Posts Tagged: London

14
Dec

2012

Weekly Roundup: A Solution to Seattle’s Montlake Mess

A quick look at some of the things that happened this week in the world of cable cars, urban gondolas, and cable propelled transit:

  • Politicians in London consider the possibility of the Emirates Air Line becoming a “white elephant.”

If I could buy that right now, I would.



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12
Oct

2012

Weekly Roundup: Money, Disputes & Love

A quick look at some of the things that happened this week in the world of cable cars, urban gondolas, and cable propelled transit:

  • Transport for London confirmed this week that the funding for the London Cable Car from Emirates Air Line will be paid back over a period of 9 years. Having to wait for this £36m after already fronting the £60m construction bill, TfL is in a bit of a bind. They are currently applying for an EU grant.
  • Controversy over the Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish, British Columbia continues although the Vancouver Observer has found that more people are in favour of the system. The two biggest arguments (against and for the gondola, respectively) are the environmental impact on the area and the potential economic boost for the town.
  • The Hamburg Gondola, initially proposed in February of last year, is reigniting debate this week. One argument is that the system will be entertainment and tourism oriented, and therefore rather expensive to ride.
  • In the meantime, a few hundred kilometers to the south, the city of Koblenz has fallen in love with their temporary cable car, the Rheinseilbahn, and are trying to extend its presence beyond the agreed upon 2013 departure date. A big concern around the system is the World Heritage Status that the surrounding Rhein Valley was able to keep only under the condition that the system would be temporary.


  • Want more? Purchase Cable Car Confidential: The Essential Guide to Cable Cars, Urban Gondolas & Cable Propelled Transit and start learning about the world's fastest growing transportation technologies.

    12
    Sep

    2012

    How the London Emirates Air Line Cable Car Powers its Cabins

    The issue of energy has come up a lot when we talk about urban cable systems — and for a good reason. If cable is going to succeed as the modern, comfortable, city transit technology it claims to be, then such amenities as heating, air conditioning, video screens, wifi, and two-way communication systems are going to have to be standard features.

    For most of their existence, gondola were not heated, cooled, or souped-up in any way because frankly, there was no need. If you’re skiing outside all day you don’t exactly want to step into air conditioning and heating is not necessary since you’re all bundled up and only inside for a few minutes at a time. But as cable moves into the urban realm, the issue of power becomes increasingly more significant.

    Can cabins be heated and cooled?

    Yes. For example, London’s new Emirates Air Line cable car has air conditioning. In fact, we’ve know that it was possible for a while, having had this discussion before, we just weren’t sure how.

    The solar panel is not the answer

    So how do cabins get power?

    First off, definitely not from the small solar panels seen on the roof of some gondolas. Since gondola cabins aren’t connected to a power source, heating and cooling, etc, is not as straight forward as say, in a subway. But this doesn’t mean it can’t be done.

    Last week an article came out about how the Emirates Air Line cable car in London utilizes ultracapacitors to provide power to each cabin. So there we go, voilá.

    Each cabin has an ultracapacitor on the roof

    But what does that mean and how does it work?

    Ultracapacitors are like batteries in the sense that they both store energy. A capacitor, on the other hand, unlike a battery, can charge and discharge energy very, very quickly (like in a matter of seconds). In the case of the London gondola cabins,

    “48V ultracapacitor modules fitted on top of each car [to] enable split-second, rapid energy charging of the modules on reaching the charging stations located at both turnaround points.”

    Maxwell Technologies 48 V Ultra cap

    Capacitors have a longer lifespan so you can repeat this process way more than with a battery — in this case, up to one million charge/discharge cycles — and they require little to no maintenance.

    The rapid charge is key because it means that the capacitors can charge as the cabins pass through stations. A battery, on the other hand, would need a much longer charge period. Since the capacitor is continually charged through out the day, its physical size can be reduced. For a comparable battery system that would recharged at night, the sheer amount of batteries needed for each cabin would probably be far too heavy and too costly to be practical.

