A Race to the Top
Traffic speeds in many major cities such as New York and London rarely exceed 30 mph, either because of congestion or road regulations. But anyone who wants to travel vertically at 45 mph will be able to do so in the next generation of elevator technology.
Japanese corporation Hitachi plans to install the world’s fastest elevators in the Guangzhou CFT Finance Centre in China when it opens in 2016. Two elevators will travel the entire height of the building from the first to the 95th floor — a total of 440 metres — in just 43 seconds, at an average speed of 44.7 mph.
By using state-of-the-art technologies for drive and controlling the lifting mechanisms, Hitachi intends to provide a comfortable and secure ride for passengers.
Toshiba the Current Record Holder
The Guangzhou development means that Hitachi will take over Toshiba’s crown for producing ultra-fast elevators. Hitachi won this crown first in 1968, when it installed elevators travelling at 300 metres per minute, or 11.2 mph, in the Kasumigaseki Building in Tokyo, the first skyscraper to be constructed in Japan.
According to the Guinness Book of Records, Toshiba introduced the world’s fastest elevator ride in 2004 in the TAIPEI 101 building – previously known as the Taipei Financial Centre — in the Taiwanese capital. These elevators travelled from the building’s first floor to its 89th floor in just 39 seconds at a speed of 37.6 mph.
Traction and Air Pressure Controls
Toshiba developed a traction machine system to drive and control the elevators. A special frame eliminates electromagnetic vibration and so provides a quiet ride even when the lift is travelling at top speed. The traction is provided by a permanent magnet synchronous motor with an output of 168 kilowatts per 254 passengers.
The company’s engineers also developed controls that provide an air exchange in the elevator car. This controls the air pressure and so avoids any discomfort to passengers that sudden air pressure changes could cause.
The Hitachi elevator drive system will also run on a permanent magnet synchronous motor drive. Hitachi will use braking materials that have an extremely high heat resistance. This means that the elevator can be stopped safely at ultra-high speeds in the event of any breakdown without over-heating the brakes.
Hitachi has also developed a proprietary technology to adjust air pressure in the car as it rises. Further passenger comfort is ensured in the form of guide rollers that will be able to detect any warping in the elevator guide rails and any vibration due to wind pressure as the car rises and descends. A device given the appropriate name of ‘governor’ will activate control equipment if the elevator speed exceeds safety limits.
While completion of the Guangzhou building and its elevator system means that Hitachi will regain is high-speed elevator crown, it’s only a matter of time before Toshiba, or another competitor, returns with a faster version.
