University Of Jordan Faculty of Engineering and Technology Department of Computer Engineering

Electrical Drives

Elevators
A Report

INTRODUCTION An elevator by definition is a platformor anenclosureraisedandloweredinaverticalshafttotransport peopleandfreight.Theshaftcontainstheoperatingequipment,motor,cables,andaccessories. In the 1800s, new iron and steel production processes revolutionized the world of construction. With sturdy metal beams as their building blocks, architects and engineers could erect monumental skyscrapershundredsoffeetintheair.Butthesetowerswouldhavebeenbasicallyunusableifitweren't for another technological innovation that came along around the same time. Modern elevators are the crucial element that makes it practical to live and workdozensofstoriesaboveground.Highrisecities like New York absolutely depend on elevators. Even in smaller multistory buildings, elevators are essentialformakingofficesandapartmentsaccessibletohandicappedpeople. DriveSystems There are two major drive systems designs for elevators nowadays, hydraulic elevators and traction (roped)elevators.

1.HydraulicElevators: Hydraulic elevators are elevators which are powered by a piston that travels inside a cylinder. An electric motor pumps oil into the cylinder to movethepiston.Thepistonsmoothlyliftstheelevatorcab. Electricalvalvescontrolthereleaseoftheoilforagentledescent. Thehydraulicsystemhasthreeparts: Atank(thefluidreservoir) Apump,poweredbyanelectricmotor Avalvebetweenthecylinderandthereservoir The pump forces fluid from the tank into a pipe leading to the cylinder. When the valve is opened,the pressurizedfluidwilltakethepathofleastresistanceandreturntothefluidreservoir.Butwhenthevalve is closed, the pressurized fluid has nowhere to go except into the cylinder. As the fluid collects in the cylinder,itpushesthepistonup,liftingtheelevatorcar. When the car approaches the correct floor, the control system sends a signal to the electric motor to gradually shut off the pump. With the pump off, there is no more fluid flowing into thecylinder,butthe fluid that is already in the cylinder cannot escape (it can't flow backward through the pump, and the valveisstillclosed).Thepistonrestsonthefluid,andthecarstayswhereitis.

To lower the car, the elevator control system sends a signal to the valve. The valve is operated electrically by a basic solenoid switch. Whenthesolenoidopensthevalve,thefluidthathascollectedin the cylinder can flow out into the fluid reservoir. The weight of the car and the cargo pushes down on the piston, which drives the fluid into the reservoir. The car gradually descends. To stop the car at a lowerfloor,thecontrolsystemclosesthevalveagain.

Fig(1): Hydraulic elevator system components.

Hydraulic elevatorsareusedextensivelyinbuildingsuptofiveorsixstorieshigh.Theseelevators,which can operate at speeds up to 61 meters (200 ft) per minute, do not use the large overhead hoisting machinerythewaygearedandgearlesstractionsystemsdo. All modern hydraulicpumpsareeitherequippedwithaSolidStateContactororamechanicalYDelta starter. SolidState Contactor starters are better for the motor and the building'spowersupply, asthe windings last longer and there are no voltage drops across the line of the building's power supply. YDelta starters use two contactorstostartthemotoronareducedspeed,thenkickonfullspeed.Old hydraulic elevators just started up abruptly, sending mains power at full blast right into the motor. This puts a lot of strain on the motor which, in turn, makes it burn out faster than motors on YDelta or SolidStateContactorstarters. The main problem with hydraulic elevators is the size of the equipment. In order fortheelevatorcarto be able to reach higher floors, the pistonandcylindermustbemadelonger.Hydraulicelevatorsrequire that the cylinder structure be buried below the bottom elevator stop. With building over a few stories

