229results about "Energy efficiency in elevators" patented technology

A scissor lift includes an energy storage device that stores energy as the payload is lowered, and provides further lift to the payload as the payload is raised. This allows the scissors to achieve a support angle of up to 180° between the two arms (down to 0° between the screw drive and the lowest arm of the scissors), making the inventive scissor lifts considerably more compact than prior art lifts. The energy storage device is preferably a helical wire spring, but can alternatively be any suitable spring, piston, or even an elastomeric mass. Side to side movement of the scissors arms can be restricted using a thrust bearing with hardened washers at the inter-arm pivot, and / or a guided connector that transmits motive force to the scissors.

An elevator system uses a supercapacitor to store electric energy. Furthermore, the supercapacitor can be used as a source of reserve power in emergency situations, such as power failures. The supercapacitor is connected together with three switching branches to a rectified signal of the power supply of the motor. By closing and opening the switches, the supercapacitor can be charged when the motor load is small. When the motor load is large or when the power supply fails, the electric energy contained in the supercapacitor can be discharged for use by the motor. In an emergency, the motor drives the elevator at a speed lower than normal, and therefore a supply voltage lower than normal is sufficient. Also, energy obtained from braking of the elevator can be stored in the supercapacitor, which has a storage capacity of considerable magnitude as compared to an ordinary capacitor. By applying the invention, the energy consumption of the elevator can be reduced because the waste energy obtained from the power supply can be stored and utilized when more energy is needed.

In addition to the construction of a typical elevator control device in which power generated during regenerative operation is dissipated by a resistance chopper (18), an elevator control device is newly provided with: an electric double layer capacitor (21) connected in parallel with the DC capacitor (3) that smoothes the DC ripple of the rectifier circuit (2) that rectifies the AC power of the AC power source (1) and having an electrostatic capacitance that is considerably larger than this DC capacitor; a voltage detection circuit (22) that detects the terminal voltage of this electric double layer capacitor; and a drive control unit (5) that uses a voltage in the vicinity of the rated voltage of the electric double layer capacitor as the operating voltage of resistance chopper and, when the terminal voltage detected by a voltage detection circuit reaches the voltage in the vicinity of the rated voltage of the electric double layer capacitor, operates and controls the resistance chopper.

A method and a system for responding to a service request sent to a transportation service, determining one or more alternatives as a transportation device for the user and selecting a personal transportation device. An automated transportation system according to the invention comprises: an elevator group comprising a plurality of elevators, a passenger terminal device for reserving elevators for use by passengers, an elevator group control system responsive to the passenger terminal device for controlling the elevators. The method of the invention comprises the steps of: entering a personal service request via the terminal device, determining on the basis of the service request at least one alternative as a transportation device for the user, and selecting via the terminal device one of the alternatives as the transportation device.

The invention belongs to the technical field of elevator group control, and relates to an elevator group control energy-saving scheduling method. The method comprises the following steps: (1) determining a traffic flow mode; (2) establishing a virtual simulation environment for elevator operation; (3) carrying out curve fitting on each data array respectively, and establishing the traffic flow mode, namely, an optimal energy-saving point knowledge base; (4) choosing the average elevator waiting time, congestion degree and energy consumption as objective functions of the multi-objective optimization problem study on an elevator group control system, and establishing an evaluation function; (5) generating elevator traffic flow information by simulation or collecting the actual traffic flow information; (6) determining the traffic flow mode, and searching the evaluation function parameters matched with the type of the traffic flow in a parameter library of the knowledge base as well as an evaluation function expected value matched with the traffic flow mode; and (7) solving a optimal elevator scheduling scheme by a discrete particle swarm optimization method. The proposed scheduling method can realize energy saving effectiveness in the elevator group control system.

The invention relates to a lift shaft capable of ventilating by wind power and a lift ventilating method. The lift shaft is provided with a new air pipeline and an air exhausting pipeline. A new air port is arranged corresponding to a position of a floor and the upper part of a lift car. When the lift runs, a lower exhaust blower stops running. A new air shutter in the lift car is started facing to wind based on the running direction. Air flow with ascending air supplying flow and descending air exhausting flow is formed in the internal part of the lift car, so that energy consumption is saved and respiratory tract infection of passengers and bad influence of odor are effectively prevented. The shortcomings that the lift shaft is damp and the lift car is stuffy are overcome. Therefore, the method disclosed by the invention can be widely applied to ventilation of lift shaft and lift car and the lift shaft can be manufactured in an industrial, standard, universal and serial manner. The invention belongs to the fields of buildings, building ventilation and lift manufacturing.

