National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management (NILIM), Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Building Research Institute (BRI), Transport and Tourism, National Research and Development Agency

6. Evaluation Method of Elevators

This chapter shows the logic for calculating primary energy consumptions of elevators.

6.1 Introduction

6.1.1 Scope of Application

The elevators that should be calculated are shown below.

  1. Traction-type and rope passenger elevator

    • Passenger elevators, emergency elevators, and elevators not placed on a main circulation shall be evaluated.

    • An elevator whose capacity is fixed shall in principle be evaluated. For instance, a hospital’s bed elevator whose capacity is fixed, so shall be evaluated.

The following elevators are not evaluated.

  1. Elevators with various types of drive systems such as winding drum type, hydraulic type and linear motor type

  2. Elevators intended to transport baggage, such as parcel elevator, freight elevator, car elevator and elevator with connection between aboveground floor and bicycle parking lot in apartment house (elevator intended to transport bicycles etc.)

  3. Passenger elevator used only for manufacturing or transportation of goods in a factor or other production area (traction-type and rope elevator etc. that is exclusively used by workers to carry products by a cart)

  4. Escalator

  5. Chair-type stair lift, lifting platform

6.1.2 Definition of Terms

  1. Elevator
     This refers to equipment to transfer/transport persons or goods from one floor/area to another floor/area in a building via a given elevator shaft, a pathway or other similar route.

  2. Elevator system
     This refers to a group of elevators integrally controlled. This system consists of several elevators in some cases or one elevator in other cases.

  3. Loading mass
     This is a cage rated mass that is generated by weight of a user entering the cage, baggage to be loaded on to it or other item.

  4. Rated velocity
     This is a rated velocity per minute at which a cage ascends or descends.

  5. Correction coefficient based on velocity control method
     This is a coefficient used to determine a power consumption. The power consumption is proportionate to a loading mass, velocity and operating frequency of an elevator in each control method. The correction coefficient is a conversion coefficient that is derived from these parameters for each control method.

6.1.3 Input/Output

The input/output in the whole of this chapter is shown in the following table.

Table 1. Input
Variable name Description Unit Input sheet

\(CtrlType_{EV,i}\)

Type of velocity control method for elevator system

-

Form 6: ⑦ Velocity control method

\(BuildingType\)

Building use

-

Form 6: ① Building and room uses

\(RoomType_\{i}\)

Room use of room

-

Form 6: ① Building and room uses

\(L_{EV,i}\)

Load capacity of elevator system

kg

Form 6: ④ Load capacity

\(V_{EV,i}\)

Rated velocity of elevator system

m/min

Form 6: ⑤ Velocity

\(N_{EV,i}\)

Number of elevators included in elevator system

Number

Form 6 ③ Number

Table 2. Output
Variable Name Description Unit

\(E_\{EV}\)

Primary energy consumption of elevator

MJ/year

6.2. Coefficients Determined According to Velocity Control Method

Calculate a coefficient determined according to the control velocity method of an elevator.

Table 3. Input
Variable Name Description Unit Reference

\(CtrlType_{EV,i}\)

Type of velocity control method for elevator system

-

Form 6: ⑦ Velocity control method

Table 4. Output
Variable Name Description Unit References

\(C_{EV,i}\)

Coefficient determined by control velocity method of elevator system

-

6.3

Table 5. Coefficient determined by control method
Type of velocity control method Value of coefficient tem:[C_{EV,i}]

Variable-voltage and variable-frequency control method (Gearless hoist with regenerative voltage )

1/50

Variable-voltage and variable-frequency control method (with regenerative voltage )

1/45

Variable-voltage and variable-frequency control method (Gearless hoist without regenerative voltage )

1/45

Variable-voltage and variable-frequency control method (without regenerative voltage )

1/40

AC feedback control method

1/20

If no velocity control method is specified (the relevant column on the input sheet is blank), an "AC feedback control method" shall be assumed to have been selected.

6.3 Annual Operation Time of Elevator System

Calculate an annual operation time of an elevator system.

Table 6. Input
Variable Name Description Unit Reference

\(BuildingType\)

Building Use

-

Form 6: ① Building and room uses

\(RoomType_\{i}\)

Main room uses that are covered by elevator system

-

Form 6: ① Building and room uses

Table 7. Output
Variable Name Description Unit References

\(T_{EV,i}\)

Annual Operation Time of Elevator System

Hours

6.4

The annual operation time of an elevator system is assumed to be equal to the annual lighting time of a lighting installation. The annual lighting time is specified for each room use under the standard room use conditions. A search key that is required to use the annual lighting time of a lighting installation for each room use, “ROOM_SPEC.csv,” is specified in “ROOM_NAME.csv.”

<<<< *Obtain a search key for the database.

Obtain the search key from ROOM_NAME.csv, using the building use \(BuildingType\) and the room use \(RoomType_i\).

Example: If the building use is "Office, etc." and the room use is "Office Room", the search key is "O-1".

  • Obtain the annual lighting time of a lighting installation in room r.

Obtain the annual lighting time of a lighting installation from ROOM_SPEC.csv, using the search key.

Example: If the search key is "O-1," the annual lighting time of a lighting installation (row name of “Annual lighting time”) is “3133.”

6.4 Annual Power Consumption of Elevator System

Calculate an annual power consumption of each elevator system.

Table 8. Input
Variable Name Description Unit Reference

\(N_{EV,i}\)

Number of elevators included in elevator system

Number of fans j belonging to the air handling unit group

Form 6: ③ Number

\(L_{EV,i}\)

Load capacity of elevator system

kg

Form 6: ④ Load capacity

\(V_{EV,i}\)

Rated velocity of elevator system

m/min

Form 6: ⑤ Velocity

\(C_{EV,i}\)

Coefficient determined by control velocity method of elevator system

-

6.2

\(T_{EV,i}\)

Annual Operation Time of Elevator System

hours

6.3

Table 9. Output
Variable Name Description Unit References

\(E_{EV,i}\)

Annual Power Consumption of Elevator System

kWh/hour

6.5

Calculate the annual power consumption of an elevator system, \(E_{EV,i}\) [kWh/year] from the following formula.

\[E_{EV,i} = \frac{ L_{EV,i} \times V_{EV,i} \times C_{EV,i} \times T_{EV,i} \times N_{EV,i} }{860}\]

6.5 Design Primary Energy Consumption of Elevator

Calculate the annual primary energy consumption of an elevator, \(E_\{EV}\) [MJ/year].

Table 10. Input
Variable Name Description Unit Reference

\(E_{EV,i}\)

Annual Power Consumption of Elevator System

kWh/hour

6.4

Table 11. Output
Variable Name Description Unit References

\(E_\{EV}\)

Primary energy consumption of elevator

MJ/year

-

Calculate the annual primary energy consumption of an elevator, \(E_\{EV}\) [MJ/year], from the following formula. \(f_{prim,e}\) is a coefficient used to covert one kilowatt-hour of electricity to a quantity of heat.

\[E_\{EV} = \sum_{i=1} (E_{EV,i}) \times f_{prim,e} \times 10^{-3}\]