Adrian Godwin gives the world an EESU powered elevator....key if you want your elevator to be powered without a power cable always plugged in...or in case the power supplied by that line fails. Hhhhmmm, how many traditional ultracaps would it take to pull off such a feat? My guess is about 2 trillion but I didn't get very far in math.
It's a good read, so I'll quote at length:
In a vertical transportation device as disclosed herein, a capacitive device is used as the primary power delivery system to provide power to the stator of a fixed magnet linear motor system. The capacitive device is carried by the passenger cabin and may be used instead of or in conjunction with an emergency power supply. During ascent of the passenger cabin the capacitive device provides power to the stator 120. In this way, the passenger cabin may make an upward journey without receiving power from an external source after it has left the ground floor. The capacitive device receives a full charge or a top-up charge at the lowest point of its cycle. The charge is delivered to the capacitive device from an external power source via electrical contacts on the passenger cabin.
In descent of the passenger cabin, the linear motor may be used as a generator by connecting an electrical load to the stator. The linear motor then acts to retard the descent of the cabin and to generate electricity, which is used to recharge the capacitive device. Thus, in a complete ascent and descent cycle of the passenger cabin, the capacitive device loses only a small proportion of its charge, the proportion dependent on the motor and generator efficiency, and losses due to, for example, friction. Top-up charging is also required to replace the power consumed by the on-board electrical systems of the passenger cabin during its cycle around the shafts. This charge loss is overcome by top-up charging the capacitive device at least once during a cycle of ascent and descent. This charge takes place at the bottom of the cycle to ensure the passenger cabin has enough energy to reach the top of the building.
5 comments:
I am far more interested in seeing a bus system that uses EESTORS/Cheap ultra-caps. Simply allow the bus to charge at each stop, and provide enough storage to move about 2-4 stops (safety factor).
This is a response to 9/11. In the world trade centre some elevators went only to two sky-lobbies on the 44th floor and 75 floor. The elevator shafts below these floors took no damage. If the elevators were independently powered then those that ran from the ground to the 44th floors would have been usable in both buildings. In one building the ones from the 75th floor could have been used. The crash triggered breaker switches that cut the power.
With the elevators running from the sky-lobbies to the ground people would have got out 5 times faster. The fire fighters would have got to the 75th floor quickly and would have been the only people in the building with a quick way out when the structure failed.
With better blast protection on the elevator shafts the elevators would have been still available to get the people above the fire out though they may have got a bit cooked.
Several new buildings have elevators systems that keep running through a fire crisis or other disaster but they need independent power.
Such a scheme could save energy usage in buildings.
I have a Maxwell UltraCap array in my lab; 63F, 125V, approx $6K. It could easily meet the energy storage requirements described in the patent.
Good idea this. No need for counterweight as in conventional elevator. I like it. Shouldn't be eligible for a patent in my opinion (too obvious). Anyway, I dont think this patent is in any way related to EESTOR.
Why not have a battery powered elevator like a hybrid car? Batteries to power the elevator while it is going up, and some type of regenerative breaking device on the way down that recharges the batteries. If the battery gets too low, it would switch over to the buildings power supply while the batteries recharge.
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