Re: Need speed switch for DIY funicular/hillside elevator

[nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Dave Houston)]

astutesolutions@xxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

>It would be nice if it was able to only apply torque in one direction
>like a bicycle wheel.  I wouldn't want it to torque on the trip up, but
>just on the trip down.  I suppose I could use a bicycle setup for
>exactly that purpose, but I think my dad would scoff at the
>non-industrial sizing of it, lol.

I think what you want is something which loads the shaft in proprtion to the
speed so that at normal climbing speed there would be minimal load while at
the higher speed of a runaway, it would create a maximum load, slowing the
descent. It may prove that an air compressor is inadequate but I think you
understand the general idea.

I do not like any of the friction-based suggestions. I think they present
maintenance problems and will, themselves, be prone to catastrophic failure.
You want something that requires little maintenance and is fundamentally
failsafe.

Also, I don't like anything that's passenger operated since it might carry
someone unfamiliar with its operation.

I really have no idea how big an electric motor needs to be to act as a
brake when it is generating electricity into a resistive load (as shown in
the first link I cited) but, individual motors on the wheels of the tramcar
might be another possibility.

BTW, I can just remember (actually, these days it's more a matter of
remembering remembering) when the Mount Adams Incline still operated in
Cincinnati. It was a little larger than your funicular, being designed to
carry streetcars. There were 4-5 funiculars in Cincinnati. The bottom of the
last link, below, has links to photos of the others.

     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Adams_Incline
     http://www.cincinnati-transit.net/incline-mtadams.html
     http://www.cincinnati-transit.net/incline-mtadams2.html

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