SBIR Phase I: Tractive Drive System Proof-of-Concept

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will revolutionize vertical transportation for skyscraper-class buildings (150 meters or taller). The skyscraper-class segment of the total addressable global elevator market is estimated at $8 billion for installation, driven by two key trends: urban densification and aging societies. It is expected that the number of people over 65 will increase by 33% by 2050 and that upwards of 70% of the world’s population will live in urban centers by the end of the century.

This demographic shift will create an new demand for space in densely populated urban areas, skyscraper-class buildings within, and associatd vertical transportation systems.

The intellectual merit of this project is to develop a cable-less, tractive drive system to propel an elevator cab. Equipped with a tractive drive system, cabs become self-propelled, high-performance electric vehicles that are not bound to a single shaft, but instead navigate autonomously throughout multiple shafts. In addition, the absence of cables allows multiple cabs to travel within the same shaft, enabling greater transport capacity and shorter wait times to be achieved using fewer shafts.

The tractive drive system propels cabs using frictional forces developed between the tractive drive wheels and the shaft. The objective of this Phase I project is to construct a proof-of-concept prototype that will allow for (1) direct measurement of the frictional behavior of the tractive drive wheel and shaft material combinations for the expected scale, geometries, and ambient operating conditions, and (2) verification that the expected mechanical performance (i.e., load-bearing capacity, power transmission) is achievable. This demonstrates the feasibility of such a system.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.