Effects of power failures on rides

[KingdaKa1]

As some of u already know from before this thread was about KK being struck by lightning. It has now been changed to the effects of power failures on rides.

[Dean[AU]]

A WARNING TO THOSE PLANNING TO GO ON A RIDE!

Powerloss can occour any time, on any ride. If you're on a ride when it looses power; you really don't wanna be there.

[nickdaegg]

KINGDA KA IS THE ONLY RIDE IN THE WORLD THAT HAS EVER BEEN STRUCK BY LIGHTNING!!!11121222lol

Oh dear, some clone of a ride got struck by lightning, let's type in a ridiculous font and act like it's apocolypse now. :rolleyes:

Get over KK. :o

[infiniteblue]

Besides, I thought this has been discussed in another thread. It's really not the end of the world. I mean, think about it. A 456ft tall steel structure + lightning storm = struck by lightning.

[okinawaboy11]

Hhahahahaha KK is not the only ride that has gotten struck by lightning.

[Squid2]

Both Deja Vu and Acrophobia at SFoG have been struck by lightning, and they both had motors burn out. Acro's rotation motor burned out before it's 1st season, and it wasn't replaced until the beginning of the second season. Deja Vu's motors were struck in the same storm that hit Acro, and burned out the 2nd lift motor. It was down for a large part of that season due to the strike as well.

I don't know if any other structures or rides have been hit by lightning at SFoG, but I would suspect that it has happened, just without consequence.

Squid2

[Cyberleader]

']Powerloss can occour any time, on any ride. If you're on a ride when it looses power; you really don't wanna be there.

Lucky then that brakes aren't electricity based :o

[nickdaegg]

A theme park would be incredibly stupid to base braking systems, esp. emergency ones, solely on electricity, unless the power was maintained to keep them open. Power outage/surge, even with backup, would mean deaths.

[okinawaboy11]

Well now that we are on the topic of how brakes are powered if electricity goes out, HOW exactly do the brakes work without power?

[David Ellis]

I would guess that the brakes are set to "on" by default, and only released with power...therefore in a power outage, the brakes would automatically come on, if you catch my meaning.

David.

[Squid2]

Exactly, David. The brakes are held open with an electric motor. If the power should fail for any reason, the brakes will shut automatically, thus bringing the train to a halt.

However, regarding Acrophobia's "brakes"... they're nothing more than metal fins. When the car is dropped, a strong magnetic field is created by the magnets on the car passing over the fins, thus slowing the car to a halt.

Squid2

[okinawaboy11]

What happens if there is no electricity to make the magnetic field?

[fathorse]

You don't need electricity. Either the magnet is on the train itself, or on the brakes. Therefore, there is still a magnetic field.

[KingdaKa1]

Hey guys,

I'm sorry if I made it seem like a very serious situation. The sources I got it from made it seem alot more serious then it really waz. Turns out KK is now open again, thank u for the understanding. Tommorrow morning im going to edit the topic to make it seem less serious.

[Squid2]

The magnets on Acrophobia are just that, magnets. To my knowledge, they're not powered by anything. Please note, this is from what I've been told about the ride... I could be wrong.

Also note that the ride has a backup hydraulic system in place, so even if the magnets fail, the ride will still be safely, albet very roughly, to a halt.

Squid2

[Eric]

magnetic brakes will never fail. the magnets (mounted either on the track or on the train) are neodymium magnets. these magnets can lift up to 1300 times their own weight. if youy throw a very small piece of the magnet down a copper pipe, it will travel remarkably slow. even a small piece about the size of a penny can lift 20 lbs, these brakes will not fail in the event of a power failure or a thunderstorm

[okinawaboy11]

OOO I thought magnetic Brakes were like LIMS on rides like Mr. Freeze and JJ. They need electricity to propel them.

[Cyberleader]

Also, have you ever wondered what the fins are for on intamin rockets for instance?

[KingdaKa1]

Emergency Brakes for Rollbacks on the launch, and it's also just the kind of design they gave the brakes.

