SBIR Phase I: Tractive Drive System Proof-of-Concept

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）一期项目将彻底改变摩天大楼级建筑（150米或更高）的垂直运输。在城市人口密集化和老龄化社会这两大趋势的推动下，全球潜在的电梯市场中，摩天大楼级电梯的安装费用估计为80亿美元。预计到2050年，65岁以上的人口将增加33%，到本世纪末，70%以上的世界人口将居住在城市中心。这种人口结构的转变将在人口密集的城市地区、内部的摩天大楼以及相关的垂直交通系统中产生新的空间需求。本课题的智力优势在于开发一种无缆牵引驱动系统来驱动电梯驾驶室。配备牵引驱动系统后，驾驶室将成为一种高性能的自动驾驶电动汽车，不再局限于单个轴，而是在多个轴上自动导航。此外，由于没有电缆，多个驾驶室可以在同一轴内行驶，从而可以使用更少的轴实现更大的运输能力和更短的等待时间。牵引驱动系统利用牵引驱动轮和轴之间产生的摩擦力来推动驾驶室。第一阶段项目的目标是构建一个概念验证原型，该原型将允许(1)直接测量牵引驱动轮和轴材料组合的摩擦行为，以达到预期的规模、几何形状和环境操作条件，以及(2)验证预期的机械性能（即承载能力、动力传输）是可以实现的。这证明了该系统的可行性。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will revolutionize vertical transportation for skyscraper-class buildings (150 meters or taller). The skyscraper-class segment of the total addressable global elevator market is estimated at $8 billion for installation, driven by two key trends: urban densification and aging societies. It is expected that the number of people over 65 will increase by 33% by 2050 and that upwards of 70% of the world’s population will live in urban centers by the end of the century. This demographic shift will create an new demand for space in densely populated urban areas, skyscraper-class buildings within, and associatd vertical transportation systems.The intellectual merit of this project is to develop a cable-less, tractive drive system to propel an elevator cab. Equipped with a tractive drive system, cabs become self-propelled, high-performance electric vehicles that are not bound to a single shaft, but instead navigate autonomously throughout multiple shafts. In addition, the absence of cables allows multiple cabs to travel within the same shaft, enabling greater transport capacity and shorter wait times to be achieved using fewer shafts. The tractive drive system propels cabs using frictional forces developed between the tractive drive wheels and the shaft. The objective of this Phase I project is to construct a proof-of-concept prototype that will allow for (1) direct measurement of the frictional behavior of the tractive drive wheel and shaft material combinations for the expected scale, geometries, and ambient operating conditions, and (2) verification that the expected mechanical performance (i.e., load-bearing capacity, power transmission) is achievable. This demonstrates the feasibility of such a system.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.