Types of Elevators

Nirvaan Ghosh, A1904010018

Introduction
Elevators are the most convenient type of vertical transportation service provided in high rise buildings, or any building having more than 10 floors. It is possible to climb stairs in a building with a height up to 10 floors, however with time it becomes an inconvenience and also physically straining, especially for hauling luggage, grocery bags and other home appliances. Aged people also have difficulty climbing excess flights of stairs and generally avoid taking apartments beyond a certain height. Elevators had been first invented as early as 236 BC. After that, many types with different mechanisms were developed in the medieval and early modern period. Finally, in 1852, Elisha Otis came up with the safety elevator, which prevented the fall of the elevator cab if the rope were to snap. Elevators were invented as a luxurious alternative for the only existing form of vertical transportation, the stairs. However with the rise of the industrial age and the introduction of the skyscraper as a new type of building, elevators became an inseparable part of buildings for the ease and convenience they provided. As a result they have become a necessity and sometimes a prerequisite in modern buildings. The time spent on climbing stairs minimized considerably as elevators became an incredibly fast way of transport between floors in a building. An added advantage was as various types were invented, elevators were able carry people, animals, goods, heavy luggage, etc., which takes both time and effort to be transported through stairs. Elevators are used in residential and commercial buildings, hospitals, malls, construction sites, restaurants and even libraries for transporting respective objects. Elevators can be categorised into different types by the specific mechanisms which help them operate. In such situations, an elevator makes it easier to travel within the building, and it also provides an efficient service lifeline. This is all the more evident in hotels, multi storey commercial complexes

etc., where along with two to three passenger lifts, at least one service lift is definitely provided, for the exclusive use of the staff of the concerned establishment. Elevators function with the help of a powered electric motor and are run on either traction cables, counterweight systems or hydraulic fluids. People prefer using the elevator because of the ease and convenience that they provide, making stairs a timely option. Depending on their mechanisms mentioned and the requirement within the building, various types of elevators have been developed.

Types
There are three main types of elevators commonly used: traction with a machine room, machineroom-less traction, and hydraulic.

Hydraulic Elevators
Hydraulic elevators are supported by a piston at the bottom of the elevator that pushes the elevator up. They are used for low-rise applications of 2-8 stories and travel at a maximum speed of 200 feet 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 60 feet. Hole-less Hydraulic Elevators have a piston on either side of the cab. In this configuration, the telescoping pistons are fixed at the base of the pit and do not require a sheave or hole below the pit. Telescoping pistons allow up to 50 feet of travel distance. Nontelescoping pistons only allow about 20 feet of travel distance. Roped Hydraulic Elevators use a combination of ropes and a piston to move the elevator. Maximum travel distance is about 60 feet. 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.

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.

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 500 feet per minute. The maximum travel distance for a geared traction elevator is around 250 feet. Gear-less Traction Elevators have the wheel attached directly to the motor. Gear-less traction elevators are capable of speeds up to 2,000 feet per minute and they have a maximum travel distance of around 2,000 feet 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.

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 250 feet and can travel at speeds up to 500 feet-per-minute. 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 where the travel distance is up to 250 feet. They are energy efficient, require less space, and their operation and reliability are on par with gear-less traction elevators.

Pneumatic Elevators
Pneumatic elevators are raised and lowered by controlling air pressure in a chamber in which the elevator sits. The difference in air pressure above and beneath the vacuum elevator cab literally transports it by air. It is the vacuum pumps or turbines that pull cab up to the next floor and the slow release of air pressure that floats it down. They are especially ideal for existing homes due to their compact design

Hospital Elevators
Hospital Bed Elevators Hospital bed elevators generally transport patients who are not well enough to sit up even in a wheelchair. One of the features of bed elevators should be its ability to transport the patient has smoothly as possible with minimal amount of bumping and jostling. Hospital bed elevators generally draw very little power so that should there be a power outage they are still operational off the hospital's backup power supply. Most often there will be a rear and a front entry to the elevator cabin. Hospital Stretcher Lift This particular type of elevator is usually hydraulic or traction based depending on the location of the machine room. They are specifically manufactured to be low-noise elevators that smoothly transport patients, doctors, nurses and hospital staff between floors. They are often for exclusive use of the hospital staff.

Residential /Domestic Elevators

Passenger Elevators Domestic elevators are intended to move passengers up and down stairs in a multilevel residence and are quite similar to those used in large public buildings. They can be built either inside the home or outside the home and can be pneumatic vacuum, electric, hydraulic or cable elevators. Stairway Elevators Stairway elevators are generally installed in homes where someone in the family has problems with mobility. This type of domestic elevators simply runs on a rail up and down and existing staircase. They can run either in a straight line or around a curved stairway. Stairway elevators can be constructed both inside and outside the home. Vertical Wheelchair Elevators Interior vertical wheelchair elevators can easily be installed when space is limited. They can be constructed in such a way as to allow both front and rear entry and the platform is generally 4.5 feet by 5 feet, unless a custom size is called for. Vertical elevators are called for when the staircase winds around several levels. Wheelchair Elevators on an Incline Wheelchair elevators on an incline are generally installed when the staircase simply goes up one level or perhaps two. If there are several winds in the staircase, this type isnt well suited. This type of elevator is more often used there isnt adequate space to facilitate a more spacious vertical wheelchair elevator.

Parking Elevators
Conventional Parking Elevators The conventional parking elevators are built to move vehicles to upper or lower levels of the building because of their space saving feature. With ramps on and off parking levels consume a lot of space which could be better utilized as parking Auto Car Parking Elevators As against cars being driven (on ramps) or carried (in car lifts) to different levels in conventional multi-level parking, cars are driven at only one level for parking or retrieval, Cars are parked in steel pallets and a target pallet comes up or down to the driveway level at the press of a button, for parking or retrieval.

Commercial Elevators
Freight elevators A freight elevator is an elevator designed to carry goods. They are typically larger and capable of carrying heavier loads than a passenger elevator, generally from 2,300 to 4,500 kg. they may have manually operated doors, and often have rugged interior finishes to prevent damage while loading and unloading Freight elevators include the following classes: Class A: General Freight Loading Class B: Motor Vehicle Loading Class C1: Industrial Truck Loading Class C2: Industrial Truck Loading Class C3: Other forms of Industrial Truck Loading Commercial Dumbwaiter They are economic solution for moving material from floor to floor in a multi-level commercial environment. They can carry loads up to 750 lbs. They save manpower, space, time, energy and help avoid workplace injuries. Typical materials handled in a commercial environment can be Food, Dishes & Cutlery, Documents, Clothing, Carts or Shoes.

Outdoor Elevators
Observation elevator The observation elevator puts the cab on the outside of the building. Glass-walled elevator cars allow passengers to view the cityscape or the buildings atrium as they travel. By eliminating the hoist ways, the observation elevator also offers owners, architects and builders valuable space-saving advantages. Incline Elevators Outdoor elevators built on an incline can also be used to transport passengers or goods. Incline elevators are most often recognized as passenger elevators called ski lifts. However, outdoor elevators that move cargo on an incline are generally constructed with a conveyor belt and most often seen when loading cargo on ships and some types of aircraft.

References
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/different-types-of-elevators.html

http://archtoolbox.com/materials-systems/vertical-circulation/28-elevatortypes.html
http://www.electrical-knowhow.com/2012/04/elevators-types-and-classification-part.html http://www.lift.co.uk/different-types-of-elevator.php http://www.otisworldwide.com/k2-elevators.html