Automation Process of an Elevator System

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

1. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

1.1. BRIEF HISTORY OF LIFTS

The first reference of the use of lifts is the work of the roman architect Vitruvio, who said that Arquimedes built the firs elevator in 236 B.C. In medieval times, the lifts worked with the help of animals or manually to transport persons or materials between different levels. In its easiest way, it was built with a wooden box hanging from a wire.

But lifts as they are known nowadays are dated from the XIX century.

In 1823, in London, Burton and Hormer built what they called “ascending room”, which could elevate 20 persons at a height of 37 meters.

In 1853, Elisha Graves Otis invented the first emergency brake for lifts, which was actuated in case that the cable got broken, or the lift reached a high speed. The security device designed by Otis is very similar to one of the devices that are used nowadays.

In 1857, March 23, Otis installed his first elevator in New York through his company “OTIS”.

In 1880, the German inventor Werner von Siemens introduced the electrical motor in elevators.

In 1957, August 30, the first automatic system for doors was installed, what finished with the process of opening and closing doors manually.

In 1996, the company KONE built the first viable lift without machine room.

In 2003, ThyssenKrupp Elevators presented the “Twin” elevator: two cars in the same hole.

The World Trade Center, in New York (EE.UU), with its two towers of 110 levels, has 244 elevators with a capacity up to 4536 Kg and speed up to 488m/min.

1.2. OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

The main goal of the project is to design an automatic control for an elevator system with 10 levels for a maximum of 6 persons (450Kg).

In order to demonstrate the functionally of the algorithm designed, a simulation has been made with the PLC PS4-201-MM1 for an elevator with 4 levels, principally due to the limitation of inputs and outputs of the PLC.

For the simulation, the goal is to design the GRAFCET and the program for this PLC using “Sucosoft”, whereas that for the case with 10 levels the goal is to design the GRAFCET for the automatic control, taking into account everything related to security devices.

A second objective is to design the electrical installation for the elevator, which involves the connection between the power supply, the motor and the PLC, the connection of the different devices to the inputs and outputs of the PLC, and the installation of light and power plugs. The design of electrical protection for motor and persons is also included.