Future of Rollercoasters
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Be polite and ignore the idiots. - rollergator
"It's not a Toomer" - Arnold Schwartzenkoph
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Summer 03-CP, HP, Canobie, SFNE, SFWOA, and SFGAm.
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Save LeSourdesville Lake!!! It was the best park ever!!!
Riding on the Future
The comfortable lap bar ratchets down firmly and the sleek aluminum coaster train noses to the front of the station. On the word "dispatch" it explodes out of the station and up the side of a skyscraper, only to return down the other side, plummeting to the earth at near supersonic speeds. The train erupts into cheering and smiling once the riders can again breathe. By the year 2050 the technology will be available for a 1500 foot roller coaster that surpasses speeds of 180 mph using advancements that don't endanger the passenger, due to the tolerance of the human body and many technological advancements.
There is no question whether or not a coaster will be able to achieve a height of 1500 feet, the question is how soon. Just looking at past trends it is evident that in increments of 100 feet, height limits are broken at increasing rates. The first coaster to break 100 feet was Serpent Fire in Mexico in the year 1964 (Rathe). The barrier of 205 feet was not broken until 35 years later, 1989, when Cedar Point debuted Magnum XL-200 at 205 feet tall (Rathe). Cedar Point eclipsed this coaster eleven years later with the addition of Millennium Force in 2000 at 310 feet (Rathe). Just three years later in 2003, Cedar Point once again outdid themselves, when they unveiled Top Thrill Dragster at a staggering 420 feet (Carlton). What at one time took 35 years to achieve, was accomplished in under three years. Following an equation based on these trends, by 2050 an 1868 foot coaster shall be built. It is difficult to anticipate a coaster at 1800 feet because the reactions have yet to be gauged from one that is merely one fourth the size. The height 1500 feet was predicted as that is the height of the world's tallest building, the Petronas towers, which could hypothetically support a coaster, just as a coaster operates today in Las Vegas on the top of a sky scraper (Marden). The height of a roller coaster has nothing to do with safety, but rather the G-forces, or gravitational forces acting on riders and altered by roller coasters (Pushing the Limits). As the technology for height increases, so does the technology for safety. The only limit is what the general public is willing to ride, and the cost of these massive coasters (Pushing the Limits). Larger hills are a must, along with wider banked turns and extended straight aways. With this in mind, the bottom of hills and valleys must be in proportion to the speed at which the coaster is traveling and the height at which it has descended. According to Rob Decker, Corporate Vice President of Planning and Designing for Cedar Fair, LP "The possibilities could be endless" (Top Thrill Dragster...).
Not only will coasters reach unprecedented heights, but they will also reach phenomenal speeds due to new magnetic acceleration technology aiding them to surpass speeds of 180 mph. The speed at which a coaster accelerates has been studied numerous times and found to have no relation to brain damage (O'Brien). In fact, no injuries reported on coasters are related to speeds (O'Brien). A study at Six Flags Inc. says fast accelerations are safe to the riders (O'Brien). "What the human body can handle revolves around G-forces, not height and speed. A coaster that stands 100 feet tall and reaches speeds of 50 mph may have higher forces than a 200 foot, 75 mph coaster and therefore have more dramatic effects on the human body" (Pushing the Limits). In the past, the coasters speed was achieved from the first drop after the lift hill, or a large hill with a chain. In the 20th century brakes could not handle a ride that was