tall, this could prove very expensive. To overcome this issue Holeless hydraulic elevators were developed in the 1970s. They use a pair of above ground cylinders, which makes it practical for environmentally or cost sensitive buildings. Another type of hydraulic elevator is roped hydraulic elevator. It uses both above ground cylinders and a rope system, allowing the elevatortotravel further thanthepistonhastomove. A concern thats caused by hydraulic elevators is the possibility of leaking hydraulic oil intothe aquifer and causing potential environmental contamination. This has led to the introduction of PVC liners (casings) around hydraulic cylinders which can be monitoredforintegrity.Someelevatormanufacturers stoppedproducinghydraulicelevatorsduetotheseenvironmentalconcerns. 2.TractionElevators: The most popular elevatordesignisthetraction(roped)elevator.Intractionelevators,elevatorcarsare pulled up by meansofrollingsteelropesoveradeeplygroovedpulley,commonlycalledasheaveinthe industry. The weight of the car is balanced by a counterweight. Sometimes two elevators are built so that their cars always move synchronously in opposite directions, and are each other's counterweight. Traction elevators are much more versatile than hydraulicelevators,aswellasmoreefficient.Typically, theyalsohavemoresafetysystems.

Fig(2): Traction elevator system components.

Traction elevators are either geared or gearless. Geared traction elevators are driven byACorDC electric motors. Themotorturnsageartrainthatrotatesthesheave.When themotorturnsoneway,the sheave raises the elevator when the motor turns the other way, the sheave lowers the elevator. Typically, the sheave, the motor and the control system are all housed in a machine room above the elevatorshaft. While the lift rates are slower than inatypicalgearlesselevator,thegearreductionofferstheadvantage of requiring a less powerful motor to turn the sheave. These elevators typically operate atspeedsfrom 38 to 152 meters per minute and carry loads of up to 13,600 kilograms. An electrically controlled brake between the motor and the reduction unit stops the elevator, holding the car at the desiredfloor level. Contemporary cheaper installations, such as those in residential buildings and lowtraffic commercial applications generally used a single or two speed AC hoist machine. The widespread availability of cheap solid state AC drives has allowed infinitely variable speedACmotorstobeuseduniversally(for ACVV/AC VVVF), bringing with it the advantages of the older motorgenerator based systems, withoutthepenaltiesintermsofefficiencyandcomplexity. In a gearless traction machine, five to eight lengths of wire cable, known as hoisting ropes (or wire ropes), are attached to the topoftheelevatorandwrappedaroundthedrivesheaveinspecialgrooves. The other ends of the cables are attached to a counterweight that moves up and down inthehoistway on its own guide rails. The combined weight of the elevator car and the counterweight presses the cables into the grooves on the drive sheave, providing the necessary traction as the sheave turns. This type of drive system could be employed in buildings of any height and typically operates at speeds greaterthan150metersperminute. The grooved sheave in this traditional gearless systemisquitelarge,from0.6to1.2metersindiameter. The electric motor that runs it must be powerful enough to turn this large drive sheave at 50200 revolutionsperminuteinordertomovetheelevatorattheproperrate.

Counterweight A counterweight is an equivalent counterbalancing weight that balances a load. As mentioned previously, in traction elevators, the ropes that lift the car are connected to a counterweight which hangs on the other side of the sheave. The counterweight is calculated to match the weight of the car and a halfload of passengers. As the car rises, the counterweightdescends,balancingtheload. The purpose of this balance is to conserve energy. With equalloadsoneachsideofthe sheave, it only takesalittlebitofforcetotip the balance one way or the other.Basically, the motor only has to overcome friction the weight on the other side does most of the work.Toputitanother way,thebalance maintains a near constant potential energy level in the system as a whole. Using up the potential energy in the elevator car (letting it descend to the ground) builds up the potential energy in the weight (the weight risestothetopoftheshaft).Thesamethinghappensinreversewhentheelevatorgoesup. Gears An elevator's function is to convert the initial electrical power, which runs the motor, into mechanical power, which can be used by thesystem.Theelevatoriscomposedofamotorand,mostcommonly,a worm gear reducer system. A wormgearsystemismadeupofawormgear,typicallycalledtheworm, and a larger round gear, typically called the worm gear. These two gears which have rotational axes perpendicular to each other, not only decrease the rotational speed of the traction pulley (1), but also change the plane of rotation. By decreasing the rotation speed, with the use of a gear reducer, we are also increasing the output torque, therefore, having the ability to lift larger objects for a given pulley diameter. A worm gear is chosen over other types of gearing possibilities because of its compactness and its ability to withstand higher shock loads. It is also easily attached to the motor shaft, sometimes throughuseofacoupling.Thegearreductionratiostypicallyvarybetween12:1and30:1.

