On my labor day weekend trip a friend and I took a one hour flight between major midwest cities. While waiting for our ride I pondered the incredible transportation innovation over the last 100 years that has cut the travel time between these cities to the one hour mark from what must have been days or weeks 100 years ago. From horse drawn wagons to jet aircraft. I also wondered how long traveling between these cities would take 100 years from now. I speculated 10 minutes. My travel companion couldn't imagine that. She failed to see the possibilities in transportation innovation. Maybe it will be an supersonic air taxi or a maglev train. The point is that more likely than not innovation will provide faster travel in the future.

Even elevator technology is climbing to new heights at a faster and faster pace. Witness the high speed observation deck elevators in the new Taipei 101:

The 1667-ft., 101-story building has 67 elevator units, including two that service the 89th-floor observation deck and qualify as the world's fastest. These rocket skyward at a peak speed of 3314 ft. per minute (fpm), more than 800 fpm faster than the previous record holder in Japan's Yokohama Landmark Tower. By comparison, an airline pilot normally maintains a climb, or descent rate, of no more than 1000 fpm.

Technical issues were not the limiting factor. Human factors such as noise and ear problems are the limiting factors:

State-of-the-lifting-art permanent magnet synchronous motors power the tower's system, and are smaller and produce more torque than conventional motors. High-strength steel hoist ropes with solid steel cores were developed to limit stretching and improve wear. Because braking temperatures would melt bronze safety shoes, designers specified ceramic shoes.

Surprisingly, achieving the height and speed required for Taipei 101 was the easy part. The real challenge was the human factor. To hold down noise--for those in the building, as well as in the elevators--the observation-deck shuttles are shaped like twin-nosed bullets, reducing aerodynamic drag, what is known in the trade as windage. They're equipped with sound-isolation shrouds, acoustic tiles and isolated floor platforms. Even the counterweights are aerodynamic.

With a cabin noise level of just 45 dBA, the Taipei 101 elevators are quieter than most automobiles would be at that speed, but as anyone who's flown a few times can tell you, it's the change in altitude that plays havoc with the human ear. The middle ear is a bit like a balloon, and if you can't adjust pressure by yawning or swallowing, the results are unpleasant at the least.

Whether it's high speed vertical or horizontal travel technology is enabling us to move about with greater freedom at lower costs. This is going to change our world in dramatic ways. Globalization and cultural conflicts will either be improved or aggravated by enhanced travel speed and efficiency.

BTW, Gadgetopia saves us the math. It's 37 m.p.h (59 k.p.h) vertically. Now that's a fast elevator.

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Comments

[chandan]

hii ,
i found this very interesting . coulfd u tell me if i could see the circuitry part of it from any websites or post, lse any thing related to this