The present invention discloses a method for optimal routing of the elevators in an elevator system in a situation where the supply power received by the system is limited e.g. due to emergency power operation. In the invention, routes are optimized by using a cost function to which has been added a term containing the summed instantaneous power consumed. Power consumption is monitored in real time, and the elevators need a start permission from the control system. A route alternative that exceeds the power limit is penalized in the cost function by a so-called penal term. With the elevator routing obtained as a result, the instantaneous power consumed by the system remains continuously below the set power limit. Some call can thus be postponed to be served later. By the method of the invention, the number of elevators serving passengers in an emergency power situation can be varied dynamically.

A method of controlling an elevator installation with several elevators, in which destination call inputs of passengers are input by destination call input apparatus and in which at least one traffic criterion, which characterizes a traffic intensity, of the elevator installation is measured by an elevator control, wherein the elevator control allocates cost-optimizing elevators to the destination call inputs. In order to obtain an energy saving without prejudicing the transport capacity of the elevator installation, the elevator control additionally allocates energy-optimizing elevators to the destination call inputs in dependence on the traffic criterion.

A device for reducing the energy consumption is used in an elevator installation which can be alternatively brought into an operating mode and a standby mode wherein in the standby mode the elevator installation is separated from a main energy source and connected with an auxiliary energy source, by means of which basic functions of the elevator installation are maintained so as to enable later entry into the operating mode. The device includes a detecting unit in order to detect a use criterion describing the current use status of the elevator installation. Moreover, a power-saving unit with a microprocessor is provided in order to bring the elevator installation from the operating mode to the standby mode in the case of non-fulfillment of the use criterion and fulfillment of standby criteria and to bring it from the standby mode to the operating mode in the case of non-fulfillment of the standby criteria.

A method for energy storage and recovery for load hoisting equipment powered by an induction hoist motor controlled by a first inverter and having a dual inverter controlling a capacitor utilizing rest power such as reverse power generated from the motor when lowering a load, and unused power at small load or idle, to charge the capacitor whereby energy is stored in the capacitor and the system is reversed when a load is lifted and power is consumed whereby the capacitor is discharged to deliver power to the hoist motor.

The present invention describes a method and an apparatus for storing electric energy needed in an elevator system into a supercapacitor. Furthermore, the invention can be used as a source of reserve power in emergency situations, such as power failures. The supercapacitor is connected together with three switching branches to a rectified signal of the power supply of the motor. By closing and opening the switches, the supercapacitor can be charged when the motor load is small. When the motor load is large or when the power supply fails, the electric energy contained in the supercapacitor can be discharged for use by the motor. In an emergency, the motor drives the elevator at a speed lower than normal and therefore a supply voltage lower than normal is sufficient. Also, energy obtained from braking of the elevator can be stored in the supercapacitor, which has a storage capacity of considerable magnitude as compared to an ordinary capacitor. By applying the invention, the energy consumption of the elevator can be reduced because the waste energy obtained from the power supply can be stored and utilized when more energy is needed.

The present invention pertains to a method for optimal routing of the elevators in an elevator system in a situation where the supply power received by the system is limited e.g. due to emergency power operation. In the invention, routes are optimized by using a cost function to which has been added a term containing the summed instantaneous power consumed. Power consumption is monitored in real time, and the elevators need a start permission from the control system. A route alternative that exceeds the power limit is penalized in the cost function by a so-called penal term. With the elevator routing obtained as a result, the instantaneous power consumed by the system remains continuously below the set power limit. Some call can thus be postponed to be served later. By the method of the invention, the number of elevators serving passengers in an emergency power situation can be varied dynamically.

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a multi-car elevator, shortening user's wait time and eliminating a step in the floor to enable easy getting on and off. SOLUTION: This multi-car elevator includes: a power supply device 15 having a plurality of power transmission parts 16 installed at the respective stop floors of a hoistway 4; a power receiving part 17 provided on a car 1 and constructed so that when the car is landed on the stop floor, the power transmission parts 16 and the power receiving part 17 are located opposite to each other to supply power from the power transmission parts 16; a floor position correcting device 21 provided on the car 1 to adjust the floor height of the car; and a driving force storage device 59 provided on the car or the floor position correcting device 21 to store the driving force for driving the floor position correcting device 21, wherein the driving force is stored by the supply of power. COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

The invention provides an elevator, wherein an electrical storage voltage control device (25) causes electric power charged into an electrical storage device (21) to be discharged to supply DC buses under the condition that a power failure detection device (26) detects power failure. Under the condition that the direction of the electric current detected by an electric current detection device (11) is the direction from a user electrical source (1) to a convertor device (2), namely, a power running direction, the electrical storage voltage control device (25) is judged as at power running to cause the electric power charged into the electrical storage device (21) to be discharged to supply the DC buses. On the other hand, under the condition that the direction of the electric current detected by the electric current detection device (11) is the direction from the convertor device (2) to the user electrical source (1), namely, a regenerating direction, the electrical storage voltage control device (25) is judged as at regenerating running to charge the electrical storage device (21) to regenerate the electric power.

