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Abstract
Currently, a large number of elevator manufacturers do not consider the actual impact speed during the selection of buf-
fers or the calculation of guided travel, which creates safety risks. By analyzing relevant standard situations, this article
establishes equations to calculate the impact speed of the elevator car or counterweight, determines the corresponding
results, and carries out relevant test verifications. Moreover, the influences of buffer clearance on elevator safety are ana-
lyzed. Finally, the paper proposes new rules for buffer selection and a new method for calculating the maximum buffer
clearance between the buffer and car (or counterweight), which will improve the safety of elevators in actual
applications.
Keywords
Buffer clearance, buffer type selection, impact speed, guided travel, calculation analysis
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2 Advances in Mechanical Engineering
Conditions:
I is for any deflection pulley on car or counterweigth
side;
II is only for reeving ratio .1;
4 Advances in Mechanical Engineering
8
>
> a = Mcwt P + ðLCRcwr LCRcar RÞ qC nC LTrav + R2 qt nt gn
> 1
>
>
> + ðLSRcwr + R LSRcar Þ qS nS gn r FR
>
>
>
> b 1 = 2 ðq n g r qC nC gn 0:5 qt nt gn Þ
>
> 2 S S n 3
< P + MCRcar + ðLCRcwr + LCRcar +RÞ qC nC + LTrav + R2 qt nt
6 7 ð7Þ
r + ðmDP ÞI
2
>
> 6 + ððLSRcwr + R + LSRcar ÞÞ qS nS r + 3
2
7
>
> c1 = 66 7
>
> II II 7
>
> 4 rP1 rP1
mm r2
5
>
> + ð m i Þ + ð m i Þ +
>
>
Pcar Pcar Pcwt Pcwt 2
: i=1 i=1
d1 = qt nt
>
> 2 S S n R 3
< P + Q + MCRcar + ðLCRcwr + LCRcar 2+ RÞ qC C + LT rav + 2 qt t
n n
6 7 ð12Þ
> 6 + ððLSRcwr + R + LSRcar ÞÞ qS nS r + 2
r + ðmDP ÞI 7
>
> c = 6 3 7
>
> 2 6 7
>
> 4 rP
1 II rP
1 II
5
>
> + ðmPcar iPcar Þ + ðmPcwt iPcwt Þ mm r
+ 2
2
>
>
>
: i=1 i=1
d2 = qt nt
6 Advances in Mechanical Engineering
where a11, a12, a13, a22, and a23 in the above equation
are shown as follows
8
>
> a11 = g n
>
>a12 = gn qS nS r qC nC qt nt
>
> 2
>
> a13 = ½Mcwt + ðLCRcwr LCRcar Þ qC nC ðLTrav Þ qt nt
>
>
>
>
>
> gn qt nt gn Sb swt
>
>
>
> + ð L SRcwr LSRcar Þ qS nS gn r + 2
>
>
>
> ðqS nS gn r qC nC gn Þ Sb swt FR
<
a22 = qC nC + qt 2 nt + qS nS r +
2
2
3 r
>
>
>
> a23 = ðLCRcwr + Þ q
LCRcar C C n + ð LTrav qt nt
Þ
>
> mm r 2
>
> q
+ 2 + t t Sb swtn
>
>
>
> r1 II r1 II
>
> P P
>
> + ðmDP ÞI + ðmPcar iPcar Þ + ðmPcwt iPcwt Þ
>
>
>
> i=1 i=1
>
>
: + ððLSRcwr + LSRcar ÞÞ qS nS r2 + 2 r
3
ð15Þ
Figure 4. Diagram of the speed of the counterweight upon Equation (14) can be used to determine the partial
hitting the buffer under different buffer clearances Scwt: derivatives for P and R
(a) Scwt = 400 mm, (b) Scwt = 350 mm, (c) Scwt = 200 mm,
8 ∂a ðR, PÞ
(d) Scwt = 150 mm. > cwt
= ð 22 11pffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
a a a12 ÞR + a23 a11 a13
ffi
< ∂P P + a22 R + a23
a11 a a
1 P + 23a 212 a13
a ð16Þ
>
: ∂acwt ðR, PÞ = a22pffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
22
ffi 22
buffer clearances, and the counterweight speed will ∂R P + a22 R + a23
increase obviously along with the increase in buffer
clearance; moreover, the speed of the counterweight By substituting the parameters of the abovemen-
upon hitting the buffer is significantly influenced by tioned elevator into equation (16), we can obtain the
different travel heights and the car mass. increment relation between the acceleration and either
From Figure 4, we are unable to distinguish whether P or R.
