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

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将彻底改变摩天大楼（150米或更高）的垂直运输。全球电梯市场的摩天大楼级部分估计为80亿美元，主要由两个主要趋势驱动：城市密集化和老龄化社会。预计到2050年，65岁以上的人口数量将增加33%，到世纪末，世界人口的70%以上将居住在城市中心。这种人口结构的变化将在人口密集的城市地区、摩天大楼内以及相关的垂直运输系统中产生新的空间需求。本项目的智力价值是开发一种无缆牵引驱动系统来推动电梯轿厢。配备了牵引驱动系统，驾驶室成为自驱动的高性能电动车辆，不受单一轴的约束，而是在多个轴上自主导航。此外，没有电缆允许多个轿厢在同一竖井内行进，从而能够使用更少的竖井实现更大的运输能力和更短的等待时间。牵引驱动系统利用在牵引驱动轮和轴之间产生的摩擦力来推进驾驶室。该第一阶段项目的目标是构建概念验证原型，该原型将允许（1）针对预期的规模、几何形状和环境操作条件直接测量牵引驱动轮和轴材料组合的摩擦行为，以及（2）验证预期的机械性能（即，承载能力、动力传输）是可实现的。这个奖项反映了NSF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.