[Matandmel05]

Of course, there are different types of magnets. The cars on TTA at WDW run on magnets. It'd be cool to have a magnet driven ride added to RCT. Then, you could control the speed of a dark ride depending on how far apart the magnets are.

[fathorse]

OOO I thought magnetic Brakes were like LIMS on rides like Mr. Freeze and JJ. They need electricity to propel them.

The brakes do need electricity to release. The electricity allows the field to flip so the car can continue through the brakes, otherwise it will stay there (like in a power outage).

[Dean[AU]]

Most coasters do have a backup brake system.... but have you guys thought of flatrides?

Like
http://www.flatrides.com/Ride%20Index/HussUFOsmall.jpg

If that looses power - it will keep spinning for about 5 minutes, while VERY slowly coming back to earth as the hydrolic fluid looses its fight.

This one,
http://www.flatrides.com/Ride%20Index/ZamperlaEnergyStorm.jpg
You will stop spinning almost immedetly, but you won't be coming down for quiet a while.

Ferris Wheels,
In the worst case situation; you'll have to wait to be rescued by the fire brigade.

Pirate ships that go upside down,
If the powerloss occurs while you're parked upside down; (which it is designed to do) you're stuck there; upside down; for 6-8 minutes.

Just have a think about any flatride and take away the "drive". :D

[Eric]

The brakes do need electricity to release. The electricity allows the field to flip so the car can continue through the brakes, otherwise it will stay there (like in a power outage).

they don't need the field to flip, the brakes just go under the track and the train passes through. and if there is a powere failure, the default position of the brakes = up so it'll just stop the train, there will be no crash

[bowler4ever]

']Most coasters do have a backup brake system.... but have you guys thought of flatrides?

Like
http://www.flatrides.com/Ride%20Index/HussUFOsmall.jpg[/MG]

If that looses power - it will keep spinning for about 5 minutes, while VERY slowly coming back to earth as the hydrolic fluid looses its fight.

This one,
[IMG]http://www.flatrides.com/Ride%20Index/ZamperlaEnergyStorm.jpg
You will stop spinning almost immedetly, but you won't be coming down for quiet a while.

Ferris Wheels,
In the worst case situation; you'll have to wait to be rescued by the fire brigade.

Pirate ships that go upside down,
If the powerloss occurs while you're parked upside down; (which it is designed to do) you're stuck there; upside down; for 6-8 minutes.

Just have a think about any flatride and take away the "drive". :D
Very interesting facts there, Dean. :)

[fathorse]

']Most coasters do have a backup brake system.... but have you guys thought of flatrides?
If that looses power - it will keep spinning for about 5 minutes, while VERY slowly coming back to earth as the hydrolic fluid looses its fight.


I've actually experienced that, we stopped spinning and just hung there suspended for awhile until the wheel started coming down. It was a Chaos ride, not an Enterprise, but same ride structure.

[Dean[AU]]

We've had 30 people stuck upside down for 8 minutes once at work.:D

[Harpo]

Coming from an electrical engineer (that would be me)...

Traditional brakes for coasters (and many spinning rides) are hydraulic, normally closed.

Normally closed means that, if there's a loss of pressure, the brakes will go into the closed position, thereby stopping the ride.

The hydraulic compressors do require electricity in order to build up enough pressure to open the brakes, thereby allowing the ride to move.

In the event of a loss of electricity, the brake systems are designed to release pressure, thereby activating the brakes.

For magnetic braking systems, the brakes are made out of permanent (non-electric) magnets. They are moved into and out of position via hydraulics, thereby determining the amount of braking force. Again, the hydraulics are set to a normally-closed position, hence hydraulic pressure is needed to release the brakes.

Many spinning rides also have braking systems that work in a similar fashion.

Also, many major amusement parks have sufficient back-up power systems to be able to get riders off the rides. I was at Cedar Point many years ago when their power failed, then it came back on for about 30 minutes. I talked to someone about that, and was told that the park had a 30 minute power reserve for just such an emergency, thereby allowing time to get people off the rides. That was in the 70's, so I would think they've upgraded the systems since then.