the car mass or travel height has a greater influence on The following is observed from Figure 5:
acceleration. Therefore, a relational expression of the
acceleration of counterweight is established as acwt(P, 1. The car mass has a greater influence on accelera-
R), where P refers to the car mass and R refers to the tion than the travel height.
travel height. In the case where the counterweight hits 2. The impact speed reduces along with the
the buffer, the equation is shown as equation (14) increase in the car mass and travel height.
Figure 5. Increment relation (a) between the acceleration and car mass and (b) between the acceleration and travel height.
Zhang and Zhang 7
Rated speed (m/s) Half the gravity stopping distance at different speeds (mm)
115% v (m/s) 0.8 (m/s) 1.0 (m/s) 1.5 (m/s)
The symbol ‘‘–’’ denotes that at this speed, the elevator cannot choose this tripping speed of the speed governor.
Analysis of the calculation of the gravity stopping elevator in the test tower of Zhejiang Xizi Heavy
distance Industry Machinery Co., Ltd., where the counterweight
hits the buffer under different buffer clearances. The
When the counterweight fully compresses its buffer, the
specifications of the example elevator are listed
equation to calculate half of the gravity stopping dis- hereafter.
tance of the car is expressed as follows As the rated speed of the example elevator is 0.5 m/s,
a variety of buffers can be selected for the test. Due to
V2 various demands, the parameters of a common buffer
S = 0:25 ð17Þ
gn
suitable for the example elevator are shown in Table 2.
where V is the rated speed of the elevator. The impact speed tests under different buffer clear-
From the abovementioned analysis, it can be con- ances of 250, 350, and 400 mm are carried out, and the
cluded that there is a possibility that the impact speed test results are shown in Figures 6–8, respectively.
of the car or counterweight may exceed 115% of the Figures 6–8 show that the acceleration of the car
rated speed, but the impact speed will not exceed the tends to be linear before hitting the buffer. However,
after hitting the buffer, the velocity oscillates. In the test
tripping speed of the speed governor, which is employed
process, the maximum speeds of the car under the three
to limit the maximum speed of the elevator when the
different buffer clearances when the counterweight hits
counterweight or car impacts the buffer at a high speed.
the buffer are shown in Table 3.
Moreover, various speed governor tripping speeds can
From the test results, we can work out that the
be applied according to EN 81-20:2014: 0.8, 1.0, and
impact speed increases along with the increase in the
1.5 m/s. Therefore, 115% of the rated speed and these
buffer clearance, which can be summarized as follows:
various tripping speeds are substituted into equation
(17) to determine the gravity stopping distance under
1. When the buffer clearance is 250 mm, the impact
different speeds, and the results are shown in Table 1.
speed is less than or equal to 115% of the rated
Table 1 shows that the gravity stopping distances
speed of the elevator.
under various speeds differ from each other. In the case
2. When the buffer clearance is 350 mm, the impact
where the guided travel satisfies the relevant standard
speed is 122% of the rated speed of the elevator.
exactly or the allowance is small, there will be a safety
3. When the buffer clearance is 400 mm, the impact
risk in terms of equipment damage or personal injury
speed is 146% of the rated speed of the elevator.
when counterweight hits the buffer if the speed of car
exceeds 115% of the rated speed.
Although the buffer clearance can satisfy the old
Chinese standard mentioned above, GB10050-1993, it
is highly probable that the impact speed will exceed
Test verification
115% of the rated speed of the elevator in reality. If the
To realize an accurate verification analysis, the authors rated speed of the elevator is smaller than that of the
carried out a test on the speed of the car of an example example elevator, the ratio between the impact speed
8 Advances in Mechanical Engineering
(a) (a)
(b)
(b)
Figure 8. Diagram of the (a) test acceleration and (b) test
Figure 6. Diagram of the (a) test acceleration and (b) test speed when the counterweight hits the buffer in case where
speed when the counterweight hits the buffer in the case where Scwt = 400 mm.
