outage.

Re: ThyssenKrupp Multi – world’s first rope-free elevator [video]

#46

Post by LoSboccacc »

dclowd9901 wrote: post #12

I hate to be so cynical, but for how often the TK elevator in our building is out of service (these things have been around for 100 years and still break down more than a Fiat), I don't have the confidence necessary to step foot in this thing.

Weird you say that. Fiat engines are so reliable most other constructors use a FIRE or a common rail derivative in their compact segment. Here there are uncountable 90s and 00s punto panda and the likes, still marching after few couple hundred thousand kilometers. Drove one myself to 250000, with minimal issues and regular maintenance. Now driving a "famously unreliable" Alfa and just passed 100kkm with zero issues yet. Never have been left on the road by them, and the alfa drove me all the way from milano to dublin and back, after multiple track days.

Re: ThyssenKrupp Multi – world’s first rope-free elevator [video]

#47

Post by chki »

leeoniya wrote: post #35

what problem does this solve to justify the crazy expense, complexity and maintenance? the reason elevators exist is because people cannot easily climb 100+ vertical ft, especially while carrying stuff. on the other hand, humans are well adapted for horizontal travel - 15mi per day without breaking a sweat. and when they're not, there are movable walkways like in airports. this whole thing is a solution looking for a…

If those elevators worked they would actually solve a big engineering problem: Very High Buildings can only have a limited number of elevator shafts. But it takes a significant time to use them which makes it problematic if there are a lot of people who want to go. But if elevators were able to travel horizontally that is a first step towards having multiple elevators in one shaft. There are still other problems that need to be solved in order to do this but if it works you can easily transport a lot of people in skyscrapers by having one "upwards" shaft and one "down" shaft which the elevator capsule can change between by moving horizontally.

Re: ThyssenKrupp Multi – world’s first rope-free elevator [video]

#48

Post by jjoonathan »

londons_explore wrote: post #32

My ideal elevator would accelerate at a pleasant 4 m/s^2 and have a jerk not exceeding 4 m/s^3. It would have doors that close instantly when the doorway is clear, and start right away. That would be able to take me up a 100 yard high building in 11 seconds. Why can't real elevators be like that? Why must the doors move slowly, and wait for 5 seconds before even starting moving? Why does the elevator reach a sluggish…

Don't forget the part where they disable the door close button and add a 10 second wait time!

My favorite bit, though, is where they lock the escape hatch from the outside and provide no "alarm will sound" override mechanism. That way if the elevator dies you'll be stuck there for hours until they can get the fire department on the scene.

Re: ThyssenKrupp Multi – world’s first rope-free elevator [video]

#49

Post by tootie »

userbinator wrote: post #3

"World's first 3D people mover" might be a more appropriate --- and enticing --- title, because "rope-free" can also refer to hydraulic elevators (which have been around for over a century.)

3D Railway Pod? Seems like it follow tracks and switch lines like a train only it can also go up and down. It's a step close to the Great Glass Elevator.
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