THE NEWSPAPER FOR AMUSEMENT RIDES 4


Green Coaster : ZDF coverage of Maurer coaster »Formule X« in the Drievliet Park


Full power with low electricity costs


Munich. This roller coaster as a perfect example of the efficient use of energy – that is what ZDF reported on Febru- ary 26th about the Launch Coaster in the Drievliet Park. Background of the report: Flywheels that can take in, store and give off energy. They make it pos- sible for the Drievliet roller coaster to avoid power peaks in the electric cir- cuit and nonetheless bring an extreme power boost to the track. The lead story for the ZDF report in


the “planet e” program was the topic of flywheels. The technology has been known for a very long time but has hardly been used. Energy experts can attest


their great potential for the


future, because flywheels can store surplus energy, e.g. from braking oper- ations, and use it again later almost without any losses. The first car mak- ers have now gone into development in this field, because the advantages are obvious: Whereas braking energy is normally converted into heat and sim-


Flywheel as a cost-saving form of temporary storage


While the car industry is still develop- ing this technology, ZDF showcased the X-Car Launch Coaster “Formule X” in the Drievliet


family entertainment park in Den Haag as an example of it


ply dissipated, it would also be possible to use a flywheel here and make use of the energy for the next acceleration.


in action. The power boost comes out of the horizontal directly into the loop- ing. In 2 seconds the guests are taken up to 70 km/h. Each time this is done, the LSM (Linear Synchronous Motor) draws 500,000 watts – and they are not taken from the electric circuit but instead from a flywheel in an incon- spicuous container. Munich-based Maurer Rides developed and built this roller coaster. The 20 m long power boost from the LSM accelerates the


roller coaster without any actual con- tact. After just 11 seconds the flywheel is fully charged again – at a favoura- ble electricity tariff, not at the condi- tions for peak performance, as would have been necessary for a direct power boost. Braking processes are performed in the same way: Without contact and electromagnetically


Recovering braking energy


Maurer Rides went a stage further in the Bayern-Park near Dingolfing when it came to saving energy. There the “Freischütz” Launch Coaster


recovers


braking energy and uses it for the next power boost. In the so-called Super


„ Type: Launch Coaster XL 1000 „ Capacity: 650 pph „ Track length: 316 m (1036 ft) „ Max. height: 15 m (50 ft) „ Max. speed: 70 km/h (45 mph) „ Ride duration: 36 s


Caps the surplus energy is not con- verted into heat but is stored tempo- rarily – here too with a double benefi- cial effect. Super launch from 0 to 80 km/h and a favourable electricity tar- iff despite peak power output on the tracks.


Technical Specifications


VBW Interview : »FORCES IN MOTION «


means that the track layout can be exactly calculated and tested dynami- cally even at the design stage. "On the one hand, the main point is that the ride must be fun", says Schmidt, "but on the other hand, safety must always be paramount!" Achieving both of those at the


same time is the true art of roller coaster building.


"We aim to score


through innovative and creative ele- ments", says Schmidt. Thus, the roller coaster at Universal Studios has loud- speakers, a camera and screens built into the seats so that the guests can listen to music and record a video of themselves during the ride. The most important invention com-


Interview with Torsten Schmidt, Head of Design and Marketing, in the issue of the »vbw Magazine«, March 2012


Your heart stops for a few seconds when the small car of the Wild Mouse races towards the end of the rails at a height of more than ten metres – will it manage to take the corner or will it plunge into the void? The car jerkily follows the course of the rails. Whew, you can breathe out again. Innumer- able guests have already experienced that during a ride on one of the most famous roller coasters of the world, the Wild Mouse. A Munich-based com-


pany is responsible for ensuring that everything goes smoothly and that the car really does manage to take the corner. Maurer Rides has been produc- ing roller coasters at its head office in the Frankfurter Ring for 19 years now. It all began with the Wild Mouse, but today this cult roller coaster is no longer produced. In return, there are more than 50 spectacular tracks from the manufacturer in amusement parks all over the world, and since recently


also at Universal Studios in Orlando. "We constantly develop new prod-


ucts in accordance with our guiding motto "Forces in Motion", says Tor- sten Schmidt, Head of Design and Marketing at Maurer Rides. "We use forces in motion to create an expe- rience." And here Maurer Rides has a crucial competitive advantage: The company developed the design and simulation program XTRAC together with the University of Duisburg. This


ing out of Munich are the safety bars that only hold guests at the hips – "the ultimate feeling of freedom with- out interfering shoulder restraints." "Each roller coaster is a prototype," emphasizes engineer Schmidt. They can only be tested on site once they have


been completely assembled.


Until then, up to one and a half years of development work are required, depending on the size of the track.


"In all of this we work closely together with the TÜV. The track is only approved once everything is OK." And even then, multiple independent safety systems always work together at the same time to protect the pas- sengers when racing along at heights of up to 50 metres. "Even if you wil-


fully wanted to get out, it would not be possible," he explains. Safety sen- sors measure where the car is at all times. If there is a power failure, a separate generator guarantees a safe return to the roller coaster station. New technologies are used in the development of


roller coasters to


accelerate the car. A launch drive, a magnetic linear synchronous motor, catapults the train forwards. In the most recent track, the "Frei


schütz" in the Bayern-Park, the brak- ing energy is recovered instead of being converted into heat by being stored temporarily in supercaps and is reused for the next acceleration. This energy store means that only 250 to 300 kilowatts are required for the start. "This not only saves energy but also reduces the costs for the park operator," says Schmidt. "The guests is put in a position that he otherwise never experiences, hanging upside down while subject to enormous acceleration," explains Schmidt. This produces adrenaline: Hormones that make you feel happy, that create the pleasant feeling of butterflies in your stomach, that is always what you feel when the Wild Mouse finally shoots around the corner safely.


VBW Magazin 03/2012 (P. 20-23) Herausgeber: VBW–Vereinigung der Bayrischen Wirtschaft e.V. Text: Nicole Lang


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