ELEVATORS

MELANIE LOVE P. ALCANTARA ENGR. DENNIS E. GANAS

WHAT IS AN ELEVATOR?
An elevator (North American English)
or lift (Commonwealth English) is a type of
vertical cable transportation machine that
moves people or freight between floors, levels,
or decks of a building, vessel, or other structure.
Elevators are typically powered by electric
motors that drive traction cables
and counterweight systems such as a hoist,
although some pump hydraulic fluid to raise a
cylindrical piston like a jack.
 BRIEF
HISTORY
 BRIEF HISTORY

236 BC 1000 1793 1823

PRE-INDUSTRIAL ERA BOOK OF THE FIRST INDUSTRIAL ERA

The earliest known SECRETS SCREW DRIVE mid-19th century
reference to an elevator by Ibn Khalaf al- ELEVATOR elevators were operated
is in the works of the Muradi in Islamic with steam power and
WAS BUILT
Roman Spain described the were used for moving
by Ivan
architect Vitruvius, who use of an elevator- goods in bulk in mines
Kulibin and
reported like lifting device, in and factories. These
installed in
that Archimedes (c. 287 order to raise a large steam driven devices
the Winter Palace
BC – c. 212 BC) built his battering ram to were soon being applied
first elevator destroy a fortress. to a diverse set of
purposes—in 1823

8
 BRIEF HISTORY

1850 1853 1870 1880

Henry Waterman of New AN ELEVATOR The Equitable Life The FIRST ELECTRIC

York is credited with SHAFT was Building in New ELEVATOR was built
inventing the " included in the York City was by Werner von Siemens.
STANDING ROPE design. The shaft thought to be The safety and speed of
was cylindrical beca THE FIRST electric elevators were
CONTROL" for an significantly enhanced
elevator. use Cooper thought OFFICE BUILDING
it was the most TO HAVE by Frank Sprague who
efficient design. PASSENGER added floor control,
ELEVATORS. automatic elevators,
acceleration control of
cars, and safeties.
 BRIEF HISTORY

1883 1887 1945 2000

Schuyler American A elevator operator THE FIRST

Wheeler patented Inventor Alexander strike in New York VACUUM
his Miles of Duluth, City, and adoption
ELEVATOR
ELECTRIC Minnesota patented of an emergency was offered
ELEVATOR an ELEVATOR stop button, commercially in
WITH AUTOMATIC emergency
DESIGN. Argentina.
DOORS THAT telephone, and a
soothing
WOULD CLOSE explanatory
OFF THE automated voice
ELEVATOR SHAFT. aided adoption.
OPERATING
PRINCIPLES

The principle operation of the elevator is based on the

ascending push generated by the difference between
the atmospheric pressure on the top of the car and the
atmospheric pressure under the car. The depression
(vacuum) required to lift the car is achieved by turbines
operating as exhaust fans which are located at the top
of the elevator.
1. The piston gear surrounded by a sliding air tight seal allows an
almost frictionless movement and hoists the car due to the pneumatic
depression generated on the upper part.

2. A valve regulating inflow of air controls the pneumatic depression,

enables descent and controls the speed of the car.

3. The lower part of the shaft is open to ensure free entrance of air at
atmospheric pressure.

4. At each floor or level, perimeter seals on the door are self-sealing due
to the action of the atmospheric pressure.

5. The car has locking devices to stop at the upper and lower limits of
travel.

6. A safe braking device (chute) activates in case of free fall.

 TYPES OF
ELEVATORS
Geared and Gearless Traction
Elevators with Machine Room

Traction elevators are lifted by ropes, which pass over a wheel

attached to an electric motor above the elevator shaft. They are
used for mid and high-rise applications and have much higher
travel speeds than hydraulic elevators. A counter weight makes
the elevators more efficient by offsetting the weight of the car
and occupants so that the motor doesn't have to move as much
weight.
Geared Traction Elevators have a gearbox that is attached to the motor, which drives the
wheel that moves the ropes. Geared traction elevators are capable of travel speeds up to
2mps. The maximum travel distance for a geared traction elevator is around 75 m.

Gear-less Traction Elevators have the wheel attached directly to the motor. Gear-less
traction elevators are capable of speeds up to 20 mps and they have a maximum travel
distance of around 500 m so they are the only choice for high-rise applications.

Geared traction elevators are middle of the road in terms of initial cost, ongoing
maintenance costs, and energy consumption. Gear-less traction elevators have a high initial
cost, medium ongoing maintenance costs, and use energy a bit more efficiently than geared
traction elevators.

It is important that traction elevator ropes and sheaves are checked for wear on a regular
basis. As they wear, the traction between the sheave and the cables is reduced and slippage
becomes more regular, which reduces the efficiency and can become dangerous if left
unchecked. Traction elevators have height restrictions that are governed by the length and
weight of the cables or ropes. New materials that are stronger and lighter, such as carbon
fibre, will allow traction elevators to achieve new heights.
Machine-Room-Less (MRL)
Elevators
Machine-Room-Less Elevators are traction elevators that do not
have a dedicated machine room above the elevator shaft. The
machine sits in the override space and is accessed from the top
of the elevator cab when maintenance or repairs are required.
The control boxes are located in a control room that is adjacent
to the elevator shaft on the highest landing and within around
150 feet of the machine.
Machine-room-less elevators have a maximum travel distance of up to
165 m and can travel at speeds up to 3mps. MRL elevators are
comparable to geared traction elevators in terms of initial and
maintenance costs, but they have relatively low energy consumption
compared to geared elevators.
Machine-room-less elevators are becoming the most popular choice for
mid-rise buildings. They are energy efficient, require less space, and their
operation and reliability are on par with gear-less traction elevators.
Hydraulic Elevators
Hydraulic elevators are supported by a piston at the bottom of
the elevator that pushes the elevator up as an electric motor
forces oil or another hydraulic fluid into the piston. The elevator
descends as a valve releases the fluid from the piston. They are
used for low-rise applications of 4 stories and travel at a
maximum speed of 1 m per minute. The machine room for
hydraulic elevators is located at the lowest level adjacent to the
elevator shaft.

