Elevator Shutdown Detection via Sensor Intermediary
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Solution Overview
Problem
Elevator systems often enter shutdown states due to events like overspeed or machine faults, making it difficult for maintenance personnel without access to the controller to determine the system's state, especially when they are not affiliated with the manufacturer.
Innovation Solution
A sensor-based system comprising position, movement, door, and occupancy sensors that detect the shutdown state of an elevator system by monitoring its operating conditions and communicating this information to a remote device, allowing for shutdown detection and clearance without direct access to the controller.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If maintenance personnel do not have access to the elevator controller, then they cannot determine the exact state of the elevator system, but providing access to the controller would compromise system security and manufacturer control
Solution Approach 1:
An independent sensor-based monitoring system acts as an intermediary between the elevator controller and maintenance personnel. The system includes sensors that detect elevator car position, motion state, door status, and occupancy, along with a processor that determines shutdown states based on sensor data. This intermediary provides maintenance personnel with system state information without requiring direct access to the controller, thus resolving the contradiction between information access and controller security.
2Reliability
If the elevator system enters shutdown state due to faults, then safety is improved, but maintenance response time increases due to inability to diagnose the state remotely
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system continuously collects sensor data and provides feedback about the elevator system's operational state and shutdown conditions. The processor analyzes sensor inputs and determines whether the elevator is in a shutdown state, then communicates this information to maintenance personnel. This feedback mechanism enables remote diagnosis of shutdown states, allowing maintenance teams to respond more quickly while the elevator remains in safe shutdown mode when faults occur.
3Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are deployed to monitor elevator operating conditions, then shutdown detection accuracy is improved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system uses multiple sensors (position sensor, motion sensor, door sensor, occupancy sensor) that serve multiple functions. The same sensors that monitor normal elevator operation are also used to detect shutdown states and diagnose fault conditions. This multi-functionality approach improves shutdown detection accuracy without proportionally increasing system complexity, as the sensors perform both routine monitoring and fault detection roles.
Data Source
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AI summary
An elevator system includes an elevator car configured to travel in a hoistway, the elevator car including an elevator car door; a controller configured to control motion of the elevator car; at least one sensor configured to sense an operating condition of the elevator system; and a sensor interface configured to detect a shutdown state of the elevator system in response to the operating condition.