EE Update Feature

[Jose Eber]

As if having a (quasi) daily update feature on a rollercoaster isn't norky enough -- I go bragging about my physics accomplishments.

Jose "too cool" Eber

 

[mkt]

J,

did you make it out there today?

 

[Jose Eber]

No.

Did you?

 

[Epcot82Guy]

This actually isn't true. In a frictionless environment (as stated earlier) it doesn't matter what amount of mass there is, all bodies fall to the earth at the same rate.

In fact, when it comes to real world mechanics -- the friction on a large, long car (in the form of wheel friction in the ball-bearings) the more cars and more wheels the more 'breaks' -- so in fact a large coaster tends to slow down a lot faster than a small coaster (1 car for example).

So a large coaster (because of friction in the wheels) will actually take longer to get down the hill and be slower than a small coaster during that whole process. The speed will be less as well.

If EE had just one car -- that thing would whip like a banshee around that track.

There's conceptual physics, then real world physics -- some people get them confused.

When it comes to coaster speed -- you have to realize that mass will work against you in coaster design: the more cars you add, the more height you need on a hill -- all those wheels aren't flawless frictionless wheels -- they add little bits of breaking power on each wheel.

Jose "aced all my physics courses in college and even corrected the prof's sometimes" Eber

Thanks for the physics lesson. You can blame my HS physics teacher for my lack of knowledge in the area (since that was my source - silly me!- but I'll give him some benefit of the doubt in that he was discussing Cedar Point's coasters - Millenium Force to be exact - so that puts you at a height of 310' which may alter the calculations a bit). I'm a lawyer; I don't do numbers unless necessary! :hammer:

 

[terp79]

just to let you know....

So over the summer i had had a week long visit at WDI in glendale, I was a finalist for the Imagineering Imagi-nations Design contest (i won 1st place in my cateogory) anyway we got to tour all sorts of interesting places and i saw some amazing stuff....including certain elements of EE designed for the inside. Now we swore to secrecy and signed our lives away in blood so I can't go into detail but all of you will be highly impressed with the grand finally of the ride. It's going to be sooooooo kewl.

 

[Jose Eber]

^A 3D element, we know!

:lol:

Epcot82 Guy:

I nearly failed physics in high school, then 'changed my ways' in college.

The principle I talked about applies to any coaster including -- Millennium Force -- height on a coaster doesn't change the fact that the more cars there are -- the slower it would traverse down a hill then back up another (due to friction in the wheels) than if you the same build of car but in a single car capacity.

Mass (in perfect physics world) has nothing to do with acceleration. Its all about height...9.8 m/s ^2 is the rate of acceleration on earth [ M stands for meters not mass ] Mass does not change the rate of acceleration and neither does height (o.k. the earth's gravitational pull is microscopically weaker 300 feet in the air...but you get the picture).

Any coaster built will suffer the reality that the more cars there are in a coaster train the slower the coaster will be -- all things being equal -- and the harder time it has going around the tracks. More weight in the car, in real world physics, it actually slows everything down more.

Jose "the boards' physics hitler" Eber


EDIT: Update: Incidentally, I have forgot to mention that the steam affect coming out of the trains is not being used right now. I've seen it on once (i.e. it worked at one time) but it either doesn't work now or isn't on. For those of you not up to speed: each coaster train at the back has a fake steam engine. When the engine stopped in the load/unload area, it would give off a nice little puff of smoke like material.

Also: Haven't seen the waterfall on yet either -- but most of you following this thread know that already.

 

[HauntedPirate]

What ever will this thread do without inane questions like "What does the steam do? Is it really steam? How do they make the steam?" :hammer: :lol:

Thanks for the updates, Jose/MKT/Scottie. Your geek factor on EE knows no bounds.

 

[Tim G]

To give the impression that the canon is really shooting a real canonball...

 

[RIPHorizons]

Jeez they probablly cut it already due to budget. Like the smellitzers and all those other effects.

 

[Tim G]

What ever will this thread do without inane questions like "What does the steam do? Is it really steam? How do they make the steam?" :hammer: :lol:

Thanks for the updates, Jose/MKT/Scottie. Your geek factor on EE knows no bounds.

But what DOES the steam do... :veryconfu

 

[animal_king1990]

So over the summer i had had a week long visit at WDI in glendale, I was a finalist for the Imagineering Imagi-nations Design contest (i won 1st place in my cateogory) anyway we got to tour all sorts of interesting places and i saw some amazing stuff....including certain elements of EE designed for the inside. Now we swore to secrecy and signed our lives away in blood so I can't go into detail but all of you will be highly impressed with the grand finally of the ride. It's going to be sooooooo kewl.

Is there a feature we don't know about?

 

[Jose Eber]

Its not actual steam (at least it didn't look like it). I could just see the headlines -- "Woman Sues Disney For Millions: Yeti Train Scalded me!"

It actually looked like its a very unique mix of fog and smoke affect. But that was a while ago.

Anywho, things like that cost money (liquid smoke) -- I could see them turning it off and not really caring about that now.

I'm just curious as to how it works. Battery charged - every 4 minutes does it get a little 60 second recharge at the station? Is there just a pipe in the ground that feeds the smoke to it?

More things to look out for,

Jose

EDIT: Thanks to whomever made SOMEONE disappear on this board for me -- I've been looking for the 'ignore' button for a while and can't find it. Last week they magically disappeared! Thanks.

 

[Captain Hank]

The ignore feature can be accessed through the offending member's public profile. The board admin staff has a way of making people...disappear.

Another (probably highly unlikely) possibility for powering the steam effect could be through a small generator attatched to one of the wheels. It could generate a small amount of power while the coaster is in motion, thus recharging the steam effect. I have no idea how feasable, expensive, or reliable this could be, just a thought.

As for why the effect isn't currently working, my vote goes to the fact that the ride is still under construction, and it is currently technically offstage, so there is no need to use the effect since there are no guests around. They probably wanted to test it to make sure the effect worked, then shut it down because there is no need for it to be working. I imagine it has absolutely nothing to do with budget constraints, which was mentioned earlier.

 

[RIPHorizons]

When you said something about charging i thought of the Roomba.

It pulls up to the docking station and the contacts charge the battery. I would imagine this is the easiest way. Having a pipe i think would be difficult.

EDIT
I was just being facetious about the budget.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

But what DOES the steam do... :veryconfu

He's gone, Corrus. You can stop with the questions!

 

[RIPHorizons]

Wow it just clicked as to who left. Ha.... :brick:

Its been a long day

 

[Jose Eber]

Yah, I thought the contact approach was most likely, but I like the little generator idea -- that's fun! (and maybe that explains the drop in speed! all the friction!!)

Jose "oh no, not another physics lesson" Eber

 

[RIPHorizons]

The generator would be easier i would imagine. The contacts for example would have to be rather large because the train may not stop EXACTLLY in the same spot everytime. maybe be forward or back a few inches.

 

[Tim G]

He's gone, Corrus. You can stop with the questions!

errr... why do you ask... It's getting dull in this thread...

 

[Jose Eber]

The generator would be easier i would imagine. The contacts for example would have to be rather large because the train may not stop EXACTLLY in the same spot everytime. maybe be forward or back a few inches.

oh you'd be surprised how that thing stops on a dime. (also: it has to line up with the air gates). Contacts can be elongated a few inches for leeway.