Energy saving methods and apparatus for elevator systems having a plurality of elevator cars operating in a plurality of elevator shafts. The present invention provides methods and apparatus for determining which one of the plurality of elevator cars is to be assigned to a new hall call in order to reduce the net energy consumption of the elevator system over time.

The present invention discloses an extension to a prior-art genetic algorithm, with which the routing of elevators based on the calls given in an elevator system is formed. A new type of gene, a so-called run type gene, is connected to the chromosome of the genetic algorithm according to the invention, with which gene the desired speed profile for the elevator trip can be set. In this way e.g. an upper limit can be set for the acceleration or for the maximum travel speed of the elevator. By means of the run type gene a kinetic energy term is included in the optimization. The energy consumed by the system can thus be minimized more effectively by means of the algorithm, because the varying travel speeds of the elevators create more freedom of choice for the chromosomes of the algorithm.

An elevator group control method for the allocation of calls, in which method a given service time of the elevator group is assigned a target value. The service time may be passenger waiting time, call time, traveling time, riding time or an average value of one of these quantities. The method aims at fulfilling the assigned target value in such a way that the energy consumption of the elevator system is minimized. Optimization is implemented using a model of the elevator system, by means of which the desired service time can be predicted. This prediction is utilized in a controller controlling the optimizer. This makes it possible to improve the construction and operation of the controller and optimizer so that the energy consumption of the elevator system can be reduced while the condition regarding the target service time is fulfilled at the same time.

A method and system determine peak power consumption over time by a bank of elevator for servicing a set of passenger hall calls and delivery requests, and selecting elevator schedules that keep peak power consumption below a predetermined threshold. For each car in response to receiving a hall call, a set of all possible paths to service all hall calls assigned to the car are determined, in which each path includes a set of all possible segments. A peak power consumption for each possible segment is also determined. The peak power consumptions for the set of all possible segments for each time instant are added to determine a total peak power consumption for each time instant, and a particular path is selected as a schedule to operate the bank of elevator cars, if the total peak power consumption for any instant in time while operating according to the selected schedule is below a predetermined threshold.

The battery counterweighted elevator is adapted for rack and pinion or cable traction elevators. The elevator uses electrical power from a solar cell array to charge or recharge storage batteries, which, in turn, provide the electrical power to drive the elevator. The storage batteries serve as counterweights for at least a substantial portion of the weight of the elevator car, and travel up and down opposite the car. A traveling cable connects the elevator car with the batteries in the counterweight in the case of the rack and pinion elevator, with the cable providing power to the drive motor situated with the car and also providing control of the system from the car. The cable traction elevator has a traveling control cable extending to a fixed junction box, with power supplied from the batteries to the junction box and thence to the fixed motor at the top of the hoistway.

Provided is an integration drive control device for a supercapacitor energy storage type elevator. Integration processing of an elevator running control subsystem and an elevator energy-saving control subsystem is proposed, the integration drive control device for the supercapacitor energy storage type elevator is designed, the effect that two control subsystems share one Central Processing Unit(CPU) processor is achieved, a system hardware structure is simplified, and system debugging difficulty is lowered. At the same time, a storage battery and a management module of the storage battery are added in the elevator energy-saving control subsystem on the one hand to serve as an additional power module of an elevator and on the other hand to serve as a storage unit for feedback energy of the elevator, and work together with a supercapacitor under certain conditions to supply electric energy for elevator running.

The invention relates to the field of elevators, aims to provide a method for saving energy, lowering consumption and particularly solving the problem of high energy consumption during operation rush time of elevators. The technical scheme adopted by the invention is as follows: a cluster control dispatching method of energy-saving elevators in dynamic subareas during rush time is realized by means of a cluster controller and comprises the following steps of: acquiring the current positions and operation directions of all the elevators by the cluster controller, acquiring all information of passengers inside and outside the current lift car by using a destination floor registration plate, and carrying out rolling dynamic optimization on service floor subareas of all the elevator accordingto a system energy consumption minimizing rule; during dynamic optimization, calculating the total system energy consumption of the current subarea, the total system energy consumption of an ascending subarea and the total system energy consumption of a descending subarea by using the cluster controller, comparing the three kinds of energy consumption, and carrying out dynamic subarea adjustment on all the subareas in an energy consumption minimum positioning way, so that the energy-saving optimization of cluster control dispatching during rush time is realized. The method is mainly applied to elevator dispatching control occasions.

