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HL MATH PORTFOLIO TYPE II

Designing a Freight Elevator Ben Hu 2009

Introduction: In this assessment I explore the given model for an elevator to be used for freight in the mining industry. This elevator will descend into the ground and return to the surface in approximately 6 minutes, and travel down a shaft of an upwards of 100m. I will evaluate the practicality of the model and design my own model which will address the given models weaknesses and reinforce its strengths. I will address limitations of the model and how the model can be applied to different situations. 1. a) Time (min) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Position (m) 0 -12.5 -40 -67.5 -80 -62.5 0

Assume that upwards movement is defined to be in the positive direction. The elevator begins at ground level, at t = 0, since time cannot be negative. The elevator reaches its lowest point underground at t = 4 minutes, at a displacement of 80 meters down. Neglecting time spent at the base, the elevator begins its ascent upwards towards ground level and reaches it after 6 minutes have elapsed, again returning to a displacement of 0 meters. It is also observed that the elevator descends slower than it ascends.

-80

f(x) = 2.5x3 15x2 Figure 1 The vertical line motion, shown in Figure 2, is difficult to demonstrate. I made the motion with dotted lines so the slowest areas are bolder than the areas less traveled. The motion shows that the elevator goes down, reaches maximum velocity at the point of inflection in Figure 1 at 2 minutes, and then slows down until it reaches a complete stop at 4 minutes, at y = -80m. It then shoots towards the ground and reaches it at 6 minutes, significantly faster than when descending, hence the less dense cluster of dots near the top in Figure 2.

Figure 2

b) dydx=vt=7.5t2-30t=t(7.5t-30)

Figure 3 The velocity function was determined by finding the derivative of the given position functions. t t (7.5t-30) vt 0 0 0 4 + 0 0 + + +

Because time must be positive, I only considered values of t0. v(t) is negative at (0, 4) and positive at (4, ). When vt is negative, it means the elevator is travelling in a negative direction, which in this case, translates into downwards. During the range of 0 to 4 minutes, the lift is going downwards into the ground, coming to a stop after 4 minutes. At this point, vt= 0, which means the elevator is at rest. Similarly, vt= 0 at t= 0 also, at which point the elevator is also at rest. When vt is positive from 4<t<6, it means the elevator is heading in the positive direction, up towards ground level.

c)

d2ydx2 =at=15t-30=15(t-2) v(t)

a(t)

Figure 4 t v(t) a(t) vta(t) 0 0 + 2 0 0 + 4 0 0 0 + + +

If vtat>0, it is said that the object, the elevator in this case, is speeding up. It follows that if vtat<0, the elevator is slowing down. Only when vt=0, the elevator is at rest. That said, I can now analyze the graph and table and see that the elevator is speeding up between t(0, 2). Although it is going in a negative direction, it is accelerating, both vt and a(t) are negative. The elevator changes after 2 minutes and begins to slow down between t(2, 4). Acceleration is positive while velocity is negative, resulting in a negative value for vta(t). vt is 0 at t = 4, so the elevator comes to a temporary rest. From t(4, ), the elevator continuously speeds up. The elevator reaches ground level at t = 6, but it is still speeding up indefinitely, as both vt and a(t) are positive. d)

