How do chairlifts stay on cable?

A chairlift is basically a looping steel cable with a large pulley at each end (the bullwheels). Carriers (the chairs) are hung from the cable and held in place with a mechanical grip. The grip functions similarly to a vice and is tightened around the cable to keep the chair from sliding back.

How are chairlifts powered?

Chairlifts are powered by electric motors with diesel backup engines. The most common type of motor is the DC electric motor because they are more economical, but AC drives are also used in some locations. Some chairlifts use an auxiliary drive that can be powered by a snowmobile engine.

How does a gondola system work?

A gondola lift is a means of cable transport and type of aerial lift which is supported and propelled by cables from above. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal, which is typically connected to an engine or electric motor.

How are fixed ski lift chairs attached to cable?

Each chair is equipped with a “grip” that pinches the cable. Then, when the lift is in operation, the cable is pulled along by the motor in the station and the chairs are moved along the line. On the first chair lifts, known as “fixed”, the chairs always used to be attached to the cable.

How much electricity does a ski lift use?

A fully loaded gondola or chair lift or even double-decker lift would require a power of around 1400 to 1600 amps for a period of 10 seconds. This is for a car with a weight of 450 lbs. When running at full speed it would require anything between 1000 and 1200 amps when it is running at full speed.

How much electricity does a chairlift use?

Fully loaded (101 chairs on a side, each weighing about 450 lbs with 4 x 170 lbs average weight on the loaded side, the lift pulls about 1400-1600 amps for approximately 10 seconds. It then levels off to around 1000-1200 amps running full speed.

Why do chairlifts stop?

Overhead lifts have safety switches that are sensitive to side‐to‐side movement of the chairs or cars carrying skiers. If the lateral movement is too great, the safety switch cuts in and stops the lift.

How are gondolas attached?

Ski lift chairs, gondolas, cable cars, or t-bars are connected to the steel cable and transports the skiers up to the top. The empty chair or gondola then circles around and travels back empty to the bottom of the slope to pick up new skiers.

Are gondola lifts safe?

While by no means definitive, we’ve compiled some of the important numbers in the tables below and our preliminary investigations suggest Cable Propelled Transit technologies such as Funiculars, Gondolas and Aerial Trams are amongst the safest public transit technologies around.

How do people fall off chairlifts?

The most common cause of those falls: You. Rider error attributed to 86 percent of the chairlift falls, with most happening when getting on or off the chairlift. Four percent of the falls were attributed to a medical issue, 8 percent an “unknown” cause and only 2 percent attributed to mechanical/operator error.

What is a detachable chairlift?

A detachable chairlift also is called a high-speed chairlift. Detachable lifts can go faster than fixed-grip lifts because the chairs are able to detach from the cable and slow down for passenger loading and unloading. These chairlifts are designed to carry two to eight passengers.

How do high-speed detachable chairs work?

High-speed detachables work in a very similar manner to fixed grip chairs, with one key exception. The high-speed detachable has a grip mechanism that allows the chair to release from the cable at the loading and unloading stations.

How does a detachable ski lift work?

They use grips to clamp onto the cable, which then moves them up the mountain. This allows the chair to slow down for loading and unloading by loosening the grip on the cable (also called rope). Because of the more stable design, detachable lifts can move at faster speeds.

How do chairlifts work?

Some chairlifts use an auxiliary drive that can be powered by a snowmobile engine. In case there is a power outage, they can clear the line and get everyone off the lift.