Method for operating an elevator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11780705-B2
Application number	US-202017138308-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2020
Priority date	Jan 7, 2020
Publication date	Oct 10, 2023
Grant date	Oct 10, 2023

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating an elevator installed in connection with a building, particularly a high rise elevator, in which method the expected rope sway is monitored using building acceleration data obtained by means of a sensor to calculate a building sway, and whereby based on the building sway and the position of an elevator car a rope sway is estimated, which rope sway is compared with a threshold value to determine the amount of rope sway and to deduct operation measures for the elevator based on the amount of the rope sway, characterized by the succession of following steps
determining elevator car position determining change of rope sway based on the car position and the building acceleration data if it is concluded that rope sway is not increasing, then calculating the number of rope sway cycles n(zca,) within a building sway period Tbuilding and calculating a new (decreasing) rope sway amplitude x based on said number of rope sway cycles n(zca,) and a damping factor I.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for operating an elevator installed in connection with a building, the method comprising:
determining an elevator car position of an elevator car in the elevator;
determining a rope sway amplitude of a rope sway of a rope coupled to the elevator car based on the elevator car position and a building sway of the building, the building sway determined based on building acceleration data obtained from a building acceleration sensor of the building;
determining whether the rope sway is increasing based on the determined rope sway amplitude;
in response to a determination that the rope sway is not increasing,
calculating a number of rope sway cycles n(Z car ) of the rope sway within a constant time period, and
calculating a new decreased rope sway amplitude x of the rope sway based on the number of rope sway cycles n(Z car ) and a damping factor ζ; and

controlling an operation of the elevator based on a comparison of the new decreased rope sway amplitude x with a threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the constant time period is a building sway period T building .

3. The method claim 2 ,
wherein the number of rope sway cycles n(Z car ) within the building sway period T building is calculated according to Equation 1:

n
⁡
(

z
car

)

=

T
building

T
rope

(

z
car

)

[

Equation
⁢

1

]

wherein, in Equation 1,
T rope is an elevator rope segment period, and
Z car is the elevator car position.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the new decreased rope sway amplitude x is calculated according to Equation 2:
x ( t 0 +T building )= x ( t 0 )· e −2πnζ   [Equation 2]

wherein, in Equation 2,
x(t 0 ) is the determined rope sway amplitude,
x(t 0 +T building ) is the new decreased rope sway amplitude x, and
n is the number of rope sway cycles n(Z car ) within the building sway period T building .

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controlling the operation of the elevator includes changing a car speed of the elevator car.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controlling the operation of the elevator includes changing a floor stopping time of the elevator car.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controlling the operation of the elevator includes temporarily excluding one or more landing floors of the elevator from service.

8. An elevator configured to be installed in a building, the elevator comprising:
an elevator car and a counterweight in an elevator shaft, the elevator car and the counterweight connected via one or more ropes, at least one rope of the one or more ropes extending over a sheave;
an elevator motor configured to drive the sheave to cause the elevator car and the counterweight to move in the elevator shaft; and
an elevator controller configured to control an operation of the elevator based on a result of a comparison of a particular rope sway amplitude of a rope sway of a rope of the one or more ropes with a threshold value, wherein the particular rope sway amplitude is determined based on
determining an elevator car position of the elevator car in the elevator,
determining a rope sway amplitude of the rope sway based on the elevator car position and a building sway of the building, the building sway determined based on building acceleration data obtained from a building acceleration sensor of the building,
determining whether the rope sway is increasing based on the determined rope sway amplitude, and
in response to a determination that the rope sway is not increasing,
calculating a number of rope sway cycles n(Z car ) of the rope sway within a constant time period, and
calculating the particular rope sway amplitude as a new decreased rope sway amplitude x of the rope sway based on the number of rope sway cycles n(Z car ) and a damping factor.

9. The elevator of claim 8 , wherein the elevator controller is configured to selectively control the operation of the elevator based on changing a car speed of the elevator car.

10. The elevator of claim 8 , wherein the elevator controller is configured to selectively control the operation of the elevator based on changing a floor stopping time of the elevator car.

11. The elevator of claim 8 , wherein the elevator controller is configured to selectively control the operation of the elevator based on temporarily excluding one or more landing floors of the elevator from service.

12. The elevator of claim 8 , wherein the elevator controller is connected with a rope sway control system that is external to the elevator controller, the rope sway control system configured to determine the particular rope sway amplitude, perform the comparison of the particular rope sway amplitude with the threshold value, and transmit a signal to the elevator controller to cause the elevator controller to control the operation of the elevator based on the result of the comparison of the particular rope sway amplitude with the threshold value.

Assignees

• Kone Corp

Inventors

• Kalliomaki Jaakko
• Saloranta Jarkko
• Puranen Mikko
• Mantyla Sakari
• Sorvari Joonas

Classifications

• B66B5/022 Primary

  where the abnormal operating condition is caused by a natural event, e.g. earthquake · CPC title

• B66B7/064

  Power supply or signal cables · CPC title

• B66B7/068 Primary

  Cable weight compensating devices · CPC title

• B66B7/06 Primary

  Arrangements of ropes or cables · CPC title

• B66B1/28

  electrical (detecting excessive speed B66B5/04 {; control of electrical motor H02P}) · CPC title