This model addresses the basic needs of a freight elevator. It begins at the surface with a displacement of 0 when the 0 minutes have elapsed, and ends right back at the ground level after 6 minutes, according to specifications. It travels down the mine shaft and back up, making a brief stop at the bottom as the elevator changes direction of motion. The downward motion is steady and gradual, which is reasonable for an elevator. It travels at a maximum speed of -30m/min or -0.5m/s which is a safe, slow speed for a freight elevator. A passenger commercial elevator travels at approximate 2m/s and a freight elevator travelling down a mine shaft has to be a lot more delicate, so I would put the ideal velocity to be approximately 1m/s. The upward motion accelerates very rapidly, growing to 90m/min or 1.5m/s in just 2 minutes. It also does not stop once it reaches the top, but hypothetically continues ascending. Although this model for an elevator functions according to the specifications, it is not very realistic. First and foremost, the elevator does not stop on its ascent. It continues to accelerate faster and faster. As can be seen in Figure 5 and 5.1, its velocity at 6 minutes is 90m/min and accelerating at 60m/min and will not decrease as the function continues upwards as t approaches infinity. This is not only a huge safety hazard (as it is travelling way too fast while carrying an upward of 4500kg of cargo) but also unfeasible since the elevator is supposed to begin and end where it started, motionless. The pulley and motor pulling the elevator cannot actually pull it past the ground, and it will be impossible to unload and load the elevator with cargo. Also, as a safety precaution, the elevator should be able to carry more than its capacity, which means that the cargo will not slow it down, nor will a lack of cargo speed it up. Therefore, the time it takes to ascend and descend should be the same. In this model, that is not true, mainly because there is no slowing down after the 4 minute mark, and because the acceleration is even during descent and ascent, since it is a sloped line, it will increase as time progresses.

Another important issue with this elevator is that the velocity is constantly changing, since acceleration is not constant nor zero. During the trip, it is not necessary for the elevator to be accelerating, and doing so would actually be detrimental to the elevator. If there were people riding along with the freight, it would create an uncomfortable or bumpy ride, since by Newtons First Law, objects in motion stay in motion until an external force acts upon it. Acceleration comes from extra force, so doing so would also damage the rope pulling the elevator as it would be under different stress, as well as unnecessary strain on the motor. Constantly changing the velocity could shorten its life span and create temporary forces strong enough to actually break the rope, so again, it is a safety precaution. Time (min) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Figure 5 Time (min) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Figure 5.1 Acceleration (m/min2) -30 -15 0 15 30 45 60 Velocity (m/min) 0 -22.5 -30 -22.5 0 37.5 90

1. The redesign of the freight elevator model will address the issues discussed above and attempt to fix these issues. Begins at rest, comes to rest at bottom, and ends at rest at ground level once more. Does not exceed velocity of 1m/s or 60m/min. Constant velocity once accelerated to set velocity. Maximum load of 4500kg; ropes can sustain 5500kg to provide some leeway Same time to descend as to ascend, so 3 minutes either way. Accelerates to a maximum velocity of 36m/min, in 0.5minutes. Constant velocity during most of trip 1.

Figure 6 In order to maintain constant velocity after terminal speed has been reached, it is necessary to use a piecewise function. The position function of time is shown in Figure 6. The elevator takes 6 minutes to make its round trip. Therefore, 3 minutes are dedicated to each ascending and descending. Of these 3 minutes, 1 minute is used for the purpose of accelerating,

and 2 minutes have a constant velocity. The accelerating is distributed evenly, meaning 0.5 minutes for speeding up and slowing down. My model uses sinusoidal functions for periods of acceleration. Sinusoidal functions are continuous and the most gradual, adding to the safety of the elevator and a smooth journey down the shaft. The period of the function is 1, so that it takes 1 minute to complete a complete cycle. This way, 0.5 minutes would be half the cycle which is the motion desired for an elevator, as the increase and decrease in velocity would be gradual. The terminal velocity is 36m/min so the coefficients for the linear portions are 36. The constants were then decided so that the graph would be continuous as a whole. Figure 6.1 shows how it would look, graphed in Excel using 600 data points: Figure 6.1 It reaches a maximum depth of 90 meters. By finding the derivative of the positive function at each domain, the piecewise velocity function is found. It is shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7 Another advantage of using sinusoidal functions is seen here. Because the derivative of a trigonometric function stays as a trigonometric function, this creates a very gradual and realistic increase in velocity, and reduces kinks in the graph, which is shown in Figure 7.1. Kinks are unrealistic in any of the graphs because machinery does not act abruptly, but rather, takes some time to reach a certain level. This is the reason that half the period of the cosine function was

