Adjustable Water-Brake Rails for Consistent Ride Deceleration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional water rides face inefficiencies due to constant braking force in the run-out section, leading to uneven deceleration rates for vehicles of varying weights, causing operational challenges such as vehicle-to-vehicle bumping and reduced ride quality.
Innovation Solution
The run-out section is designed to adjust the height of its rails based on vehicle weight, varying the water depth and thus the braking force to ensure proportional drag for vehicles of different weights, using either passive spring members or active actuatable components to maintain consistent deceleration rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If constant braking force is used in the run-out section, then the structure is simple and easy to operate, but vehicles of different weights experience uneven deceleration rates causing operational challenges
Solution Approach 1:
The run-out section transitions from a static, fixed-geometry structure to a dynamic system where the water depth is actively adjusted based on vehicle weight. Weight sensors detect the vehicle mass, and actuators modify the rail height to vary water depth, creating a braking force that adapts to each vehicle's weight for consistent deceleration rates
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical parameter of water depth in the run-out section based on vehicle weight. By adjusting the rail height through actuators, the water depth parameter is modified to proportionally increase braking force for heavier vehicles, ensuring uniform deceleration across different vehicle masses
2Speed
If water depth is increased to provide stronger braking, then deceleration rate improves, but lighter vehicles are over-braked and stopped too quickly
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the water depth parameter based on detected vehicle weight. Lighter vehicles encounter shallower water depth resulting in reduced braking force, while heavier vehicles experience deeper water depth and proportionally stronger braking, optimizing deceleration for each case without over-braking light vehicles
Solution Approach 2:
Weight sensors provide feedback on vehicle mass before the vehicle enters the run-out section. This weight information is used by the control system to pre-adjust the water depth via actuators, creating a closed-loop system that optimizes braking performance and maintains ride capacity by preventing unnecessary stops
3Reliability
If rail height is adjusted proportionally to vehicle weight, then deceleration rates become consistent, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The run-out section incorporates dynamic elements including adjustable rails mounted on actuators and weight sensors. These components enable the system to automatically adapt to different vehicle weights by modifying rail height and water depth, achieving consistent deceleration despite the increased structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses weight sensors to automatically detect vehicle mass and triggers actuators to self-adjust the rail height and water depth accordingly. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual intervention or complex control systems, achieving proportional braking through automated feedback-based adjustment
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
This solution ensures that all vehicles, regardless of weight, are slowed at a similar rate and distance, improving ride efficiency and reducing the likelihood of vehicle-to-vehicle collisions, thereby enhancing the overall ride experience and capacity.
Implementation Method 1
the track in the run-out section runs through a chute or pool of water at a depth that causes at least a portion of a vehicle riding on the rails to contact a depth of the water to cause vehicle braking
Implementation Method 2
The adjusting means may include a plurality of spring members disposed between vertical track supports in the pool and the at least one rail
Data Source
AI summary
A water ride including vehicles that ride on a track and using water for braking. A run-out section of the track is provided after a drop or down chute section, and the track in the run-out section runs through a pool of water at a depth causing at least a portion of a vehicle riding on the rails to contact a depth of the water to achieve vehicle braking. Significantly, the new water ride is adapted to adjust or set a variable height of the rails in the run-out chute or pool to adjust the depth of water providing water drag on a vehicle traveling through the run-out section based on the vehicle weight. A braking force is applied by the water that is proportional to vehicle weight, and the water ride may be thought of as slowing vehicles with a range of weights at about the same deceleration rate.