A New, Eco-Friendly Elevator

There are a lot of houses these days that are built with a combination of old school eloquence and modern convenience. A number of people love the feeling that Victorian architecture elicits, but at the same time they also need a few facilities that engineering has made possible. Elevators are the best example of such facilities. These days there are so many yachts, condominiums and elaborately built mansions where elevators are used. Anything above two floors can have an elevator, and it is quite convenient, especially if there are old people about.

Although an elevator may seem like a great idea, it can be a messy process if it is not planned properly. For one thing, if you did not plan to have an elevator during construction, then you will need to make space specifically for the elevator shaft. What is more, there will have to be a pit dug at the base, for the foundation of the shaft. Apart from all this, there are always energy constraints. A new type of elevator has been designed that gets past all these disadvantages, and has some more perks of its own. It is called the pneumatic vacuum elevator.

The pneumatic vacuum elevator gets its name because it runs completely on the power of pressurized air and vacuum. It has only three components. The first is the external cylinder or elevator chute. This cylinder is self-supporting and is made of curved polycarbonate sheets, which facilitate a great view. It is built around a specially designed aluminum structure. The next component is the elevator car itself, which runs within the shaft. The walls of the car are also made of polycarbonate fiber. Then there is the suction assembly that is responsible for movement. It is located on top of the tube, and comprises turbines, valves and controls.

The principle is as simple as the construction of the elevator. The lower part of the shaft is always open to facilitate the flow of air at atmospheric pressure. The turbines on the top of the chute will act as exhaust fans, and they will create vacuum or zero pressure at the top of the chute. So, owing to the difference n pressure between the portions of the chute above and below the elevator car, a push is generated which lifts the car to the required floor. descent is even simpler; the car simply floats down slowly at zero pressure.

There are a number of advantages to having a vacuum elevator. The most important is that it saves a lot of power. Besides, you can decide on the size depending on your necessity. There are elevators for one, two or three passengers, and specially designed cars to carry a person in a wheelchair along with an attendant. No hoist-way or shaft needs to be constructed, and the elevator chute consists of modular sections that will fit into each other easily, which means that it can be transported in case you decide to shift residences. There are mechanical locks that are provided which will work at each floor, so slipping is impossible. Also, in case of power failure, the car will just descend to the ground floor at zero pressure.