Hangerless Cable Vehicle with Servo-Controlled Rollers
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Aerial cable installations, such as cable cars, face challenges in maintaining passenger comfort and stability in urban environments due to rocking and random movements caused by cable sag, which are unacceptable for high-speed urban transport.
Innovation Solution
The use of a servo-controlled vehicle with height-adjustable rollers that follow cable variations, a central unit controlling individual cylinders to maintain the passenger compartment's vertical position, and redundant cable systems to reduce jolts and accidents, allowing for a stable and comfortable ride on curved tracks with reduced infrastructure height and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a cable car uses articulated hangers to support the cabin, then the cabin can adapt to cable slope variations, but the cabin undergoes rocking and random movements that reduce passenger comfort
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle is divided into independent rollers at each corner that can move vertically relative to the passenger compartment. This segmentation allows each roller to independently follow cable variations while the central control system coordinates them to maintain cabin stability, eliminating the rocking motion caused by rigid articulated hangers.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static rigid hanger connection to a dynamic system where rollers can move vertically independently. The central control unit continuously adjusts roller positions in real-time to follow cable variations, providing adaptability without transmitting harmful movements to the cabin.
2Ease of operation
If the vehicle follows the arrow-curved trajectory of the cables, then the vehicle can navigate curved paths, but the cable sag causes unacceptable inclinations for urban transport
Solution Approach 1:
The four rollers are equipped with vertical movement capability and are controlled by a central unit that dynamically adjusts their positions to compensate for cable sag. This allows the vehicle to follow the curved cable path while maintaining the passenger compartment at a constant level, eliminating unacceptable inclinations.
Solution Approach 2:
The central control unit receives feedback from level detectors and inclination sensors to continuously adjust roller positions. This feedback mechanism ensures the passenger compartment maintains a constant level and vertical orientation despite the cable's arrow-curved trajectory.
3Force
If the vehicle is suspended from cables by a hanger system, then the vehicle can be supported, but the infrastructure requires high pylons and extensive support structures
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of suspending the vehicle from above via hangers, the vehicle rolls on top of the cables using four rollers. This inversion of the support mechanism eliminates the need for high pylons and extensive suspension infrastructure, as the cables only need to support the vertical load without requiring complex hanger systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The hanger system is completely removed from the design. The vehicle support function is extracted from the cable suspension system and implemented through direct roller contact with the cables, simplifying the infrastructure requirements and reducing pylon height.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the passenger compartment is kept vertical using height-adjustable rollers and central control, then passenger comfort is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The central control unit performs multiple functions: it coordinates all four rollers, processes data from level detectors and inclination sensors, and maintains the passenger compartment at a constant level. This multi-functionality consolidates control complexity into a single unit rather than requiring separate control systems for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensors mounted on the passenger compartment itself to detect level and inclination, providing self-diagnosis and automatic correction. The rollers automatically adjust their positions based on real-time feedback, reducing the need for external intervention and simplifying overall system operation.
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5~9
Figure 10~12
AI summary
The overhead installation for transporting people in an urban environment comprises two suspension cables (11) which sag in a curved manner and are spaced apart, on which the rollers (16, 18) of a hangerless vehicle run. In the connection between the rollers and the vehicle are interposed vertically operating actuators, controlled by a central unit so as to reduce the transmission, to the cabin of the vehicle, of unwanted movements resulting from the sag of the cables.