Elevator Travelling Cable Sway Damping via Pressurized Duct
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed elevator systems in tall buildings face issues with travelling cables experiencing excessive swaying due to turbulence and external conditions, leading to entanglement, wear, and maintenance challenges, which existing technologies have not adequately addressed.
Innovation Solution
An elevator system with a travelling cable equipped with a duct connected to a fluid source, where a sensor system detects swaying amplitude and a microprocessor operates the fluid source to pressurize the duct, thereby stiffening the cable and damping excessive oscillations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the travelling cable is made flexible to allow movement with the elevator car, then the ease of operation is improved, but the cable becomes susceptible to swaying and oscillation under high-speed conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the cable's rigidity adjustable rather than fixed. The cable includes a pressurizable duct that can change its structural properties in real-time: flexible when deflated to accommodate movement, and rigid when pressurized to prevent swaying during high-speed operation. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between flexibility and stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by modifying the physical state of the cable through pressure variation. By changing the pressure parameter within the duct, the cable transitions between flexible and rigid states. This allows the same cable to satisfy both requirements: flexibility for normal operation and rigidity for high-speed stability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the cable is stiffened to prevent swaying, then the stability is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to inability to accommodate movement
Solution Approach 1:
The cable system is designed to be dynamic rather than static. The rigidity of the cable can be adjusted in real-time based on operational conditions. During normal movement, the cable remains flexible. During high-speed operation or turbulent conditions, the cable is pressurized to become rigid, preventing swaying. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction between stability and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable rigidity is adjusted periodically or conditionally based on operational needs. The system monitors conditions and pressurizes the cable only when necessary (during high-speed operation or turbulent conditions), rather than maintaining constant rigidity. This periodic adjustment maintains stability when needed while preserving flexibility during normal operation.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a constant rigidity system is used to prevent swaying, then the stability is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The cable system is designed to be self-regulating. The sensor detects cable swaying or operational conditions automatically, and the microprocessor controls pressurization without requiring constant manual intervention or complex external control systems. The system serves itself by monitoring its own state and adjusting accordingly, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback through sensors that monitor cable conditions and operational parameters. This feedback is processed by a microprocessor that adjusts cable pressurization accordingly. The feedback mechanism provides stable control without requiring overly complex systems, as the control loop is straightforward: sense conditions, process information, and adjust pressure as needed.
4Productivity
If the cable is made longer to reach higher floors, then the productivity is improved, but the swaying amplitude increases due to greater cable length
Solution Approach 1:
The cable's rigidity is dynamically adjusted based on operational conditions. During high-speed operation where swaying is more problematic, the cable is pressurized to become rigid, counteracting the destabilizing effect of increased length. This allows the system to maintain both high productivity through increased speed and stability despite longer cable length.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical parameters of the cable are changed in response to operational conditions. By varying the pressure parameter, the cable's effective length and rigidity are adjusted. This allows the system to compensate for the destabilizing effect of longer cable length during high-speed operation, maintaining stability while achieving higher productivity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively reduces swaying amplitude below predetermined thresholds, preventing cable entanglement and wear, thereby reducing maintenance costs and extending the cable's lifespan.
Implementation Method 1
operating the fluid source to pressurize the duct, thereby stiffening the cable and damping excessive oscillations
Data Source
AI summary
An elevator system includes a travelling cable connected to an elevator car and to a hoistway wall. The travelling cable includes an electric conductor and/or a data carrier operatively connected at a first end to a feed source and at a second end to service appliances of the elevator car. A protective layer includes an outer diameter and surrounds the electric conductor and/or data carrier. A duct is connected at a first open end to a fluid source and at a second openable end to the elevator car. A sensor system is configured for detecting swaying amplitude of the travelling cable. A microprocessor is associated to the sensor system and to the fluid source. The microprocessor is configured for receiving swaying amplitude data from the sensor system and for operating the fluid source when the swaying amplitude exceeds a predetermined threshold.