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Cool Kingda Ka Motor Pics!


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Check out these cool pics that were emailed to me. That is a huge motor! Never seen anything like that being so big. I didn't realize Kingda Ka needed this massive engine to launch you. Does Top Thrill Dragster have one of these?

 

* I had the wrong link before. Here is the new link. Sorry.

 

http://themeparks.about.com/od/photoandvideogallery/ss/KingdaHydraulic.htm

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For those interested in technical details: An article from Kissling & Co. AG, Zürich, Switzerland, the manufacturer of the drive gear (page 4 of this PDF file, the document is also available in German and French):

www.kissgear.ch/fileadmin/user_upload/Kissling_Firmenzeitung_80jahre_E.pdf

 

There are also several technical articles in U.S. engineering magazines.

 

Technically there aren't that many options for high power launching systems. Electrically powered linear drives draw a lot of peak power (although generators with very large flywheels would be possible to store most ot the required launching energy), require complex drive power electronics and fast real-time digital regulation systems but are mechanically very simple.

From an engineering POV I'd tend to consider the hydraulic launching solution as reliable but the whole drum and cable system is challenging, especially as it's not usual tu use cables at such high speeds.

 

Edit:

Those interested in eddy-current brakes and linear drives for roller coasters can visit the website of Intrasys GmbH (mostly in German):

www.intrasys-gmbh.com

A 17-pages article about linear drives for roller coasters can be found here (in English):

www.intrasys-gmbh.com/at/LSM_0205.pdf

 

BTW the patent # indicated in some article linked above is wrong.

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All non-air powered "Rocket" coasters have these big motor's, "Stealth", Rita" and TTD etc, of course the smaller ones have 1/2 the size of KK and TTD.

 

A "Glass or Perspec" shed should be built so everyone can see the motor's.

 

"Rita" has 1 motor, KK uses 2 Motor's back-to-back.

 

The fins pop up when the cars goes over them so the train does not speed back into the station. aka "roll-back"

 

I wonder how fast KK and TTD can really go if the motor's are turned up to "full speed".

 

Superman at 6FMM uses magnets to move the train down the track, the cars have a + magnet and the fin's are - magnets. This is what pushes the train forward and the park's electric doubles when the cars are braked.

 

Hope I'm right

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AllisonY2K wrote

"looks almost as big as the room Hulk has for it's launched lift hill motors"

 

Actually, there is no "motor room" for HULK. Each [small] motor is directly connected to the actual wheel(s)\(tires) that propell HULK up its launched lift. Each wheel is individually powered my its dedicated motor, located JUST underneath of the actual tire.

 

Dan "U.S.O. should have chosen lockheed-martin to develop the launch system for hulk" Strickland

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Actually, thats one big hydraulic motor system. The motors themselves aren't extremely large. The hydraulic launch consists of many hydraulic motors that work together at one motor. It looks to be about 17-18 motors on each side of the spool...meaning there are around 35 motors running the launch.[/u]

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^ It actually doesn't get much louder when the coaster launches, but it is loud basically all the time. The motors run in between launches to compress the nitrogen-filled accumulator tanks, and when it launches, the nitrogen is released and forces hydraulic fluid out to turn the huge cable spool. Check out one of the TPR video's for Stealth, they have a shot of the motor room during a launch! Seems to sound just like it does from the outside, only much cooler I would assume!

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No wonder these rocket coasters break down the whole time; they're a complicated mess!

 

Why is this launch system so complicated? I remember the simple launch mechanism with a weight falling down a tower (like Thunder Looper at Alton Towers).

 

You would think that coaster technology would get simplified, not more complex with time!

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Its actually not as complicated as it looks. Each motor has its own system, and there are 30-40 motors so there are a lot of random systems all over the place to run each one. The principle behind running one motor is very simple, but when you make that one motor into 30+, then you have what looks like a mess on your hands.

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