Power Tower - Technical Explnation

I have a question on how the Power Tower opertates. I understand the air compression in the tubes, but the only thing that I can see to drive the car are thin cables on all sides of the tower. Is the Air just turning the pulleys that pull the cables or am I missing somthing.


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"Cedar Point can not and WILL NOT be responsible for anything lost or damaged.

You are missing nothing. The air pushes something in the tubes that it connected to the pulley cables, and they pull the car up or push it down. You got it on the head for a guess.

It really wasn't a guess. It was the best logical conclusion I could come up with. It just dosen't seem the cables are strong enough to handle that kind of constant strain.

There is a piston on those cables. When the tube floods with compressed air, the piston is forced in whichever direction through the tube. That might be over-simplifying things, but it's not really a comlex device.

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Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point
Millennium Force laps: 35

If you want a detailed technical explanation, try looking at Stan Checketts' (of S&S Sports Power fame) patent on the technology.

http://patent.womplex.ibm.com/details?&pn=US05632686__

(I'd link it direct but this thing strips out HTML...) *** This post was edited by StephenC on 7/9/2000. ***

I couldn't think of the word I was looking for, and piston was it. There ya go.

Thanks StephenC, I went to the patent page and they had a pretty decent picture that helped a lot, that combined with what all of you said along with the complicated version on the patent page helped me understand it too. That's pretty neat what good ol' buddy Stan thought up.

I just noticed, is there a different patent to an extension to the original design where a cable is attached to BOTH ends of the piston, I mean how would the turbo drop side work if there wasn't, it would only be a freefall instead of a thrust. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the turbo drop side is a little different than the space shot side.

The cables are attached to both sides of the piston. If they weren't, the thing wouldn't stop at the top/bottom because the piston could just keep going without a cushion of air to stop it if the pressure were only slightly off.

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Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point
Millennium Force laps: 35

Heres an interesting little article that will give you all you want to know.

www.ingersollrand.com/compair/sept98/blabar.htm

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Dispatch Master, This is Transport one! I'm losing control, I'm losing control!

OK, I'm close to understaning this. I get TD has a cable attached to both sides and can be puched from both sides. So on SS there is a cable on the bottm, but the patent only shows one on the top? Does the SS have one end open too? And finally what is the "Thunk" SS makes every time is launches?

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"the Force of the new Millennium is being felt by those who choose to seek it.

Well, over the weekend I got on my first ever S&S (Turbo drop at Buffalo Bills hotel), so now I have a much better idea of what one is like. I'm curious though, how is Power Tower holding up? Surpreme Scream recently snapped it tension cable. Is this a normal issue with Power Tower?

Allen- feel's it is time to send stan another email to find out whats up!

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www.rollercoasterz.com

Where's Dave Althoff when you need him?

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Final Force Count: 14
Charlie Brown's Cookout 2000
White Water Refreshments 1999
Stockade '97, '98

Here is MY technical explanation for PT
"It TERRIFIES me"

I wouldnt have ridden it the 2x I did this year if it wasnt for peer pressure!!!


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Welcome back Raptor riders-how was your flight??

JT...

The mechanism is nearly identical, it's just a matter of where the air is injected in to the tube. On the drops, the air is injected at the bottom, forcing the piston up through the tube, and therefore pulling the carriage down. The shots are the exact opposite.

There's a great article on Hydraulics and Pneumatics, but they haven't posted it to their Web site.

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Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point
Millennium Force laps: 39

A reply to Allen1492's question, yes Power Tower Has broken a cable, it was back in 1998, infact I was almost hit by that cable as it fell from the top of the Tower

So is the SS sealed on both ends like TD or open on both ends like the pics on the patent that I was looking at.

Thanks all!! This is really helpful :)

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"the Force of the new Millennium is being felt by those who choose to seek it.

I would think that it would be sealed at both ends, or at least have a valve. After all, there has to be a reason that you stop and reverse direction so quickly, and my assumption is that the piston compresses the air and creates a "cushion" at the end.

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Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point
Millennium Force laps: 39