    The ultracapacitors installed in the Emirates Air Line cable car were manufactured by Maxwell Technologies. The capacitors are a green technology that use electric fields, rather than chemical reactions, to store energy. The Maxwell 48V modules are the same capacitors used in hybrid buses and construction equipment. They can allow for high bursts of power needed to accelerate or to lift a heavy load (opposed to a gradual loss cruising or lowering a load) and they can quickly recapture energy from braking.

    In conclusion, yes, gondolas/cable cars/aerial cable transit cabins can be individually supplied with enough energy to power temperature regulators, multi-media screens, and all the lighting necessary for your ultra-comfortable, ultra-modern, and ultra-fun cable experience. You just need to add ultracapacitors to the top of each cabin to charge everything up in the station and you’re good to go.



    Want more? Purchase Cable Car Confidential: The Essential Guide to Cable Cars, Urban Gondolas & Cable Propelled Transit and start learning about the world's fastest growing transportation technologies.

    03
    Aug

    2012

    Weekly Roundup: London Cable Car – Free?

    Complementary tickets for the London Thames Cable Car.

    A quick look at some of the things that happened this week in the world of cable cars, urban gondolas, and cable propelled transit:

    • The London Thames Cable Car (Emirates Air Line) is suffering from poor weekday (read: commuters) ridership to such an extent that Transport for London has sent out free round-trip tickets to local residents. Typically we’re not the kind of people who say “we told you so” but in this situation we’d like to make an exception and say we told you so.


    Want more? Purchase Cable Car Confidential: The Essential Guide to Cable Cars, Urban Gondolas & Cable Propelled Transit and start learning about the world's fastest growing transportation technologies.

    19
    Jun

    2012

    Emirates Air Line to Open June 28

    Emirates Air Line. Image by Flickr user worldoflard.

    With much speculation happening in the past on whether the Emirates Air Line will open in time for the Olympics, several media outlets have now officially confirmed that the cable car will open to the public on June 28. This is great news as the system will begin operations nearly one month before the Olympics start on July 27.

    Fare pricing was also announced: adults using an Oyster Card will fork out £3.20 per ride, while a cash fare will set you back £4.30. For those who plan to use the cable car regularly, a frequent flyer’s pass is available at a cost of £16 for ten trips.

    While this system is merely a simple river crossing, it is certainly the most high-profile cable car line in the Western world. The success or failure of the Emirates Air Line may have major ramifications for future urban CPT systems.



    Want more? Purchase Cable Car Confidential: The Essential Guide to Cable Cars, Urban Gondolas & Cable Propelled Transit and start learning about the world's fastest growing transportation technologies.

    18
    May

    2012

    Weekly Roundup: Monkey Rides Cable Car (Seriously)

    How long until someone decides to use this as evidence that cable is bad for the environment? Image via Vox.

    A quick look at some of the highlights from around the world of Urban Gondolas, Gondola Transit, and Cable Propelled Transit:

    • Here’s something I never – and I mean never – thought I’d be obligated to include in a Weekly Roundup: A Gibraltar area ape took a harrowing cable car ride and found himself stranded onto a service cable running between the cars.


    Want more? Purchase Cable Car Confidential: The Essential Guide to Cable Cars, Urban Gondolas & Cable Propelled Transit and start learning about the world's fastest growing transportation technologies.

    16
    May

    2012

    Emirates Air Lines – Mayor Still not ready to commit to deadline


    During testing phase, 700 kg weights are being placed into cabins to replicate 10 passengers. Image by thisislondon.co.uk.

    Despite undergoing testing at the moment, a recent interview by ITV News with London Mayor, Boris Johnson, indicates that he is still not willing to guarantee that the cable car project will be ready in time for the Olympics.

    However, he did agree that it would be unfortunate should the system be not completed by that time. Who knows, I guess we’ll see and keep our fingers crossed because as of today, there’s only 72 days before the Games start!



    Want more? Purchase Cable Car Confidential: The Essential Guide to Cable Cars, Urban Gondolas & Cable Propelled Transit and start learning about the world's fastest growing transportation technologies.