French Ski area technical site with diagrams and explanations.
http://www.ski-3vall...que/funitel.htm
Below is translated link
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=e...DUTF-8%26sa%3DG
Interesting story on subsidence problems with same lift.
http://www.pistehors...ts/292_0_1_0_C/
Ryan B
0
French Tech Site
Started by Kelly, May 03 2004 06:32 AM
6 replies to this topic
#7
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Posted 04 May 2004 - 03:07 PM
Corrected Google translation:
The first funitel in the world was built in Val Thorens in 1990: "funitel of Péclet". This last was at the time a true innovation and the SETAM (company which exploits the ski lifts of Valley Thorens) had largely contributed to its design.
What is a funitel? A funitel is a mixture between a gondola and a cable car. It is in fact of the significant cabins of capacity (30 people on average) supported by 2 cables.
Which are the advantages of such an installation? The first advantage of this type of lift is its wind resistance. Indeed, the fact that the cabins are carried by 2 ropes decreases the possibility of swinging
Thus, it is normally possible to make function a funitel with winds blowing more than 100 km/h!
Moreover, a funitel is an ideal heavy installation to guarantee a regular passage of skier from a point to another. One thus finds the funitels at the beginning of the resorts or key points of the ski areas to guarantee a connection with any climatic conditions.
They are also very fast ski lifts (7 meters/second!) what makes it possible to traverse distances and a significant vertical drops (the funitel of Péclet has a 3 km length).
Which is the normal capacity of a funitel? The funitels of Val Thorens have 3000 skiers per hour (Péclet transported 1 350 000 people for 208 days of exploitation in 1999-2000!). That remains a very significant flow even if some detachable chair-lifts can do more for less significant prconstruction costs.
But don't forget that a funitel respond to other needs: capacity of operation under extreme conditions (for example over the the 1999-2000 season the funitel of Péclet could not function because of the wind only one day!
It is also a good alternative to the gondola and it is true that a funitel remains a "prestigious" installation enough.
How does it work?
-The line: it is composed of 2 significant ropes (45 mm for Grand Fond and 50 for Péclet). The latter will have the double role to tract and support the cabins.
The 2 ropes are spaced of approximately 2 meters [Translator's note : any width that's wider than the cabs], which makes it possible to offer a very important wind resistance.
The presence of 2 spaced ropes oblige the towers to be rather wide (see photo) to be able to support the 4 ropes at the same time (2 for the rising cabins and 2 for the downward cabins).
The cabins are relatively distant (277 meters from variation on Grand Fond) because those ones are rather heavy. On Grand Fond there are "only" 20 cabins.
-The cabins: The cabins, of an average capacity of 30 places, are supported by a hanger which varies according to the funitel.
For the funitel of the Grand Fond, there are 4 grips Omega T from POMA by cabins which ensure the rope connection (the Omega T grips are disengageable grips as you can find on some HSs).
The principle of detaching/attaching thus approaches what occurs for a HS except that the operation is carried out on the 4 grips simultaneously.
The 4 grips of the cabins are composed of:
-Jaws which ensures the connection cables/grip. The jaws marry the cable on both sides.
-A system of 2 springs which maintains the jaws tightened around the rope.
-A system of rollers so that the grip can follow a track in the station.
[Image legend: Grand Fond funitel hanger. You can see the four detachable grips.]
[Image legend: Pécelet funitel hanger. It's on this (2 tons!) part that the grips will be installed (upper part) and the cabin (lower part)]
[Translator's note: Oops! The grips are already installed and the hanger's upside-down!]
Translation to be continued...
The first funitel in the world was built in Val Thorens in 1990: "funitel of Péclet". This last was at the time a true innovation and the SETAM (company which exploits the ski lifts of Valley Thorens) had largely contributed to its design.
What is a funitel? A funitel is a mixture between a gondola and a cable car. It is in fact of the significant cabins of capacity (30 people on average) supported by 2 cables.
Which are the advantages of such an installation? The first advantage of this type of lift is its wind resistance. Indeed, the fact that the cabins are carried by 2 ropes decreases the possibility of swinging
Thus, it is normally possible to make function a funitel with winds blowing more than 100 km/h!
Moreover, a funitel is an ideal heavy installation to guarantee a regular passage of skier from a point to another. One thus finds the funitels at the beginning of the resorts or key points of the ski areas to guarantee a connection with any climatic conditions.
They are also very fast ski lifts (7 meters/second!) what makes it possible to traverse distances and a significant vertical drops (the funitel of Péclet has a 3 km length).
Which is the normal capacity of a funitel? The funitels of Val Thorens have 3000 skiers per hour (Péclet transported 1 350 000 people for 208 days of exploitation in 1999-2000!). That remains a very significant flow even if some detachable chair-lifts can do more for less significant prconstruction costs.
But don't forget that a funitel respond to other needs: capacity of operation under extreme conditions (for example over the the 1999-2000 season the funitel of Péclet could not function because of the wind only one day!
It is also a good alternative to the gondola and it is true that a funitel remains a "prestigious" installation enough.
How does it work?
-The line: it is composed of 2 significant ropes (45 mm for Grand Fond and 50 for Péclet). The latter will have the double role to tract and support the cabins.
The 2 ropes are spaced of approximately 2 meters [Translator's note : any width that's wider than the cabs], which makes it possible to offer a very important wind resistance.
The presence of 2 spaced ropes oblige the towers to be rather wide (see photo) to be able to support the 4 ropes at the same time (2 for the rising cabins and 2 for the downward cabins).
The cabins are relatively distant (277 meters from variation on Grand Fond) because those ones are rather heavy. On Grand Fond there are "only" 20 cabins.
-The cabins: The cabins, of an average capacity of 30 places, are supported by a hanger which varies according to the funitel.
For the funitel of the Grand Fond, there are 4 grips Omega T from POMA by cabins which ensure the rope connection (the Omega T grips are disengageable grips as you can find on some HSs).
The principle of detaching/attaching thus approaches what occurs for a HS except that the operation is carried out on the 4 grips simultaneously.
The 4 grips of the cabins are composed of:
-Jaws which ensures the connection cables/grip. The jaws marry the cable on both sides.
-A system of 2 springs which maintains the jaws tightened around the rope.
-A system of rollers so that the grip can follow a track in the station.
[Image legend: Grand Fond funitel hanger. You can see the four detachable grips.]
[Image legend: Pécelet funitel hanger. It's on this (2 tons!) part that the grips will be installed (upper part) and the cabin (lower part)]
[Translator's note: Oops! The grips are already installed and the hanger's upside-down!]
Translation to be continued...
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