S&S Tower Question

Hey everyone. . I had a quick question of S&S's air towers. I did a search, and didn't find what I was looking for. In the center of the towers is a large cylinder, and then on the sides of the cylinder are what looks like 4 more smaller cylinders. In which of these cylinders does the air pressurize? Does the air pressurize in the large cylinder then move into the smaller cylinders to move the vehicle, or does it go from the small cylinders to the large cylinder? Thanks!

I'm assuming the air is compressed in the smaller cylinders and released into the one big one to launch the car up the tower. It wouldn't make sense to have it the other way around. The cables which are connected to the long large cylinder covering top to bottom have something inside which moves up and down which has to be where the released compressed air is flowing into.

I could be off though..rideman?

You've got it backward. First off, the actual compressors are usually off somewhere else. CP's Power Tower, for example, has them in the little building under Corkscrew's brake run, and if you look, there are breaks in the queue rails where mechanics can go from the actual ride back to the building, through the fence.

The air is pressurized in the big tanks, and released into the each of the four smaller tubes. A piston moves through each tubes, with a cable coming out each end. The cable goes to the ends of the tubes, over (or under) a pulley, and connects to the carriage. The air is released into the tops of the tubes to push the piston down on the shots (pulling the carriage up), and it is released into the bottom of the tubes to push the piston up on the drops (pulling the carriage down). I've never really looked very hard at a double shot model, but I assume it releases air into both ends.

I honestly don't know what exactly makes the pressurizing sound, but I know that it's most audible at the opposite end of the ride action (bottom for drops, top for shots). I assume the sound is the filling of the center tower tanks from the compressors behind the fence.

You are correct Jeff... The "woosh" sound you're hearing is the butterfly valve opening to allow the air pressure to be stored in the main tanks on the tower..

On a side note.. it's not a very high pressure setting for the ride. I don't recall off-hand but I do remember that for teh Vertigo tower launch system is was somewhere in the neighborhood of 55psi. *** Edited 12/20/2004 11:08:08 AM UTC by Red Garter Rob***

Do S&S rides use air from the surrounding environment, or is there a source from which the air is piped in, like tanks off-site that need to be refilled every so often?

Nope... large Ingersoll Rand compressor and dryer units pull air straight from.. well.. the air...

Well then....perhaps YOU, Red Garter Rob, are the one to explain why SOME towers (like IB's and Keansburg's) seem to have such a powerful *secondary* launch, almost if not equal to the POP at the top of the first launch.....most of the S&S towers give one GOOD blast up the tower, then there's some minor follow-up shots...

But those two, WOW! they are MUCH better rides than the others...

Does anybody know what causes for the Turbo Drop towers make that ridiculously high-pitched and loud HISS/BOOM when the cars reach the top? I know it has something to do with the air, but damn it's loud! Is it the air escaping the tubes?

Personally, I think the perceived difference in strength can be attributed to two things. The first is obviously the height. I enjoy Power Tower and all, but every last shorter tower I've been on kicks your ass at both ends without even being a double shot.

The second theory I suppose is the position of the release valves. The faster the air lets out in either direction, the less intense the bounce is going to be because there's less compression on the opposite side of the piston.

That's just a theory. I don't actually know.

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Red Garter Rob said:
On a side note.. it's not a very high pressure setting for the ride. I don't recall off-hand but I do remember that for teh Vertigo tower launch system is was somewhere in the neighborhood of 55psi. *** Edited 12/20/2004 11:08:08 AM UTC by Red Garter Rob***

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Are you saying that my 31 gallon 6 horsepower Craftsman compressor I use for snowmaking in my backyard is equivalent to what launches power tower up and down?

Wow.

Jeff, I guess I could've been more clear....I was referring to "in comparison with other Double Shots" (i.e., the standard 80' towers).

Perhaps someone here is more familiar with compressors, release valves, etc., and could explain if there's *settings* to accumulate and release pressure in shorter busrsts...I've ridden probably 10 other "Double Shot" towers, and they generally spend the vast majority of their BLAST in the first shot upward...

Where's Dave's *bat signal* when we need it...;)

Ride of steel - they both probably can fill to 55 psi, but those huge tanks take a crapload more air to get them to 55 psi than a little backyard air compressor would...

Nonsense! You'd just need a heck of a lot more time to compress it! (10 minute ride cycles? maybe 20? maybe longer? :) )