ESCALATOR EFFICIENCY MODULE Group: Leo Dormann Mike Murphy
James Ray Andrew Hyduchak Andrew Kleinman
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OVERVIEW Statistics & Data Problem Safety & Maintenance
Improved Design Solution Integration Functional Operation
Electrical Design
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ESCALATOR STATISTICS Escalator normally designed to hold
150-300 lbs per step Almost never does an escalator run at full
capacity There are an estimated 30,000 escalators in the USA alone
Many are legacy installations USA escalator power consumption ~
$260 million /year
PROBLEM Runs at constant speed, for many hours in the day
Steady draw of energy from grid Wear and tear causes many
escalators to be shut down for repairs Safety hazard is created for
users Inefficient use of electricity for escalator down- time
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SAFETY & MAINTENANCE Constant uptime requires regular
maintenance to keep system in working order Poor maintenance is
responsible for many accidents and injuries On Monday, December 13,
1999, 8-year-old Jyotsna Jethani was killed at New Delhi's
international airport. Jethani fell into a gaping hole that
resulted from improper maintenance. (1) Francisco Portillo, a
Salvadoran sushi chef, died after being strangled when his
sweatshirt got caught in an escalator at the Porter Square MBTA
station in Cambridge, Massachusetts on February 21, 2005. These
could have been prevented with modern design considerations (1)
HTTP://NCDRC.NIC.IN/OP812001.HTML (2)
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RTICLES/2005/03/02/MAN_IS_STRANGLED_AF
TER_CLOTHING_SNAGS_IN_MBTA_ESCALAT OR/
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IMPROVED DESIGN Energy efficiency is one aspect of design that
can be improved But what else? Durability Ergonomics Safety Lower
cost of installation/maintenance New escalator designs could
embrace all these improvements Completely controllable Programmable
and remotely interruptible Combines multitude of sensors Enhance
safety features
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SOLUTION Microcontroller and sensor system Control power
consumption based on demand Implement new safety and smart features
Completely controllable functions Easily implemented and enhanced
Microcontroller Closed source escalator system to open source
Easily maintained and updated Long term use, low chance of
obsolescence
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INTEGRATION What about all the different makes of escalators?
The controller acts as a separate module Interfaced with legacy
systems through kits that have the parts needed to retrofit Should
cover the handful of makes installed throughout world Custom
configurations could be made with basic knowledge of system and
commonly found parts Must provide long, stable life Design should
consider the constant running time, and use components suited for
longevity
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FUNCTIONAL OPERATION Sensor takes in information from motor and
sensor Escalator saves power User activity Yes Motor runs No Motor
does not run
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FUNCTIONAL OPERATION CONT.
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ELECTRICAL DESIGN OPTIONS Switch Sensor Control IC Programming
Pad when depressed creates connection between leads Scale sensor
Control IC Programming Weight sensitive approach recognition
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ELECTRICAL DESIGN CONT. Break Beam Laser Laser Photodiode
receiver When connection is broken IC changes motor
accordingly
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MOTOR CONTROL SPECIFIC Existing Escalator Motor IC creates/or
removes connection between motor and power source IC understands
motor position On Off
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ORIGINAL DESIGN Similar to a Intermittent-Run escalator Stops
when not in use, saving electricity Need corridor/walkway to give
escalator time to start up for occupants Cannot be sold in USA, due
to ASME 17 standards ASME 17- Escalators must run at constant
speeds
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MODIFIED DESIGN Motor adjusts power output depending on weight
on it at a given time Key to energy savings Motor controller keeps
escalator at constant speed throughout its operation Similar
products reduced energy use by 33%
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SWOT- STRENGTHS Easily implementable in various locations Does
not require pathway as in previous designs Obeys ASME-17 law
requiring constant speed Quickly calculates weight of occupants,
adjusts power quickly and easily Reduces energy consumption
Microchip does not require much space
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SWOT- WEAKNESSES Requires more expensive motor than normal
model, due to frequent change in power Could motor wear out over
time? Due to constant change in output power, parts will see
greater wear Competition from escalator source companies
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SWOT- OPPORTUNITIES Ability for escalator to gain energy from
people walking down on escalator, could cut into power consumption
An option to set start/stop times depending on location Remotely
controllable Smart features unlocked through microcontroller and
programmable logic