graphed (the period remains 1), so that even the step into constant velocity is done steadily. For example, if the velocity were like Figure 7.2, then at 0.5min, the elevator would suddenly stop accelerating which is not very possible as kinetic friction will probably drive it past 36m/min and it will therefore not be as accurate. Therefore, the curve to allow velocity to stop increasing in magnitude creates a more practical elevator. Also, had the velocity been like Figure 7.2 instead of 7.1, the elevator would not have the option of remaining at the lowest point of the shaft, at 3 minutes, as the acceleration would actually be positive, allowing it to only remain at the bottom for a second before returning upwards with a huge jerk. This is not very practical as the elevator may need to be stopped at the base for unloading and loading cargo, and should be able to resume motion upwards after. Figure 7.1

Figure 7.2 (used for comparison purposes only)

Differentiating the velocity functions, the acceleration piecewise function is obtained, shown in Figure 8.

Figure 8 During the periods of constant velocity, the acceleration is 0, namely [0.5, 2.5)[3.5, 5.5). Because the acceleration happens in a short period of time, the instantaneous acceleration is quite high, reaching a max of 113m/min2. Like before, the period is still 1, and each hump is half

a period. Like noted before, this model works because the acceleration is 0 at the 3 minute mark, allowing the elevator to come to a complete stop for an indefinite amount of time if needed, and it corrects the problem with the given model, in that it slows down as it approaches ground level and reaches zero in the elevators acceleration. Figure 8.1 Figure 9 shows all three graphs combined. Like explained in the given model, when the velocity is negative (for the first three minutes) the elevator is moving in a negative direction. When velocity is zero (at t = 0, 3, 6), the elevator is at rest. When velocity is positive (for the latter three minutes) the elevator is moving upwards in the positive direction towards the surface. During the periods that atvt>0, the elevator is speeding up, and this happens at t0, 0.5(3, 3.5). During the periods that atvt<0, the elevator is slowing down, and this happens at t2.5, 3(5.5, 6). Figure 9 As noted earlier, the maximum depth that the elevator travels to is 90 meters. There, it comes to a complete stop, before making the ascent. If one is interested in changing this depth to accommodate a deeper shaft, the coefficient on the position function (9) needs to be changed and subsequently, the velocity and acceleration accordingly. The maximum or terminal velocity is 36m/min. The maximum acceleration is 113m/min2.

2. My model addresses the initial problems present in the given model, as delineated earlier. A pragmatic engineer would design an elevator that prioritizes safety, and then makes sure that functions that the mining industry finds necessary are in place. These include the ability the move cargo on and off, a smooth slow ride up and down, and an appropriate rate of acceleration. My model matches all of these features. First of all, my model reaches the surface with a velocity and acceleration of zero, meaning that it is completely at rest and not about to start moving again unless the function repeats itself. This flexibility allows miners to be able to pull the switch and load/unload cargo before sending the elevator down the shaft again. It stops at the bottom in the same way it does at the top, with a velocity and acceleration of zero. Here, miners can stop it also to unload/load cargo before raising it back to the top. This is the very purpose of the freight elevator and therefore essential. Secondly, my model has very gradual periods of increase and decrease for all of displacement, velocity and acceleration, and a constant velocity in between. The curve in position makes sense because the velocity is constantly changing so the displacement is not changing evenly. The velocity is sinusoidal to reach and maintain the terminal speed of 36m/min and so that the acceleration does reach zero after 3 and 6 minutes, otherwise the model would not be successful. The speed I chose, 36m/min is very slow, and appropriate for a freight elevator as it is carrying a large mass, and therefore needs to move slowly to ensure safety. Another reason why the acceleration needs to be gradual is so the package on the elevator does not rock or bounce, which could cause extra force and therefore increase the risk. Lastly, my acceleration is done in a period of 30 seconds, to acceleration to a speed of a bit more than 36m/min, which is very doable within 30 seconds and done at very small

