A Hybrid-Driven Elevator System With Energy Regeneration and Safety Enhancement

Elevator has been the most critical equipment for vertical transportation and one of the largest energy consumption sources in buildings. The main cause of energy waste in elevator is the dissipation of the energy regenerated by the motor. To achieve energy saving, this article proposes an electro-hydraulic hybrid driving elevator system. With an auxiliary hydraulic system, the energy generated by the motor can be stored in the form of hydraulic accumulator pressure, which can be reused to assist motor start in the form of supporting torque. In addition, due to the additional torque provided by the hydraulic system, elevator safety can be enhanced. Simulation results have been obtained, demonstrating that large amount of energy can be saved with the proposed system. Field test results with elevator in a real building environment are also presented to verify the efficacy of the proposed idea.