 The motor component of theelevatormachinecanbeeither aDCmotororan ACmotor.A DCmotor has a good starting torque and ease of speed control. An AC motor ismoreregularlyusedbecauseof its ruggedness and simplicity. A motor is chosen depending on design intent for the elevator. Power required to start the car inmotionisequaltothepowertoovercomestatic,orstationaryfriction,andto accelerate the mass from rest to full speed. Considerations that must be included in the choice of an acceptable motor are good speed regulation and good starting torque. In addition, heating of various electricalcomponentsincontinuousserviceshouldnotbeexcessive. Brakes The most common elevator brake is made up of a compressive spring assembly, brake shoes with linings, and a solenoid assembly. When the solenoid is not energized, thespringforcesthebrake shoes to grip the brake drum and induce a braking torque. The magnet can exert a horizontal force for the brake release. This can be done directly on one of the operating arms or through a linkage system. In either case, the result is the same. The break is pulled away from the shaft and the velocity of the elevatorisresumed. In order to improve the stopping ability, a material with a high coefficient of friction is used within the breaks, such as zinc bonded asbestos. A material with too high a coefficient of friction can result in a jerky motion of the car. This material must be chosen carefully. Typically the efficiency of the geared machine is 60 percent for the motor and gearboxassembly.Thisefficiencywasestimatedforaloadof 1130kg,whichmatchesaregularlysizedresidentialelevator,beingdrivenat1.75m/s. Safety Elevators are built with several redundant safety systems that keep them in position. The first line of defense is the rope system itself. Each elevator rope is made from several lengths of steel material wound around one another. With this sturdy structure, one rope can support theweightoftheelevator car and the counterweight on its own. But elevators are built with multiple ropes (between four and eight, typically). In the unlikelyeventthatoneoftheropessnaps,therestwillholdtheelevator up. Even ifalloftheropesweretobreak,orthesheavesystemweretoreleasethem,itisunlikelythatanelevator car would fall to the bottom of the shaft.Ropedelevatorcarshavebuiltinbrakingsystems,orsafeties, thatgrabontotherailwhenthecarmovestoofast. Conventional elevator safety equipment includes an overspeed governor for impeding elevator car movement when a predetermined speed is exceeded. An overspeed governor is an elevator device which act as a stop device in case the elevator runs beyond the rated speed. This device must be

installed in the traction elevators andropedhydraulicelevators.Itincludesaswitch that openswhenthe elevator reaches a predetermined overspeed such as 110% of rated speed. When the switch opens, power is removed from the machine motor and brake. A braking mechanism, actuated in response to movement of the elevator car by motion transmission means, impedes the elevator car. The switch remainsopen,andtheelevatorremainsinoperable,untiltheswitchismanuallyreset.

Fig(4): Double-way overspeed governor.

Elevators also have electromagnetic brakes that engage when the car comes to a stop. The electromagnets actually keep the brakes in the open position, instead of closing them. With thisdesign, the brakes will automatically clamp shut if the elevator loses power. Elevators also have automatic braking systems near the top and the bottom of the elevator shaft. If the elevator car moves too far in eitherdirection,thebrakebringsittoastop. ElevatorControlSystem Nowadays, elevators use microprocessors for control systems. Elevators with microprocessor control first appeared in 1979 when Otis, introduce the Elevonic 101 elevator. This elevator system uses microprocessortocontroleveryaspectoftheelevatoroperation. Beyond the passenger interaction are a series of sensors, controllers, sequences of operation and realtime calculations or algorithms that balance passenger demand and car availability. Elevator sensors provide data on car positions, car moving direction, loads, door status, hall calls, car calls,

