Experimental-based study of the aerodynamics of super-high-speed elevators

Abstract

Elevators can be considered to be the most important building services system in a modern super-high-rise building. At the same time, the speed record has also been elevating with recent record of 1010 m/min. The design and construction of super-high-speed elevators are thus demanded. The primary experimental measurements for the aerodynamic characteristics of super-high-speed elevators were conducted using a physical model for simulation. The instantaneous speed of a falling elevator car at five different positions as well as the average pressure in front of and behind the car along the hoistway were measured while four scenaria with different shapes of car design were tested. Parameters associated with the hoistway, including the open ratio and the blockage ratio, varied in the experiments. Results were produced with respect to the car having different shapes and hoistway parameters. The nondimensional pressure differences for different shapes of car and hoistway parameters were analyzed so that several instructive conclusions were arrived at. Finally, a new concept of ‘tunnel effected shape drag’ was introduced based on these experiments and this effect clearly differentiates the aerodynamic performance of a car moving inside a hoistway from a race-car moving on a race-track. Practical application: The speed record of elevators keeps increasing because building are getting taller. The major hurdles to the development of super-high-speed elevators are the aerodynamics. The experiments detailed in this article help us to understand ways to handle the problems and to design elevator cars with shapes that are more aerodynamically friendly. 1 Introduction