Dynamics of an aerial cableway system

A passenger cable car system (cableway or ropeway) operating in Singapore since 1974 is described. The four sections of the cableway comprise parallel track ropes to carry passenger cabins and a haul rope to drive them. Mathematical simulations of the vertical plane behaviour during normal operation, free vibration and when the system is halted have been compared with measurements made from within a passenger cabin. Vibrations up to 0.5 m peak to peak can be observed when the system is halted in emergency, otherwise the largest vibrations in cabins occur when moving over fixed supports. Apparently track rope tensions vary by less than 2.5% for different static and dynamic conditions and the freedom of the track rope movement over intermediate support points can have a significant damping effect on the cable vibrations. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.