pending up hall and down hall calls, number of runs per car, alarms, etc. The elevator controllers are typically Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) that may be configured for a single car, multiple cars or sized by the number of stops and including interfaces for monitoring, voice synthesizers, etc. The controllermayalsohaveafunctionenablingthetestingthesystemswithoutshutdownoftheelevator. RegenerativeElevatorDrives 1.DCElevatorMotorswithSCRDCDriveControls: An SCRDC drive converts utility AC voltage to a variable DC voltage by a selective rectification process known as phase control. The SCRdevicesactlikeswitchestoconnectspecific portions of the AC utilityvoltagesinewavestotheDCmotor.AdjustmentofthephasetimingofeachSCRswitch in relation to the instantaneous AC voltage varies the average DC voltage applied to the motor. A dualSCRbridgecircuitallowsmotorcurrenttoflowineitherdirectiontoandfromutilitylines. Adjusting the average DC output voltageofthe powerconverterinrelationtomotorCEMFcontrols the direction and magnitude of power. The SCR power conversion process is particularly efficient when motoring or regenerating. However, the variablevoltage phase control mechanismdoescreate significantcurrentharmonicsonutilitylinesineitheroperatingmodewithawidelyvaryingpowerfactor. 2.ACElevatorMotorswithInverters: Speed and torque of an AC motor, be it synchronous or asynchronous, is controlled by an electronic power inverter adjusting the frequency and voltage applied to motor terminals. There areseveraltypes of inverters, and all use rapidly controlled electronic switch pulsing (pulsewidth modulation) to convert constant voltagefrom atemporaryDCvoltagesource,orbus,tothreephase,variablevoltage AC at an adjustable frequency. Although various technical schemes are used for precise control, motoring occurs when the voltage and frequency applied to the AC motor is greater than the CEMF generated inside the motor in proportion to rotating speed. Power flows from the DC source, through the inverter and motortothemechanicalload.Whentheappliedvoltageandfrequencyarelessthanthe generated CEMF, the motor will act like a generator. Mechanical power pushing on the shaft is converted to electrical AC power by the motor, and the inverter directs that power back into the DC bus.

3.RegenerativeAddonModules: A powerregeneration module can be added to most conventional motorcontrol inverters to regulate power flow from a DC source back into utility power lines. Operation is similar to a second inverter operating in synchronization with the powerline frequency. When elevator motor and inverter action pumps power back into the DCbus,causingthevoltagetorisehigherthantheutilityline peaks (empty car up or full car down), the regeneration module pushes excess power back into utility lines. This action keeps theriseinDC busvoltageundercontrolsuchthattheDCbrakingresistorisnot used. The energy that would have been wasted as heat in a braking resistor is returned to the utility distribution system. This makes a significant differenceinoverallenergyconsumption,particularlywith alowfrictionPMgearlesselevatorsystem.

Fig(5): How Regenerative Elevator Drive system works

REFERENCES 1. Lubomir Janovsk. Elevator Mechanical Design: principles and concepts. England: Ellis Horwood Limited,1987. 2.DonaldVollrath,Magnetek,Inc.RegenerativeElevatorDrives:What,HowandWhy.Elevator World.June,2010. 3. Tim Hunkin. The Secret Life of the Lift (Secret Life Of Machines Series 3 (1993)byTimHunkin) [videoontheInternet].Availablefrom:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OoVaUP8 4.TomHarris.HowStuffWorks:HowElevatorsWork[Internet]Availablefrom: http://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/enginesequipment/elevator.htm 5. Rhonda Salzmon. MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering, Understanding How Things Work: HowanElevatorWorks.[Internet]Availablefrom: http://web.mit.edu/2.972/www/reports/elevator/elevator.html 6.Elevatorpedia,Multiplearticles.[Internet]Availablefrom: http://elevation.wikia.com/wiki/Elevator_Wiki