Mitsubishi Electric Corp announced the overview of its ultra-high-speed elevator developed for the 632-meter Shanghai Tower under construction in Shanghai, China.
For the traction motor of the elevator, Mitsubishi Electric employed a parallel drive system that uses two three-phase winding coils for each motor and controls the two three-phases with two control panels. By using two compact control panels, the company enabled to design the layout of a machinery room more freely while increasing output power. The operation of the elevator is scheduled to begin in 2014.
To realize the world's fastest speed of 1,080 m per minute, Mitsubishi Electric used new technologies for higher safety, lifting height and comfort as well as for the motor for the winch. Specifically, to enhance safety, the company employed a two-tiered brake (the company's former product has a one-tiered brake) for emergency stop and used fine ceramic with a heat resistance of up to about 1,000°C for the brake shoe.
The buffer (shock absorber) at the bottom of the elevator shaft is comprised of three tiers (the former product has a one-tiered butter) and has a stroke of 7.3 meters, which is about 30% shorter than the stroke of the former product's buffer.
For the "sfleX-rope," a rope for the winch, Mitsubishi Electric employed a new structure so that it can hold a greater weight of a longer rope. The company improved the density of the rope by using a concentric-layered steel wire and filled the gap between the layers with plastic.
As a result, the company increased breaking load by 85% while increasing mass per unit length only by 18%. The new rope is less extensible. So, when people get in the elevator, it does not shake vertically much.
This time, Mitsubishi Electric newly developed a control cable that is 20% lighter than the one used for the former product.
For the comfort, the new elevator is equipped with the "active roller guide," which detects vibration and applies anti-phase vibration to it so that the vibration of the car is reduced. While two units of the active roller guide are installed in the bottom of the former product, Mitsubishi Electric added two more to the upper side of the new elevator because a different type of vibration is applied to the new product when it is moving at an ultra-high speed. As a result, vibration was reduced to about 1/3 that of the former product.
Furthermore, the new elevator is equipped with a streamlined aerodynamic car cover that reduces air resistance as well as an air pressure control device consisting of an air blower, a duct and a box for switching between air intake and emission. As a result, rapid changes in atmospheric pressure can be prevented, reducing passengers' feeling of fullness in the ear. BD+C
Related Stories
| Apr 9, 2014
5 important trends shaping today’s hotel construction market
AEC firms, developers, and investors worldwide are bullish on hotels. Our hospitality Giants share what’s new in this fast-morphing sector.
| Apr 9, 2014
Steel decks: 11 tips for their proper use | BD+C
Building Teams have been using steel decks with proven success for 75 years. Building Design+Construction consulted with technical experts from the Steel Deck Institute and the deck manufacturing industry for their advice on how best to use steel decking.
| Apr 8, 2014
Gehry, Foster unveil plans for Battersea Power Station redevelopment [slideshow]
Phase 3 of the massive redevelopment of the London landmark will include more than 1,300 residential units, a 160-room hotel, and 350,000 sf of retail space.
| Apr 8, 2014
Fire resistive curtain wall helps The Kensington meet property line requirements
The majority of fire rated glazing applications occur inside a building to allow occupants to exit the building safely or provide an area of refuge during a fire. But what happens when the threat of fire comes from the outside? This was the case for The Kensington, a mixed-use residential building in Boston.
| Apr 8, 2014
First look: Zaha Hadid reveals design for dreamy sculptural hotel
Hadid's design, which will become the fifth hotel tower in the City of Dreams entertainment hub in Macau, features a latticed exoskeleton enveloping the building's exterior.
| Apr 8, 2014
Understanding value billing vs. conventional billing
Every company is a sum of the value it delivers to its clients. What differs from one company to the next is how that value is delivered and perceived. All too often, it is based solely on the fee you charge.
| Apr 8, 2014
Science, engineering find common ground on the Northeastern University campus [slideshow]
The new Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building is designed to maximize potential of serendipitous meetings between researchers.
| Apr 8, 2014
40 Under 40 winners: Meet the contractors
Of the up-and-coming AEC professionals to be named to the class of 2014, nine make their living as contractors.
| Apr 7, 2014
40 Under 40 winners: Meet the architects
Of the up-and-coming AEC professionals to be named 40 Under 40 winners by the editors of Building Design+Construction, 21 make their living in the architecture profession.
| Apr 4, 2014
$25 million Orion Jet Center designed by SchenkelShultz now open
As the centerpiece of the 45-acre campus, which is its first phase of a planned 215-acre mixed-use development, the 18,000 square foot executive terminal facility offers spacious passenger areas, administrative space, an executive suite, rental car kiosk, catering and a cafe.
