How does an S&S work?
Really it seems all S&S's are the same in how they work. The red big pipe in the middle with the 4 yellow tubes on the outside for a spaceshot. But how does the compressed air actually make the cable move and what happens inside of the tubes?
Also, take PT, could the spaceshot/turbo drop side be programmed to do the opposite? Better yet, make it random.
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Kerry - Bright Man of the Elite Eight
Also, take PT, could the spaceshot/turbo drop side be programmed to do the opposite? Better yet, make it random.
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Kerry - Bright Man of the Elite Eight
Here is an exert from an article written by Richard Bonner:
"The "Turbo Drop" prototype is a 60-meter skeletal tower with 4 cylinders in the center that run just about the entire length. Each has a piston with a cable attached. This cable starts from the top center of the piston, runs to the top and outside of the cylinder to a pulley, over top of this pulley and down the outside of the tower. The passenger chairs are attached to this cable which continues below the chairs to another pulley, under that pulley, back inside the cylinder to where it attaches to the bottom center of the piston. The piston and chairs are positioned at opposite ends of the cable to one another. That is, when the piston is at the top of the cylinder, the chairs are down at the bottom of the tower.
At the top of each cylinder is an 7500-liter air supply tank pressurized at about 700 kilopascals (kPa). 100 kilopascals is a typical, average atmosphere pressure at sea level on earth, so this tank is pressurized at about 7 earth atmospheres. (For comparison, typical automobile tires are pressurized at 200 kPa, or 2 atmospheres.) At the bottom of each cylinder is another air tank called the "turbo tank" which controls air pressure under the cylinder.
In operation, the piston is locked at the top of the tower (cylinder) while passengers are loaded at ground level. After securing riders, the piston is released and air slowly introduced above the piston at about 100 kPa, or one atmosphere, while air is allowed to vent at the bottom. This brings the piston down while riders go up. When riders reach the top, the piston is locked again but now at the bottom of the cylinder. Air is then vented from the top of the cylinder above the piston, the piston lock is released, and the turbo tank introduces air at high pressure underneath the cylinder propelling it quickly upwards while riders fall quickly down (faster than free fall). As the riders near the bottom and piston nears the top, the air above the piston can't escape fast enough so it builds up pressure, creating a spongy, spring effect. This is what causes the bounce to the riders. Braking and bounce are regulated by adjusting the amount of air introduced under the piston and by varying the amount of air being released above the piston. When riders settle down to earth, the piston is once again locked at the top and the cycle starts over again.
Remember there are four cylinders/pistons/cables/air tanks, each attached to one set of chairs on each side of the tower. Since all chairs on all sides of the tower are attached together, this makes for great safety. In the event of a failure in any one or even two of the cylinder set-ups, the other three or two set-ups can still operate the ride. In the event of a tank or valve failure, the load of an unpowered cylinder would slow things down but not compromise safety. I don't know, but am guessing that there are likely multiple valves for each cylinder, so if one fails, air could still be regulated by the others. This would unbalance the ride somewhat but still allow air to be introduced or escape (as the case may be), so that the force of the other three cylinder would not tear the passenger chair assembly apart."
Hope that helps some!
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James Draeger
http://draegs.tripod.com/
"Legend is a wooden Jesus"
"The "Turbo Drop" prototype is a 60-meter skeletal tower with 4 cylinders in the center that run just about the entire length. Each has a piston with a cable attached. This cable starts from the top center of the piston, runs to the top and outside of the cylinder to a pulley, over top of this pulley and down the outside of the tower. The passenger chairs are attached to this cable which continues below the chairs to another pulley, under that pulley, back inside the cylinder to where it attaches to the bottom center of the piston. The piston and chairs are positioned at opposite ends of the cable to one another. That is, when the piston is at the top of the cylinder, the chairs are down at the bottom of the tower.
At the top of each cylinder is an 7500-liter air supply tank pressurized at about 700 kilopascals (kPa). 100 kilopascals is a typical, average atmosphere pressure at sea level on earth, so this tank is pressurized at about 7 earth atmospheres. (For comparison, typical automobile tires are pressurized at 200 kPa, or 2 atmospheres.) At the bottom of each cylinder is another air tank called the "turbo tank" which controls air pressure under the cylinder.
In operation, the piston is locked at the top of the tower (cylinder) while passengers are loaded at ground level. After securing riders, the piston is released and air slowly introduced above the piston at about 100 kPa, or one atmosphere, while air is allowed to vent at the bottom. This brings the piston down while riders go up. When riders reach the top, the piston is locked again but now at the bottom of the cylinder. Air is then vented from the top of the cylinder above the piston, the piston lock is released, and the turbo tank introduces air at high pressure underneath the cylinder propelling it quickly upwards while riders fall quickly down (faster than free fall). As the riders near the bottom and piston nears the top, the air above the piston can't escape fast enough so it builds up pressure, creating a spongy, spring effect. This is what causes the bounce to the riders. Braking and bounce are regulated by adjusting the amount of air introduced under the piston and by varying the amount of air being released above the piston. When riders settle down to earth, the piston is once again locked at the top and the cycle starts over again.
Remember there are four cylinders/pistons/cables/air tanks, each attached to one set of chairs on each side of the tower. Since all chairs on all sides of the tower are attached together, this makes for great safety. In the event of a failure in any one or even two of the cylinder set-ups, the other three or two set-ups can still operate the ride. In the event of a tank or valve failure, the load of an unpowered cylinder would slow things down but not compromise safety. I don't know, but am guessing that there are likely multiple valves for each cylinder, so if one fails, air could still be regulated by the others. This would unbalance the ride somewhat but still allow air to be introduced or escape (as the case may be), so that the force of the other three cylinder would not tear the passenger chair assembly apart."
Hope that helps some!
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James Draeger
http://draegs.tripod.com/
"Legend is a wooden Jesus"
Thanks, that pretty much covers it. What is the big cylinder in the middle for though?
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Kerry - Bright Man of the Elite Eight
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Kerry - Bright Man of the Elite Eight
thanks... now i have the comfort of knowing that theres just four little cables between me and certain death
what would happen if the power went out and the valves wouldn't close or something?
*crash* hehe *** This post was edited by Wackokid on 7/6/2001. ***
what would happen if the power went out and the valves wouldn't close or something?
*crash* hehe *** This post was edited by Wackokid on 7/6/2001. ***
Wackokid said:
"thanks... now i have the comfort of knowing that theres just four little cables between me and certain death
what would happen if the power went out and the valves wouldn't close or something?
*crash* hehe
In the event of a power outage, the S&S pneumatic towers automatically slowly release air from the tanks and the rider carts are brought down gently.
The big cylinder in the center of all the towers is basically an "air storage cell". What happens is that this huge cylinder takes in air from the outside and sends it through a filtration system. First, the air is cleaned of all dust, dirt, etc. Then, all of the moisture is sucked out..."drying" the air, then, the air is cleaned once aain, and is then used for the propulsion.
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KoЯn Rules! I just came out to feed!
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KoЯn Rules! I just came out to feed!
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