A method of controlling an elevator installation with several elevators, in which destination call inputs of passengers are input by destination call input apparatus and in which at least one traffic criterion, which characterizes a traffic intensity, of the elevator installation is measured by an elevator control, wherein the elevator control allocates cost-optimizing elevators to the destination call inputs. In order to obtain an energy saving without prejudicing the transport capacity of the elevator installation, the elevator control additionally allocates energy-optimizing elevators to the destination call inputs in dependence on the traffic criterion.

The present invention relates to an elevator, which is characterized in that it has a cage call registration device, an elevator control device (3) for controlling the elevator apparatus containing the cage call registration device, and a power supply control section (9) for maintaining the power supply to the call registration device of the elevator apparatus and cutting off the power supply to other devices when the running status is at a valley state.

Energy saving methods and apparatus for elevator systems having a plurality of elevator cars operating in a plurality of elevator shafts are disclosed. The present invention provides methods and apparatus for determining which one of the plurality of elevator cars is to be assigned to a new hall call in order to reduce the net energy consumption of the elevator system over time.

The invention relates to a cluster controller of elevators, comprising an ARM microprocessor, an external periphery device, a CAN bus communication module and an Ethernet communication module, wherein the ARM microprocessor is responsible for the real-time dynamic distribution of the call-out sequence of the elevator group control network in multithread way, and the transmission of the state information of each single elevator of the elevator group control network to the remote monitor server. The CAN bus communication module is used to receive the state information and the calling elevator information, and transmit the real-time group control result to the single-elevator controller to achieve the group control of the elevators. The Ethernet communication module is used to connect the cluster controller with the outer monitor workstation, and transmit the operation status information and the failure information of each elevator under the group control status to the monitor workstation. The invention meanwhile provides a method of elevator group control. The cluster controller of elevators has the advantages of guaranteeing the continuity and stability of the operation of the dispatch algorithm of the elevator group control, short response time of the elevator group control, better operation stability, energy saving and cost saving.

The invention relates to a microcomputer controlled and storage battery driven high-rise building fire high-speed escape elevator which comprises an evacuation escape elevator hall arranged in each unit or each house on each floor of a high-rise building, a high-speed escape elevator host configured in each evacuation escape elevator hall with the power supplied by a storage battery, a controller respectively arranged in the evacuation escape elevator hall and the high-speed escape elevator host with the power supplied by the storage battery; and in case of fire, the controller is operated, the high-speed escape elevator host carrying escapers is moved out of the high-rise building wall from the evacuation escape elevator hall, and is lowered onto the ground at high speed. The microcomputer controlled and storage battery driven high-rise building fire high-speed escape elevator has the advantages of safety, quickness, no restriction by the floor height and easy operation, and is convenient for the crew in the high-rise building to quickly escape immediately.

The invention relates to an elevator rescue operating system. A group management control device (11) can be turned to the battery operating mode during the blackout, wherein the elevator-waiting hall calls call can be preferentially distributed to the numbering machines capable of answering the elevator-waiting hall through the regenerated operating, and a battery (51) can be charged by the electricity generated by the regenerated operating. When the numbering machine called by the elevator-waiting hall runs towards the sheltering direction, the target floor can be determined by the power state by the operating according to the relation between the occupancy rate and the over occupancy rate of the numbering machine, thereby the numbering machine can run towards the target floor. The elevator can run as long as possible during the blackout, and the cabin can not stop between the floors, thereby the delayed passengers can safely escape.

An elevator drive assembly (20) includes a motor (28), drive (32) and a capacitive energy storage device (50). In a disclosed example, the capacitive energy storage device (50) comprises at least one nano-gate capacitor (52). The disclosed example has unique energy storage capabilities provided by the presence of the at least one nano-gate capacitor.

A method for energy storage and recovery for load hoisting equipment powered by an induction hoist motor controlled by a first inverter and having a dual inverter controlling a capacitor utilizing rest power such as reverse power generated from the motor when lowering a load, and unused power at small load or idle, to charge the capacitor whereby energy is stored in the capacitor and the system is reversed when a load is lifted and power is consumed whereby the capacitor is discharged to deliver power to the hoist motor.