too fast and with high speeds coasters constructed out of wood would be torn apart (Sandy). Higher speeds were achieved through the development of steel coasters in the 1970s by Schwarzkopf and Arrow Dynamics Inc. (Sandy). It was not until 1996 that locomotion and acceleration changed by using magnets on the Outer Limits: Flight of Fear by Premier Rides. New LIMs (Linear Induction Magnets) were added to accelerate the coaster at high speeds. A current was applied to the track which held metal boxes that fins on the coaster train slid through. Electricity was used to magnetize the metal and could be reversed to stop the coaster, or applied at a higher current to increase the speed of the coaster (Sandy). An acceleration of 0-53 mph in 4 seconds was achieved in 1996 (Sandy). The next landmark discovery was made when new LSMs (Linear Synchronous Magnets) were used on Superman The Ride to create an attraction and repulsion effect to move the coaster very fast (Sandy). This was first applied by the Intamin company for a 100 mph acceleration. Bolliger and Mabillard designed their wheel launch on the Incredible Hulk at Islands of Adventure with wheels on the track that interacted with the coaster taking it up the lift hill (Sandy). A more efficient launch was discovered that would always launch at the same speed and consistency, compressed air. In 1999 Thrust Air 2000 made a coaster accelerate from 0-80 mph in just 1.8 seconds (Sandy). Presently, there is technology that appears to be very promising, maglev, or magnetic levitation (Bonsor). Maglev allows a train to float over the track using magnets, riding on a pocket of air without any wheels causing friction (Bonsor). Because maglev is so new on the market, it is yet to become sophisticated enough for coasters. It requires many components that are impossible at the present time on roller coasters, such as a level surface so the train does not hit the track. When used on trains in Germany and Japan that travel on an almost perfectly level track, trains can reach speeds faster than 300 mph (Bonsor). Maglev has indeed entered the amusement park world, but this is only through the use on monorails and other fast transportation systems (Bonsor). At the current time it is extremely expensive and is a large investment for an amusement park due to the fact that it is the newest technology in transportation (Bonsor). After a great deal of tweaking its future will allow for use on coasters.
Some feel that reaching such great speeds requires better restraints, and looking to the future it is apparent that comfort, security, and efficiency will be the main concerns of coaster companies. Current restraints, OTSR's (over the shoulder restraints) cause much headbanging on standard looping coasters, offering a very rough ride (Sandy). Morgan Manufacturing introduced lap bars on the looping Steel Phantom in the 1990's to make a smoother ride (Sandy). The lap bar also allows for a better view for the rider. In 2001 lap bars were installed into launched coasters for the first time such as Flight of Fear (Sandy). The thought of lap bars on launched coasters was never even a thought until the 1990s (Sandy). The most recent coaster to have lap bars is Top Thrill Dragster (Sandy). Top Thrill Dragster reaches speeds of 120 mph and travels straight up and straight down. The angle of descent of a ride is insignificant as long as the rider is snug and properly secured with a seat belt and lap bar. B&M revamped the lap bar and designed the "comfortable" lap bars to keep riders' feet up off the floor and safely in the seat (Sandy). These bars cover the entire lap while allowing for tremendous air time, or negative G-Forces. OTSR's won't be necessary on tall, fast coasters any longer. Riders sit low in his or her seat on Top Thrill Dragster, enjoying the ride simply with a seat belt and a lap bar (Top Thrill Dragster...). Rides four times this height will only be safer with the development of new hydraulic locking lap bars.
