Source: YouTube, Thyssenkrupp
A few months ago, we wrote about the German engineering company Thyssenkrupp which
developed a new elevator concept that doesn’t need any cables. All it needs was a magnetic levitation to cycle not just one, but multiple cars through a building’s shaft system. Now this concept will become a reality, as they are going to install the world’s first ropeless, multidirectional, direct-drive elevator system in a building at Berlin, Germany. They call this system “Multi”.
Conventional elevators have only one cabin per shaft that moves up and down. The Multi system however allows multiple cabins to operate in a loop, just like in a railway inside a building. It uses a multi-level brake system as well as an energy management system which reduces the peak power demand by up to 60% compared to that of conventional elevator systems, thus making it more efficient.
Source: Youtube
Current elevator-escalator systems occupies up to 40% floorspace of a highrise building. The Multi system however, is capable of carrying up to 50% more passengers, and using fewer and smaller shafts than conventional elevators. Therefore, this increases the building’s usable floor area up to 25%. In addition to this, since Multi cabins can move horizontally and vertically without any height limitations, this technology will open countless possibilities in building design.
According to ThyssenKrupp Elevator’s CEO, Andreas Schierenbeck.“We believe Multi is a genuine game-changer that will truly transform the way people move, work and live in our built environment. It will reduce waiting times for passengers and take up significantly less space within the building. Multi is a key offering that truly represents a landmark revolution in the elevator industry.”
The first commercial installation of this innovation will be at Berlin in the East Side Tower building in a development known as The Edge by OVG Real Estate. “This is perhaps the biggest development in the elevator industry since the invention of the safety elevator some 165 years ago,” said Antony Wood, executive director of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. “The ‘holy grail’ for elevators has been to move beyond being pulled vertically by a rope under tension – towards a system that allows movement in inclined or horizontal directions. Multi, more than any other product delivered to date, really shows the way forward for that potential. This has the capacity to transform the industry at large, changing the way tall buildings are designed, and allowing for much more efficient core designs, as well as better connectivity in buildings.”
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