Scwt = 250 mm.
there still exist safety risks caused by failing to comply For the descent of the car, the maximum value of x
with operating requirements. can be calculated as follows
Improvement suggestions xn + 1 = xn
2
ða2 d2 b2 c2 Þ
Calculation of the maximum buffer clearance
b2
d2
xn + d2 2
½lnðc2 + d2 xn Þ lnðc2 Þ Vbuf2 car
+ dð2 2ðcd22+
b2 c2 Þ
b2 a
According to the results shown in Figures 6–8, if the d2 d2 xn Þ
buffer clearance parameter is not taken into consider- ð22Þ
ation, then the selected buffer and the guided travel cal-
culation cannot always meet the requirements in actual Equations (21) and (22) are iterated until the differ-
use and potential safety hazards may occur. ence value of 0.1 mm is obtained, and the equation is
For the case of buffer selections, the authors hold shown as follows
the view that the parameters that should be taken into
consideration include not only the counterweight (or xn + 1 xn ł 104 ð23Þ
car) mass and rated elevator speed but also the speed
of the car (or counterweight) when hitting the buffer.
Moreover, the authors believe that the Sbuf_cwt (buffer Calculation of the maximum guided travel
clearance of the counterweight) and Sbuf_car (buffer When calculating the guided travel of the elevator on
clearance of the car) must be adjusted according to the basis of the above analysis, the authors think that
equations (18) and (19) below to meet the requirements when the impacting speed exceeds 115% of the rated
in actual use. speed of elevator, the following conclusions can be
Using equation (10), the equation representing the drawn:
relationship between the permitted speed of the buffer
on the counterweight side and the buffer clearance of 1. If the impacting speed does not exceed the trip-
the counterweight can be obtained in the following form ping speed of the overspeed governor, half of
the gravity stopping distance shall be calculated
b1 ða1 d1 b1 c1 Þ
Sbuf cwt ð xÞ = 2
x+2 according to the speed of hitting the buffer, and
d1 d1 2 ð18Þ equation (10) or (13) can be referenced for
2
½lnðc1 + d1 xÞ lnðc1 Þ Vbuf cwt details.
2. If the impact speed exceeds the tripping speed
where Vbuf_cwt is the permitted speed of the buffer on of the overspeed governor, half of the gravity
the counterweight side. stopping distance shall be calculated according
Through equation (13), the relationship equation to the tripping speed of the overspeed governor.
between the permitted speed of buffer on the car side 3. Each elevator has its own car and travel height
and the buffer clearance of the car can be obtained variety, and thus, we should take into account
the most extreme case when calculating the
b2 ða2 d2 b2 c2 Þ
Sbuf car ð xÞ = 2
x+2 impact speed.
d2 d2 2 ð19Þ
2
½lnðc2 + d2 xÞ lnðc1 Þ Vbuf car
Conclusion
where Vbuf_car is the permitted speed of the buffer on
the car side. This article first establishes a theoretical model to cal-
The approximate solution of the above equation can be culate the impact speeds of the car and counterweight
obtained by employing the Newton–Raphson method and then performs simulated calculations for the
model. Subsequently, testing verification is conducted
f ð xÞ for the example elevator used in this article, and the test
xn + 1 = xn ð20Þ
f 0 ð xÞ results are consistent with the theoretical analysis.
Through analysis, the authors draw the conclusion that
For the descent of the counterweight, the maximum the buffer clearance of the elevator has a substantial
value of x can be calculated as follows influence on the buffer selection and the guided travel
calculation. Therefore, the authors propose some sug-
xn + 1 = xn
2
gestions for improvement and models for correlation
ða1 d1 b1 c1 Þ
b1
d1
xn + d1 2
½lnðc1 + d1 xn Þ lnðc1 Þ Vbuf 2 cwt calculations to provide references for peers. In future
b1
+ dð1 1ðcd11+
a b1 c1 Þ works, the authors will submit suggestions to the China
d1 d1 xn Þ
Elevator Association in the hope of revising the eleva-
ð21Þ tor standards to make elevators safer.
10 Advances in Mechanical Engineering