Quality and quantity of service in lift groups

This research was focused on quality of service experienced by passengers in lift systems where multiple cars are sharing same shafts (multi car lift systems) and destination control. These modern lift systems have opportunities and constraints for control algorithms arising by existing and additional quality of service criteria. These additional criteria have rarely been considered in existing literature, control algorithms or traffic analysis. The overall aim of the research was to determine and analyse existing and new quality of service criteria for destination control systems and multi car lift systems in terms of traffic handling and developing lift control concepts considering these criteria. Therefore, the impact on passengers’ quality of service was reviewed using psychology of waiting principles. Detailed definition and analysis was done for reverse journeys in destination control systems and departure delays with a focus on multi car lift systems. To develop and analyse control algorithms known event based traffic simulation, round trip time calculation and Monte Carlo simulation were extended and applied. Traffic control algorithms and concepts were developed to improve passenger experience when using lifts. Additional to dispatching algorithms equations for improved lift kinematics and controlled stopping distances were derived to reduce departure delays in multi car lift systems. Possible improvements were shown in case studies. Compared to traditional lift systems, special opportunities and constraints of a circulating multi car lift system in traffic handling were explored and analysed. New cycle time calculations for shuttle and local group applications were developed. Results were provided using case studies, and necessary control concepts were addressed. With the results of this research, better understanding and assessments of multi car lift systems and destination controls are possible. The traffic control algorithms explored help to build better lift controllers, considering passengers perception. The introduced traffic analysis methods for circulating multi car lift systems support lift planning.