possibility of using renewable energy.
The ropeway design with self-propelled wagons involves the use of drive motors on each unit of rolling stock instead of a single centralized drive located at one of the stations.
To improve the safety of transportation, passenger comfort and energy efficiency in a fundamentally new design of the passenger wagon of the ropeway, air conditioning systems, regenerative braking, energy storage, automatic control of wagon movement, temperature control inside and outside the cabin, and air speed, as well as integrated security system (cabin return to the station in case of any emergency) are provided.
The following basic parameters of the self-propelled system are provided: maximum wagon movement speed, diameter and type of rope, maximum operating temperatures of the rope system, maximum wind speed, maximum carrying capacity (number of passengers carried per hour), specific energy consumption, capacity of the battery section, power consumption, loading factor, the track length in the plan, reduced wagon movement resistance factor.
The new self-propelled wagon scheme (Fig. 2) contains accumulator batteries for the subsequent accumulation of energy during the journey from the initial station to the destination.
While moving the car down (descent), it is possible to accumulate energy – recharging the battery, which is realized through the use of regenerative braking. Full charging must occur at the station.
Fig. 2. Construction diagram of self-propelled wagon:
1
– carrying rope;
2
– cabin fastening to
the running equipment;
3
– cabin;
4
– accumulator
batteries;
5
– solar panel; 6
– drive wheels
The ropeway with self-propelled wagons is provided a single-rope type; herewith the rope is not haul but only load one. The individual drive of the self-propelled wagon gives the cabin movement relative to the support rope, and the cabins move in the desired direction.
It is provided recharging the batteries from solar energy, as well as to store it for future use.
A significant advantage of this scheme is the ability to stop one wagon at a pick-up and drop-off station.
The utility model “Aerial over-ground transport system” by E. M. Kublanova (Fig. 3) was taken as a prototype of the aerial self-propelled transport system (Fig. 3) [9].
Indicators of the ropeway efficiency are the specific energy consumption and the increase of the efficiency coefficient.
Fig. 3. Aerial over-ground transport system:
1
– support; 2
– lower rail; 3
– moving element of transverse movement confinement; 4
– wagon,
5
– platform; 6
– live cable; 7
– upper rail; 8
– power component; 9
– rollers;
10
– electric motor; 11
– current collector,
12
– clutch elements; 13
– foldaway doors;
14
– power struts
Specific energy consumption is the amount of energy consumed by a ropeway for transporting a unit of a transported cargo (or one person for a ropeway) [2].
The specific energy consumption of the ropeway can be defined as the ratio of the output power of its drive to the ropeway performance (carrying capacity):
where
–
energy
consumption;
D
– drive output
power;
P
–
ropeway
productivity
(carrying
capacity).
Such a criterion allows us to estimate the energy costs for transporting passengers and cargo (by weight, volume, quantity, etc.) [5].
Drive output power:
where
m0
–
wagon weight (empty); m1
– total weight of passengers with luggage; g
– acceleration of gravity; L
– track length in the plan;
Introduction
Throughout
the world, ropeway is called the transport of the future. Modern
transport complexes must fully meet the urban needs of passengers
and freight traffic. Aerial ropeway for any terrain has low
construction and operation costs. Ecological cleanliness, safety,
movement speed, considerable carrying capacity – these factors
have become decisive for the use of ropeway transport not only for
tourist entertainment, but also for passenger transportation along
with the traditional transport modes – by cars, railways, trams
and so on. The use of aerial ropeways helps to reduce the traffic
load on automobile roads. The ropeways can have a long distance
between supports, pass over houses, settlements, forest stands, and
overcome long-range water obstacles.
Aerial
ropeways are a versatile transport mode that has significant
advantages over existing transport that provide transportation of
goods and people. The volume of construction and maintenance costs
for ropeways is much lower than the corresponding values that
characterize other modes of transport [5].
The
use of modern technologies has made it possible to create reliable
transport systems integrated into the urban environment. Economic
efficiency is one of the main indicators of ropeway transport [14].
The use of rope haulage is explained by the lower power consumption
due to the combination of end (and intermediate) destination points
over the shortest distance. There is also a possibility to adjust
the number of cars on the route depending on the line congestion and
the possibility of work automation on the sections between the city
districts.
When designing a ropeway, one searches for an optimum-compromise
solution that meets the requirements of economic efficiency,
manufacturability and safety.
Comparative
evaluation of the effective introduction into operation of wagons
and energy-saving technologies, productivity and economic efficiency
of machines and units is carried out using the operating and reduced
costs [11].
The
rules for the construction and safe operation of aerial ropeways of
the Labor Safety Laws and Regulations 60.2-1.02-14 set safety
requirements for the equipment of ropeways for transportation of
passengers and apply to economic entities regardless of ownership
and organizational and legal forms involved in its manufacture,
installation, dismantling, adjustment, operation, repair,
maintenance and modernization [8].
Let
us compare the types of passenger ropeways by the number of ropes.
In
single-rope ropeways, the rope performs both traction and carrying
functions at the same time. When passing the pick-up and drop-off
zones, it is possible to stop the wagons; at the same time, the
system has high carrying capacity. Single-rope ropeways are becoming
more widespread in today's urban mobility. The main characteristics
of this type of ropeway are as follows [1]:
carrying
capacity –
up to 4,500 people/hour; wagon
movement speed
– up
to
6 m/sec; wagon
capacity
– up
to 10
people.
Two-
and multi-rope ropeways have one haul rope and move along one or two
carrying ropes. Ropeways of these types allow changing the number of
wagons on the track. They also have high capacity, guarantee
extraordinary stability of movement in case of significant increase
in wind speed [6]. The main features of this type of ropeway are as
follows: carrying
capacity –
up to 6,000
people/hour; wagon
movement speed
– up
to
8v
– wagon movement speed; w'
– reduced wagon movement resistance factor; λ – wagon hanging
spacing.
Carrying
capacity of the passenger ropeway:
Then
the energy consumption of the drive:
The
analysis of the obtained dependence shows that the factors that
influence the specific energy consumption are: track
length in the plan
L; wagon
loading coefficient
reduced
wagon movement resistance factor
w'.
Specific
energy consumption for traditional design (with haul rope):
where
f
– resistance factor of wagon movement and haul rope; qТ
–
distributed load taking into account the weight of rope and wagons.
Specific
energy consumption for self-propelled wagons (without haul rope):
Since the
factor f
takes into account the movement resistance of wagons and haul rope
and the coefficient w’–
only the wagon movement resistance,
it can be stated that:
Let
us transform the expressions to determine еHR
to bring it to correspondence with the formula for еw/HR:
Let
w'
≈
f,
then:
where
Δe
–
excess
specific energy consumption caused by the energy consumption for
lifting wagons and moving the haul rope for a ropeway of traditional
design;
.
5
m/sec;