[ExI] RES: UltraRope could make kilometer-high elevators possible

[BillK]

On Tue, Jun 18, 2013 at 7:33 PM, Henrique Moraes Machado wrote:
>
> I read this a few days ago and got me thinking. Why do elevators have to use
> cables at all? Can't they build a maglev elevator or something? Not talking
> about the space elevator obviously, but building elevators.
>

Elevators are actually pretty complex devices.
They do build other types of elevators for special uses.
The reason for cables is basically economics.  A cable elevator has a
huge counterweight that goes down as the elevator goes up, so little
energy is used.

See:
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevator>
<http://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/engines-equipment/elevator.htm>


BillK