increments as to keep the elevator as realistic and as smoothly functioning as possible. The time to accelerate upwards and downwards is kept constant in my model because it should be assumed the elevator motor (mine elevators are usually electric) is strong enough to bear the burden of however much mass is on the elevator, meaning that the gears will turn regardless of how much mass the elevator is carrying. This being said, if the elevator accelerated faster downwards than upwards, that could be a potential risk because it shows that it is being affected by gravity, which is directly proportional to mass, meaning that carrying more mass could cause the elevator to falter, resulting in hazardous work conditions. Therefore, the elevator should be strong enough and consistent enough to accelerate the elevator at the same rate both ways by turning its motor no more and no less each time, and having adequately strong wiring to keep the elevator attached. Doing an experiment in an actual elevator using an accelerometer to plot position, velocity and acceleration, the following results were obtained:

So as can be seen, an actual commercial elevator resembles the model for a freight elevator, except at a lower terminal velocity, and more gradual accelerations. Due to the lack of kinks on my model, it can easily be applied elsewhere in other situations. It can definitely be expanded for use as a commercial elevator, which would not sustain as much mass as a freight elevator would, and therefore, would be able to accelerate to greater speeds. I tested my buildings elevator and it clocked at approximately 2m/s which is 120m/min. This can be changed by altering the amplitude of the sinusoidal functions. Also, a commercial elevator would not take 6 minutes to descend a height of merely 90 meters, but

rather less than a minute, so my period would have to be adjusted to be smaller, with shorter periods of constant velocity also. The acceleration would also take place in a shorter amount of time, seeing as the elevator is carrying less people and in a more confined shaft. My elevator for the mine shaft lowered only to 90 meters because I thought that it would be allow some leeway in the elevator, as most elevators have a base that is a couple of meters deep, and that would require a pocket of space underneath. Also, if the shaft is ONLY 100 meters deep, then the ground would certainly not be at the lowest point, but rather somewhere above it, so the people who are loading and unloading the elevator would probably be a point higher than the 100 meter mark. However, if the case changes, the depth can easily be changed by increasing the amplitude by a few tenths in the position and subsequently the velocity and acceleration functions. By using constant velocity, I also seek to make the model realistic to fit all sorts of motor powered applications, from elevators to lifts and even airplanes. The constant velocity in this elevator saves energy because the motor is not constantly shifting speeds by differing the force on the rope, but providing just enough energy to overcome the friction lost from the ropes. This lessens the burden on the motor and creates a more pleasant and safe ride for the cargo, so it is a win-win situation. This is true in sky lifts and ski lifts as they travel at a constant speed up the hill, since the wheel turns at a constant speed. The y-position would not represent height in the case of a lift, but rather forward movement, or a vector. A plane also accelerates very fast during its takeoff, and then slows down gradually to a constant velocity that it cruises at for the remainder of its trip, until it is about to land. At which time, the plane will gradually decelerate following the sinusoidal function modeled as it lands, with small adjustments to match the high speeds it would travel.

Conclusion: There are indeed faults in my model, because as much as I would like to imagine motors turn that smoothly, they usually portray more erratic movement than in the model, which may result in different acceleration times, and during the constant velocity periods. Overall, my model addresses many of the problems that were in the original and attempts to fix them. I have justified all of the twists and turns of my model using mathematical and practical explanations. The model fits the time and distance constraints, and is strong and appropriate enough for use in the mining industry. With the aid of technology, a visual representation was also made, and verified using parametric mode on the TI-84, showing the vertical line motion. Resources Used: TI-84PLUS Graphing Calculator by Texas Instruments. GraphCalc 4.0.1 (graphcalc.com) Microsoft Word and Excel http://www.numberempire.com/texequationeditor/equationeditor.php http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2005/elevator.shtml Wolfram|Alpha

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