The world’s top 3 fastest elevators are made in Japan
With the ongoing development of construction engineering, more and more high-rise buildings are being built around the world.Such buildings are big enough to be described as separate towns with throngs of people moving about inside. For that reason, it is necessary to furnish these buildings with elevators that can transport these crowds at high speeds.
Currently, the world’s fastest elevator is employed in a building in China, and it can reach a speed of 1260 m/min (75.6 km/h). This elevator was supplied by Hitachi Building Systems. Moreover, in the world’s top speed elevator ranking, the number 2 elevator was developed by Mitsubishi Electric and number 3 was developed by Toshiba Elevator and Building Systems. In other words, Japan’s manufacturers hold the top 3 positions in the world.
Hitachi — the world’s number 1 for speed
The world’s fastest elevator, developed by Hitachi Building Systems, is installed in the Guangzhou CTF Finance Center, a 530-meter-high skyscraper built in Guangzhou, China. In order to carry guests to the hotel on the upper floors, the elevator climbs from the 1 st floor to the 95th in around 42 seconds.Its recorded maximum speed of 1260 m/min has been recognized as a Guinness World Record.
If we convert that to speed per second, that amounts to 21 m traveled per second. At such speeds, air resistance could adversely affect the comfort of the ride. Hitachi Building Systems has developed a streamlined elevator cab utilizing technology cultivated by the Hitachi Group when developing high-speed railway trains such as the Shinkansen. Testing a prototype cab in a wind tunnel confirmed that the noise caused by air turbulence could be effectively reduced.By such ingenious means, quietness is maintained even when moving at high speeds.
Furthermore, Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre has a height difference of 440 m between the 1 st and 95th floors. If you go up this high in as short a time as 42 seconds, the sudden change in atmospheric pressure will cause your ears some discomfort. For this reason, the elevator cab is equipped with a mechanism that changes the internal pressure slowly. Delaying the change of pressure within the cab reduces the discomfort.
Ranking numbers 2 and 3 are also made in Japan
The number 2 high-speed elevator in the world was installed by Mitsubishi Electric at the Shanghai Tower in Shanghai, China. It travels from the second basement level to the 119th floor above ground in about 53 seconds and reaches a speed of 1230 m/min (73.8 km/h). Incidentally, Shanghai Tower at 632 m tall is the tallest skyscraper in China.
Finally, the number 3 high-speed elevator in the world was installed by Toshiba Elevator and Building Systems in the Taipei 101 building in Taipei, Taiwan, and has a maximum speed of 1010 m/min (60.6 km/h).
It seems that Taipei 101 ’s elevator is the world’s first example of a cab with an internal air pressure control system.
Japan’s fastest elevator has the world’s fastest speed of descent
The speed of elevators operating in Japan is not as fast as those introduced above. Number 1 at a speed of 750 m/min (45 km/h) was made by Mitsubishi Electric and is in The Landmark Tower which overlooks the port of Yokohama. Numbers 2 and 3 both reach speeds of 600 m/min (36 km/h). One made by Mitsubishi Electric is in the Sunshine 60 building in Ikebukuro, Tokyo and the other is by Toshiba Elevator and Building Systems and is installed in the 634 m tall Tokyo Skytree. In both cases, the speed is only about half that of the world’s fastest.
Nevertheless, The Landmark Tower’s elevator does hold a world record. It has the world’s fastest speed of descent. It is capable of descending at 750 meters per minute, the same as the ascent rate, and this record has not been broken since 1993 when it was put into operation.
In addition, The Landmark Tower’s elevator boasts a super comfortable ride. It is said that there is so little vibration during ascent and descent, that a coin stood up on the floor will not fall down.
