Power consumption

It's 10,000 horsepower, that's 7.5 Megawatts. Tower of Terror at Dreamworld, Australia is rated at 2.2 Mw. It's an Intamin LSM Launched Reverse Freefall, i.e a single track version of S:TE. (0-100mph in 7 sec.)

TTD is that much more powerful?? Hmm, a TTD train is prob a fair bit heavier, goes faster & in nearly half the time so sounds about right.

Anyways, guess LIM/LSM coasters have problems getting all of that energy to be released almost at once.

Whereas pumps are used to compress the nitrogen for TTD. If takes 7.5 Mw to launch a train, the same or more energy is required to compress the nitrogen??

Hydralic launched are definitely a better way to release a LOT of energy in one go but probably has more problems than LIM/LSM.

What are your thoughts?

*** Edited 7/6/2006 8:54:24 AM UTC by Taipan***

Hard to say what causes more problems, reverse freefalls or rocket coasters. I know S:TE is a piece of crap (I've never heard much about Tower of Terror), it could just be SF's wonderful maintenance.

S:TE was the first in the world designed to hit 100mph. ToT was built shortly after & redesigned to overcome S:TE's problems & actually hit 100mph before S:TE did! http://rcdb.com/id1127.htm

The one time that I went to SFMM and S:TE was actually working it was VERY loud. I can imagine that the people on the drop tower at Dreamland get one very loud fly-by as that car goes up that hill next to their heads. That'd add to the excitement. :)

I don't know how much power Dragster uses, but I think one of the reasons they went with the Hydraulic launch instead of the LSM/LIM launched (Other than space) was less power consumption/better efficiency.

Plus, wasn't it also because of this particular reason?: http://www.rcdb.com/ig140.htm?picture=7

Just so I'm clear I'm referring to space.:)

*** Edited 7/7/2006 5:40:55 AM UTC by TTD 120mph***

CP doesn't consider S:TE a coaster, but that's a whole other topic.

Yeah, let's not start one of those discussions.:)

Anyways, guess LIM/LSM coasters have problems getting all of that energy to be released almost at once.

At least with the energy that the LIM's/LSM's currently provide. Although, they can be cranked up to do a lot more. I was watching supercoasters the other night and the launch of the future for the Navy is LSM's for the aircraft carriers. Of course, their LSM's motor (for better lack of a word) costs are astronomical. Can't remember the exact figure.
*** Edited 7/7/2006 5:35:41 PM UTC by Coasterfury***

TTD 120mph said:
Plus, wasn't it also because of this particular reason?: http://www.rcdb.com/ig140.htm?picture=7

Just so I'm clear I'm referring to space.:)

*** Edited 7/7/2006 5:40:55 AM UTC by TTD 120mph***

Yes, that was a very big reason. In one of OnPoint's blogs about TTD, someone asked why they didn't use LIM's like on WT, and Tony and Tyler said just that. That LIM's would have taken an extremely long launch track to get it up to speed.

The thing to remember about Dragster is that its power consumption is more or less continuous. It is running large pumps all the time that it is powered up in order to set and reset the hydraulic system.

A couple of years ago, Mr. Jasper seemed unsure whether Dragster actually used more power than Thunder Canyon, but he indicated that it was close. Thunder Canyon has four pumps that each pump a foot and a half column of water up about twelve to fifteen feet, and either is, or was until Dragster, Cedar Point's most power-consuming ride.

I imagine Snake River Falls is no slouch either, although its pumps don't have to move nearly the volume of Thunder Canyon.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Do we have any word yet on where Wicked Twister ranks on the power consumption-o-meter?

I haven't heard. It's probably surprisingly low, though, because while it is high current, it's short duration. Dragster is probably significantly lower current than Twister, but it runs all the time.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

S:TE couldn't have gone even close to 100mph. When I was there last spring they would barely go up half the tower. Not surprising how much power Thunder Canyon consumes.

I've heard that Hulk uses a LARGE amount of power on its launches.

^ I believe that if the Hulk did not have its own power generator that one launch on it would black out the whole city of Orlando. I just remember hearing something along those lines
*** Edited 7/13/2006 4:01:00 AM UTC by Drew07***

Yes, they mentioned that on one of those Travel Channel shows.