Conventional Hydraulic Elevators have a sheave that extends

below the floor of the elevator pit, which accepts the retracting
piston as the elevator descends. Some configurations have a
telescoping piston that collapses and requires a shallower hole
below the pit. Max travel distance is approximately 15 m.
Hole-less Hydraulic Elevators consists of pistons mounted inside the hoistway to raise
and lower the car. This is especially a solution for buildings built in bedrock, a high
water table or unstable soil conditions locations that can make digging the hole
required for a conventional hydraulic elevator impractical. Holeless hydraulic systems
use a direct-acting piston to raise the car.
Roped Hydraulic Elevators extends the rise of the holeless elevator to 18 meters,
without the need for a belowground cylinder. Roped hydraulic elevator systems have
the piston attached to a sheave which has a rope passing through it. One end is
attached to the car while the other is secured at the bottom of the hoistway.

Hydraulic elevators have a low initial cost and their ongoing maintenance costs are
lower compared to the other elevator types. However, hydraulic elevators use more
energy than other types of elevators because the electric motor works against gravity
as it forces hydraulic fluid into the piston. A major drawback of hydraulic elevators is
that the hydraulic fluid can sometimes leak, which can cause a serious environmental
hazard. The environmental risk and high energy use are two main reasons that
hydraulic elevators are not being installed as often as in the past.
 ELEVATOR
COMPONENTS
Elevator Car and Shaft

The elevator car holds people and objects for transport and is encased in the elevator shaft.
Elevator cars can be of various sizes have at least one door and are pulled up and down using
a motor or a hydraulic system. Motorized elevators are the most common and offer the best
value for building construction. Elevator shafts also contain guide tracks for the elevator
itself as well as the counterweight, both of which help reduce strain on the elevator motor.

The Sheave and Motor

Motorized elevators are raised and lowered using steel ropes that are attached to the elevator
car as well as a counterweight. The counter simulates the weight of the elevator car at 40
percent capacity in order to help reduce the overall strain on the motor. The sheave is simply a
pulley that has groves and moves the rope to lift and lower the elevator. The motor moves the
sheave in the direction that the elevator needs to go in to move passengers up and down.
Control Unit
The control unit is housed with both the motor and the sheave in the control room, usually
located above the elevator shaft. It receives the signal from each floor's controls and
translates that to movements for the motor, either up or down. When the elevator car reaches
its destination, the control receives a signal to stop the elevator car to allow passengers to
enter or exit. The control unit also has a computer built-in to monitor travel patterns and
specific instructions that are programmed into it for rest locations and signal priorities.

Counterweight and Guide Rails

The counterweight is used to reduce strain on the motor as it creates constant energy that
can be used to lift or lower the elevator car similar to the action of a children's seesaw. The
motor uses the counterweight or the elevator car to propel the elevator car in either direction.
The guide rails are in place for both the elevator car and counterweight to keep them from
swaying — thereby creating a smooth elevator ride in either direction.
 DESIGN
CONSIDERATION
Some of the problems people with special needs
experience while using elevators are:

1. There is sometimes inadequate space inside the

elevator cab

2. Switches, buttons and control panel are out of reach

3. Braille or audio signs are not used

4. Entry doors are too narrow or opening time interval is

insufficient
Main design principles for elevators:
1. An accessible elevator should serve all public floors
2. A key-operated elevator should always have an operator present
3. Wide elevator cabs are better suited than long ones
4. Minimum internal cab dimensions for a single wheelchair user should
be 1.00 m x 1.30 m, and minimum door opening should be 0.8 m.
5. There should be a handrail 0.8 m high on three sides of the cab
6. The control panel should be mounted at a minimum distance of 0.50
m from the corner to be conveniently accessible for wheelchair users. It
should be mounted 0.90 m to 1.20 m above the floor level.
7. Control buttons should be illuminated, and numerals on the floor
select buttons should be embossed to be easily identifiable for visually
impaired
Main design principles for elevators:
8. Tactile numerals should be placed on both sides of door jams 1.50 m
high for visually impaired people to identify the floor level
9. The door opening interval should be no less than 5 seconds
10. Audio and visual signals should be provided to help visually
impaired and hearing impaired respectively identify the number of the
floor reached
11. The floor of the elevator and the area in front should have a non-skid
resilient surface
12. The colour of the door should contrast with the surrounding surface
so as to be easily distinguishable by persons with visual impairment
THANK
YOU!
 REFERENCES
https://careertrend.com/info-8485788-parts-elevator.html
https://careertrend.com/info-8485788-parts-elevator.html
https://eroselevators.com/elevators-type.php#:~:
text=There%20are%20three%20main%20types%20of%20elevators%20
commonly,machine%20room%202%20Machine-Room-
Less%20%28MRL%29%20traction%2C%203%20Hydraulic
http://nirman.com/blog/2019/01/04/main-design-considerations-for-
accessible-buildings-ramps-and-elevators/