Optimization of the Counterweight Mass of a Passenger Elevator

The article develops a universal machine algorithm and program for calculating the energy consumption of a traditional elevator winch with an asynchronous motor and a thyristor voltage converter. It has been determined that the generally accepted expression for calculating the counterweight mass does not consider the parameters of dynamic modes. According to the criterion of minimizing the energy consumed by the electromechanical system, the counterweight has been optimized. Applied to the elevator winches of traditional design with two-speed asynchronous motors with regulation from thyristor control stations, optimization of the counterweight mass, based on the proposed algorithm, can lead to a reduction in its mass by 8–15% (for the elevator mechanism under study by 13.4%). At the same time, the installed winch motor power, energy consumption, and maximum load torque can be reduced by an average of 4–10%. (5.4, 6.2, and 4.4% for the passenger elevator under study, respectively). Using the example of elevator lifting mechanisms with winches of traditional design and parametric control, the recommendations for optimizing the mass of counterweights according to the criterion of minimum energy consumption are given. It is demonstrated that the following indicators can be reduced: the mass of counterweights, energy costs and the installed power of winch motors.