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GUIDE: Calculating Persons Per Hour


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This is the most accurate equation I can think of to estimate a roller coaster's capacity per hour. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Let...

 

P = Persons Per Hour

C = Train Capacity

D = Ride Duration (Include loading time) (Change the time to a decimal [ex. 2:30 = 2.5 ; 2 1/2 minutes = 2.5 minutes - see below for more minutes to decimal conversions])

T = Number of Trains

 

 

 

Equation:

 

P = (C / D • 60)(T)

 

 

So, if I had a roller coaster that seated 36 people per train in 3 different trains and had a duration of 2:30 and an average loading time of 1:00, I would figure it out like so:

 

P = (36 / 3.5 • 60)(3)

 

I end up with about 1851 persons per hour.

 

 

 

Time to Decimal Conversion for Duration

 

Divide the number of seconds by 60. Round to the nearest hundredth (0.00)

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^But if you do it that way, make sure you have people per second instead of people per minute which my formula gets. (Take the people per minute [capacity divided by duration divided by 60])

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^No actually, the 3600 takes care of that. Both actually yield riders per hour.

 

Yours multiplies by 60 to compensate for the number of minute sin an hour, mine multiplies by 3600 for the number of seconds in an hour. Thye will both yield the same results.

 

I'll use your example:

(36 C * 3 T * 60 [mins/hour]) / 3.5 D[mins]

the minutes cancel out

1851 rph

 

(36 C * 3 T * 3600 [sec/hour]) / 210 D[sec]

seconds cancel

1851 rph

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This is the most accurate equation I can think of to estimate a roller coaster's capacity per hour. Enjoy!

Sorry, but I cannot enjoy that one...

 

Let...

P = Persons Per Hour

C = Train Capacity

D = Ride Duration (Include loading time) (Change the time to a decimal [ex. 2:30 = 2.5 ; 2 1/2 minutes = 2.5 minutes - see below for more minutes to decimal conversions])

T = Number of Trains

 

Equation:

P = (C / D • 60)(T)

 

So, if I had a roller coaster that seated 36 people per train in 3 different trains and had a duration of 2:30 and an average loading time of 1:00, I would figure it out like so:

 

P = (36 / 3.5 • 60)(3)

 

I end up with about 1851 persons per hour.

 

So, if I had a roller coaster that seated 36 people per train in 3 different trains and had a duration of 2:30 and an average loading time of 1:00,...

 

...and my trains would dispatch every 7 minutes (which equals 420 seconds), I would get a capacity of approx. 308 peeps per hour! (threehundred and eight!). Still there are three trains, 36 persons per train, and 1:00 loading time, and 2:30 ride time.

 

BTW: with german funfair dispatch (~ 28 seconds) the capacity with your example would be 4628(!) pph. Have three trains within the station (and a dozen more running...) and the loading time of 1:00 can easily be handled too.

 

So how's that? I'd humbly recomend you to start over...

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^So the formula is accurate. I don't see what's wrong with anything but the dispatch time, because if it is 7 minutes, the pph will be substantially lower. Also keep in mind that this is a theoretical formula to have an idea of average capacity under certain conditions.

 

So duration includes ride time, loading time, and dispatch time? Because when I say loading time, I mean the time it takes for a full train to load and leave the station.

 

Could you clarify a little more?

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This still yields ideal results. The equation assumes perfect spacing between trains, no stacking. It's also instantaneous, assuming the load times at that moment would remain constant throughout.

 

Like he said, red, it's an estimation. It's saying the ride COULD get x number of people, not the ride IS getting.

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The actual capacity is ONLY dependent on average dispatch time and seats per train. In NoLimits, the "average dispatch" usually is just the one you have set in the station's setting.

 

Given a working circuit with enough or more than enough trains, neither train count, nor ride time, nor loading time will ever influence this calculation. In other words: Simply do count how often per hour a train with N seats will pass your liftlill/accelerator. That's it and that's all.

 

Like I said, please start over...

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The actual capacity is ONLY dependent on average dispatch time and seats per train. In NoLimits, the "average dispatch" usually is just the one you have set in the station's setting.

 

Given a working circuit with enough or more than enough trains, neither train count, nor ride time, nor loading time will ever influence this calculation. In other words: Simply do count how often per hour a train with N seats will pass your liftlill/accelerator. That's it and that's all.

 

Like I said, please start over...

 

The only way to count the number of trains that pass the lift, is to handcount them yourself. Golfie's formula is an alternative to you're idea, he just substituted # of times you pass the lift, with the times you pass the station (mathematically of course).

 

Now, from what I'm getting out of your explanation, is that you want to just find the experimental data, and spend an hour COUNTING the number of trains that pass the lift. That is going to be nearly perfectly accurate, but that takes more time. Golfie gave a basic formula, that estimates the amount of people that pass over the lift, assuming there is one station operation, and there is NO staking.

 

What it comes down to, is direct count (your way), and a mathematical hypothesis (Golfie's way).

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Now, from what I'm getting out of your explanation, is that you want to just find the experimental data, and spend an hour COUNTING the number of trains that pass the lift.

NO, JUST NO!

 

In case you are not willing or able to translate a "verbal model of some calculation" into the actual equation by yourself, please stop from drawing any such silly conclusions.

 

As you COULD have read from the very first sentence of my post, I had already given the solution in an exact way. READ: "The actual capacity is ONLY dependent on average dispatch time and seats per train. In NoLimits, the "average dispatch" usually is just the one you have set in the station's setting."

 

Guess why I later explicitely did say: "In other words,..."?

 

The phrase "In other words" was chosen and meant to make you think about the character(!) of the calculation problem on your own. Yes, you! On your own. I actually thought I had given you another usefull hint with that, but seing that even this is to complicated for the ongoing discussion, I will not do such anymore.

 

You failed. Please try again..

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Alright, after some of Red's hints and examples, and some talking at Coastersims, I think I understand what he's trying to say.

 

What it comes down to, is direct count (your way), and a mathematical hypothesis (Golfie's way).

 

I had it backwards. Golfies way is more of an experimental way, because it involves timing the circuit. Capacity = People per hour.

 

If one train (of 36 people) dispatched every 30 seconds, you have 36 people per 30 seconds

 

NOW...there are 3600 seconds in an hour, so you divide 3600 by 30, to get the number you multiply by your riders. 3600 / 30 = 120. 120 *36 = 4320

 

Onto the equation...

Capacity = 3600 / dispatch time * people per train

 

(The value you'll want to use for dispatch time is the average wait time for your station.)

 

Now, considering that the station uses "wait time" insted of dispatch time, the Riders per Hour value will be slightly lower than it is in actuality. If you want a more accurate number, time the time it takes for the train to move from the final block, to a stopped position in the station, and add that to the wait time.

 

Red, don't chew my head off if this isn't 100% correct, please!

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Well, even by red's method, you would have to truncate any decimals to get accurate results.

 

 

Golfie's way isn't WRONG, it's just very unstable. Golfie's method will work correct when the number of trains on the circuit allows the average durations to add up to exactly an hour.

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