Design and Implementation of a Linear Motor for Multicar Elevators

The multicar elevator system is a revolutionary new technology for high-rise buildings, promising outstanding economic benefits, but also requiring new technology for propulsion, safety, and control. In this paper, we report on experimental results with new components for linear-motor-driven multicar elevators. We show that linear synchronous motors with optimized design and with our new safety and control system can be considered as core components of a new generation of elevator systems. The main new results concern the development of a safety system integrated into the propulsion system, the design methodology of a linear motor optimized for the multicar elevator task, and the motion control system that is expected to be usable for extra high-rise buildings.