Deicing a chair lift, be sure to click on image links. From old forum post.
http://www.snow.co.nz/clients/nationalpark...wsletterId=1103
0
Deicing A Skilift
Started by Kelly, Feb 06 2004 02:39 PM
12 replies to this topic
#2
-
- Member
- 44 Posts:
Established User
Posted 09 February 2004 - 11:17 AM
Mt Ruapehu, where these two resorts are is kind of like Killamenjaro in that it sticks up all by itself from a surrounding plane on the North Island of NZ. No surrounding mountains to break up the weather that comes sweeping in from the oceans, so they can get a lot of high wind and nasty weather from storms. Nothing comparable in the US that I've been on except for the upper Summit Express at Batchelor, and the Lone Peak tram at Big Sky. The whole ski area at Whakapapa & Turoa are totally above the treeline in true high alpine rocks and snow.
Very different than the resorts in the Southern Alps around Queenstown.
Very different than the resorts in the Southern Alps around Queenstown.
#3
-
- Administrator I
- 2,814 Posts:
Established User
Posted 09 February 2004 - 02:58 PM
Thats a hell of a lot of snow and ice
Why can't even the media get the name right?
Quote
Engineers and Dopplemayer staff (the company that built the lift) were assessing the state of the concrete base yesterday.
Why can't even the media get the name right?
- Tyler
West Palm Beach, FL - elev. 9 feet
West Palm Beach, FL - elev. 9 feet
#4
-
- Administrator II
- 2,913 Posts:
Established User
Posted 09 February 2004 - 04:59 PM
Well I thought that the snowmaking gun was pointed the other way.
http://www.mtruapehu.../chairlift2.jpg
http://www.mtruapehu.../chairlift2.jpg
www.ropetech.org
#6
-
- Administrator II
- 2,913 Posts:
Established User
Posted 13 February 2004 - 06:02 PM
www.ropetech.org
#7
-
- Member
- 927 Posts:
Edmontonguy
Posted 13 February 2004 - 06:12 PM
Ice on a CTEC Quad
Attached File(s)
-
ACF579A.jpg (83.76K)
Number of downloads: 31
#8
-
- Administrator II
- 5,906 Posts:
lift mechanic
- Interests:Many.
Posted 13 February 2004 - 07:39 PM
Dr Frankenstein, on Feb 9 2004, 06:22 PM, said:
Check this pic I took @ Mont-Habitant:
In industry parlance, that lift got schmegged. Usually the snowmaking crew will be buying the lift mechanics beer later that day. We had that happen several times during the preseason.
Member, Department of Ancient Technology, Colorado chapter.
#10
-
- Administrator II
- 2,913 Posts:
Established User
Posted 15 February 2004 - 11:55 AM
If your question is directed towards fixed grip carrier deicing - 1 to 2 minutes would be an average time for removal of the light ice shown in liftmech's post. In most cases this can be accomplished with the lift running on slow and a team system of large chunk removal as the carrier passes the loading station on the downline side and seat cleanup as it passes the loading station on the upline side. This usually will produce a carrier that will still have ice but is safe and somewhat comfortable for the rider to load. For the more intricate detachable style carrier (and always larger) 3 times longer is a reasonable estimate.
More often it's not the carrier that needs the time for deicing but all the other moving parts of the lift. This is particularly true for detachable lifts.
In the Mammoth image the sheaves and haulrope are the big problem. With the ladder rungs incased in snow and ice just accessing the crossarm is a difficult and time consuming task. The haulrope that is between towers is difficult if not impossible to reach, so the lift must be deiced in short segments after the sheaves are cleared and free to rotate. If the sheaves have not been cleared of ice the haulrope will cut a flat spot (a.k.a. burned) in the sheave liner rendering the lift unusable in its higher speed range. This will also render the offending deicer a thinner wallet as he purchases beer for the crew for the week.
The dance of the deicers has to be coordinated with an extremely competent operator in radio communication with all tower deicers. Areas with larger staffs would station a mechanic at each side of a tower (each sheave assembly) for the haulrope deicing process. In the case of Mammoth's image the gondola cars are in storage which simplifies the operation. If the carriers are on the line at the time of deicing a mechanic must be in position to clear the grip as best as possible before it enters into the terminal, 1 more to help it start though the terminal, 1 to help it in the conveying area and 1 to help it out of the terminal. This process is repeated at the other end of the lift at the same time. If a detachable lift is iced up with carriers on the line, it's not uncommon to have 20 people working 2 to 3 hours on this process. This is a common occurrence for lifts built in exposed areas in the Western portion of the U.S. Some lifts can take all day to deice especially if the lift was not able to run due to avalanche danger, high winds, or foresight to anticipate icing conditions.