Safety will always be of the utmost importance. To guarantee safety rules and regulations were created and commissions were formed to ensure compliance. It has been proven that fatalities are rare on roller coasters (Elvin). In the history of Six Flags, only nine cases of brain injuries were reported, none of which were directly related to the ride (Elvin). The number of injuries on amusement rides is less than that of children's wagons (Elvin). New commissions are being petitioned to nationally regulate rides. The neck, head and back are the most vulnerable when riding coasters, and much is being investigated to have cutting edge technology to keep these safe (Elvin). Study after study says that coasters will not cause brain damage (Elvin). Amusement parks were proven to be safer than other recreational and leisure activities (Elvin). Currently, the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) thoroughly inspects all carnival rides for safety purposes (Elvin). Safety on coasters revolves mainly around G-forces. G-forces are pushes on riders that affect them horizontally, vertically, positively and negatively. Roller coasters very rarely push 4-5 G-forces and when this is done, it is only momentarily. Different people can handle different amounts and duration levels. During a sneeze G-forces are experienced which are far more than any coaster in the world. Before a coaster is even manufactured, it is carefully mapped out taking the G-forces into consideration and designing around them to assure rider safety and comfort. Computers and mapping before construction will only allow them to be safer and smoother as time progresses. Since the duration of G-forces is such an unsafe factor, high G's are not sustained on coasters, but rather applied very shortly to nudge the rider and add to the effect of the ride. Coming from an expert when dealing with gravitational forces and in reference to roller coasters causing brain injuries from high G-forces, Shuttle Captain Gibson said, "This is just runaway sensationalism and hogwash" (Emmons). G-Forces haven't increased over the years but have rather lessened from the coasters in the early 1800's that caused riders to pass out. If the G-forces don't increase then the coasters will remain safe as long as the other components stay in check. Ed Markey of the House of Representatives tries to prove that coasters are unsafe, and after many years he is still unsuccessful (Elvin). Agencies will still regulate 50 years from now, and currently they have 30 years experience assuring riders that their favorite rides are safe.
One technological advancement alone does not reshape a roller coaster. Rather, a plethora of changes can reshape the future. With the heights of coasters increasing to an unlimited ceiling it is only expected that by 2050 coaster technology will be available for staggering heights. Also, along with the height, the speed will increase whether it be by maglev technology or even just gravity reaching terminal velocity at around 180 mph. These revolutionary changes could only be possible if the OTSR was installed on the coaster, but engineers will once again defy physics and install the minimum lap bars, all while staying completely safe and obeying the G-forces the human body can withstand. Because of the tolerance of the human body and many technological discoveries, by the year 2050 the technology will be available for a 1500 foot roller coaster that surpasses speeds of 180 mph using advancements that don't endanger the passenger. Just as Monty Jasper, Cedar Point's Vice President of maintenance says, "We can definitely get bigger and faster" (Everett).
*** This post was edited by coasterzak 6/4/2003 11:42:52 PM ***
You may want to include more sources on safety than Elvin if you ever decide to expand the paper.
/em thinks of a 1500 foot roller coaster with lapbars and runs away screaming :D
And that person that said a standing floorless would be cool , It seems like the reason for floorless costers is to have no floor , SO THERE WOULD BE NOTHING TO STAND ON!!!!!!!!!!
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This place would be be a nightmare for midgets.
A possible idea is combining 3-D features with coasters which would see cinema type screens infront of riders or in some kind of helmet that you would wear making the journey more realistic. eg for a top gun style coaster the 'film' could be shown from the pilots perspective and would involve him/her (no bias here) performing manouevres in sequence with inversions and elements on the track. So when the pilot executes a zero-g roll or gets the jet to dive on the 'film', the coaster does the same. This would make the ride a lot more interesting for riders in the back of trains who only get to see the back of another train plus some limited amounts of scenery. This idea may (probably) have been done or thought of before but I think it really could happen and would take coastering forward, in fact I'm sure the new Mummy coaster at Universal Studios could be doing something similar. The only thing is that you would lose some of the effects of 'real' scenery but this could be compensated for.
A possible idea is combining 3-D features with coasters which would see cinema type screens infront of riders or in some kind of helmet that you would wear making the journey more realistic. eg for a top gun style coaster the 'film' could be shown from the pilots perspective and would involve him/her (no bias here) performing manouevres in sequence with inversions and elements on the track. So when the pilot executes a zero-g roll or gets the jet to dive on the 'film', the coaster does the same. This would make the ride a lot more interesting for riders in the back of trains who only get to see the back of another train plus some limited amounts of scenery. This idea may (probably) have been done or thought of before but I think it really could happen and would take coastering forward, in fact I'm sure the new Mummy coaster at Universal Studios could be doing something similar. The only thing is that you would lose some of the effects of 'real' scenery but this could be compensated for.
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