GUIDE: Calculating Persons Per Hour

[Golfie]

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)

[xascher]

Thanks Golfie, Ive been needing something like this!

[Golfie]

No Problem - it took a lot of thinking, so I'm glad it's being put to good use.

[BiCoastal Kid]

Also, dont be dumb and put a 3:20 ride in as 3.20 when it should be 3.333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333

 

If you can't figure out the minute decimal form of your duration, just do it in seconds and change 60 to 3600.

 

seconds form

 

(3600*C*T)/D

[Golfie]

^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])

[BiCoastal Kid]

^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

[ComplexAudio99]

This is perfect. I have always been looking for a way to calculate this on No Limits. Thanks for spending the time to create this formula!

[redunzelizer]

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...

[Golfie]

^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?

[BiCoastal Kid]

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.

[redunzelizer]

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...

[Nightmare500]

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).

[redunzelizer]

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..

[steel]

^Don't hurt yourself. This is an estimation. It's just for fun and it's close enough. If you want to get more technical about it, please go ahead, but there isn't any reason to get angry.

[Nightmare500]

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!

[BiCoastal Kid]

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.

[Golfie]

^Not necesarily. Most times, you'll end up with a decimal which can be rounded for a quite accurate estimation.

[BiCoastal Kid]

But to be accurate you don't want to round. You only want the number of complete circuits in an hour. If a train is only half-way through the course, you can't really say it's completely moved those people.

[Golfie]

I suppose... it just depends on your judgement. I created a spreadsheet with the formula built in so you only have to plug in capacity per train, number of trains, and ride duration (in seconds), and Excel does the rest!

Calculate Capacity Per Hour.xls

[Vekoma Fan Boy]

Thanks for the spreadsheet Golfie! Excel is awesome!

[foss123]

This thread is old and dead, but a desperate google search led me to it and I can't say how grateful I am. Here's a bump so everyone else can see this formula!