In the case of gondolas, snow and ice inside the cars and door opening mechanisms are also time consuming to remove.
Deicing is started quite early in the morning and is one of the invisible intensive labor activities that most skiers are unaware of.
A common tool to remove ice is a 16" long 3/4" in diameter rebar with a tapered tip to help with ice removal in tight areas. "Dead blow" hammers are often used on conditions where thinner ice has occurred.
Mt. Hood Meadows Texas chair (Riblet) was removed due to its severe exposure.
More often it's not the carrier that needs the time for deicing but all the other moving parts of the lift. This is particularly true for detachable lifts.
In the Mammoth image the sheaves and haulrope are the big problem. With the ladder rungs incased in snow and ice just accessing the crossarm is a difficult and time consuming task. The haulrope that is between towers is difficult if not impossible to reach, so the lift must be deiced in short segments after the sheaves are cleared and free to rotate. If the sheaves have not been cleared of ice the haulrope will cut a flat spot (a.k.a. burned) in the sheave liner rendering the lift unusable in its higher speed range. This will also render the offending deicer a thinner wallet as he purchases beer for the crew for the week.
The dance of the deicers has to be coordinated with an extremely competent operator in radio communication with all tower deicers. Areas with larger staffs would station a mechanic at each side of a tower (each sheave assembly) for the haulrope deicing process. In the case of Mammoth's image the gondola cars are in storage which simplifies the operation. If the carriers are on the line at the time of deicing a mechanic must be in position to clear the grip as best as possible before it enters into the terminal, 1 more to help it start though the terminal, 1 to help it in the conveying area and 1 to help it out of the terminal. This process is repeated at the other end of the lift at the same time. If a detachable lift is iced up with carriers on the line, it's not uncommon to have 20 people working 2 to 3 hours on this process. This is a common occurrence for lifts built in exposed areas in the Western portion of the U.S. Some lifts can take all day to deice especially if the lift was not able to run due to avalanche danger, high winds, or foresight to anticipate icing conditions.
In the case of gondolas, snow and ice inside the cars and door opening mechanisms are also time consuming to remove.
Deicing is started quite early in the morning and is one of the invisible intensive labor activities that most skiers are unaware of.
A common tool to remove ice is a 16" long 3/4" in diameter rebar with a tapered tip to help with ice removal in tight areas. "Dead blow" hammers are often used on conditions where thinner ice has occurred.
Mt. Hood Meadows Texas chair (Riblet) was removed due to its severe exposure.
www.ropetech.org
#11
-
- Administrator II
- 5,906 Posts:
lift mechanic
- Interests:Many.
Posted 15 February 2004 - 08:19 PM
One incident comes to mind from early this season. We were open for race camp only, and one could not ski to the bottom yet. Snowmaking was ramped up to get one top-to-bottom run open, and the green guys weren't very careful about where they aimed their guns. (After review, it was determined that they didn't know that aiming the guns at the lift produced ice- after all, they're snow guns, aren't they? :help: ) Two towers and four chairs were completely schmegged, and it took us an hour to get the lift into operating condition using the techniques Ryan describes above. Basically we had one mechanic in radio contact at the drive station, and three more of us out on the towers. As each section of the line went by, we would smack the rope or grip with a deadblow (a rubber hammer with a can of steel shot encased within- a great striking tool when you don't want ot damage the surface you're hitting). The ice was so thick that we could only knock off half a metre or so at a time, and the individual grips took forever. The towers weren't really all that bad, just time-consuming. We all wished we had cameras, as the whole scene was worthy of documentation (if only to convince the snowmakers to buy beer).
Member, Department of Ancient Technology, Colorado chapter.
#12
-
- Administrator II
- 2,913 Posts:
Established User
Posted 23 February 2004 - 12:19 PM
Rime ice
http://www.avalanche.../rime_plus2.jpg
smashed lift
http://www.avalanche...bridalveil1.jpg
Go to picture section for more.
http://www.avalanche.../rime_plus2.jpg
smashed lift
http://www.avalanche...bridalveil1.jpg
Go to picture section for more.
www.ropetech.org
1 User(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users
