The new technology of the elevators has the technological limitations of the cable lifts to its maximum height.
In the German town of Rottweil (100 km South-East of Stuttgart) June 22, 2017 took an unusual presentation. The world’s first Multi Elevator without cables presented the amazement of the audience of international conglomerate ThyssenKrupp. Moving on the Maglev principle, this Elevator travels the floors of the building and the corridors in the horizontal direction.
Tower of Light is one of the tallest skyscrapers in Germany. This 246-meter high concrete tower for €60 million at the same time is the test ground for the most modern technologies liftostroeniya. It originally provided 12 mines specifically for testing of lifts. The concrete base of the mines specially strengthened to withstand a free fall 40-ton Elevator cars at a speed of 160 km/h.
The skyscraper is the brainchild of architect Helmut Jan (Helmut Jahn) and Werner Sobek (Werner Sobek) is planned to open in July 2017, and an unusual lift-Maglev was the last finishing touch of this project. Three of the 12 Elevator shafts of a building designed specifically for testing Multi.
ThyssenKrupp engineers hope the innovation lift successfully manifest itself during long-time operation, and if such elevators can be equipped with other buildings around the world. And it’s not just convenience for passengers, it will change the very principles of the architecture of the buildings, because now the architects will not be limited by the vertical orientation of Elevator shafts, around which was built the rest of the layout. And if you change the face of skyscrapers, change the image of the cities: so here, thanks to a new design lift.
If you look at the history of lifts, they are the inventions of Archimedes are always hung on the ropes. The modern version of the Elevator appeared with the invention of a system for safe braking (1854, inventor Elisha Otis) and after the transition from steam boilers to electricity in 1895, and still always used ropes.
Experts say that the Elevator industry is a very interesting example of a highly conservative market. On the world market operates five large companies, and almost all of them are very ancient, real dinosaurs. It is a world leader Otis, the company was founded by the family of the inventor of the Otis. As well as Schindler, Kone, Mitsubishi and ThyssenKrupp — a relative newcomer which has started to produce elevators in 1954. Decades they share the market, virtually without making any technological breakthroughs, just small improvements to existing technologies created in the 19th century. The invention of elevators without cables — a real technological leap, which was not very long ago.
In the Elevator Multi is set to linear motors, similar to those working in Maglev trains and the HyperLoop. The video shows how the cabin is coming along the rail and rotating rail is rotated 90° and the lift can change the direction of motion from vertical to horizontal or Vice versa. Twist takes a few seconds, and the maximum speed of the Elevator is about 5 m/s Is not very much. For comparison, the world’s fastest Elevator to Shanghai Tower reaches speeds of 18 m/s (64 km/h).
ThyssenKrupp introduced the idea of Multi lift in 2014, prompting commentators mixture of admiration and skepticism. Now, three years later, she conducted the first public test of the Elevator without cables — and proved that this is indeed possible.
In the vision of ThyssenKrupp, the building can be quite advanced system of Elevator shafts, with many branches and turns. Software the Elevator will plan the most optimal route to avoid congestion and to deliver the passenger in the shortest time. Moreover, the system mines can run not one, but several lift cabins, which will coordinate their location to their routes do not overlap.
Most importantly, the new technology of the elevators has the technological limitations of the cable lifts to its maximum height. It is known that the cable can’t be longer than about 500 meters, because it can not withstand its own weight. Thus, traditional lifts can’t climb the longer distance passengers have to transfer to another Elevator. Maglev have no such limitation. Now the architects don’t need to bear this in mind when designing skyscrapers, and they can create buildings more free forms.
One German developer OVG Real Estate have already agreed to install elevators with linear motors in its new building, future building, East Side of Tower in Berlin. The Multi lifts are ideal for skyscrapers. However, it is unlikely we will see a large number of such lifts soon, because the Multi is about five times more expensive than a conventional lift.
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