Cedar Point

[Logikal X]

you gotta do what you gotta do....i dont even know where cedar point is, all i remember is rocky point, but that place is long gone, or maybe its just run down and everyone forgot about it....

[Ms.Redd]

It's in Sandusky, OH... a few hours away from here...

[freshlettuce]

It's in Sandusky, OH... a few hours away from here...

Pssst, where is "here"?

[Logikal X]

Well i would guess she lives in Ohio relatively close to cleveland, but thats just a guess

[Grakthis]

exactly like you said, 9000HP is a lot of strain....the hydraulic system is turns the pulley,  thus turning the belt, the belt would be hooked up the entire way along the bottom of the coaster to even the pressure out, but for that much power its obvious you need one HUGE belt, and im sure the wear and tear is ridiculous, but thats what you get for being a moron coaster inventor, they shouldda just had the belt drag it up the hill nice and slow, wouldnt have required so much work......its also possible the belt runs a bunch of wheel that sit under the coaster and spin...i havent seen so i dont know,...i just know the conventional system is chain driven

Pete, as an engineer, im gonna tell you that it is HIGHLY unlikely that they have a hydrolic system pulling a belt and the the belt pulls the coaster.  That would just be bad engineering to say the least.

The ONLY time you see a chain driven system is when the coaster is designed to use a launch hill.  The launch hill is what gives it enough momentum to run the whole track.

Otherwise, you use a launching mechanism to give it enough force... most of the time its either a magnetic based system or its wheels that are spun by a motor of some sort.  I guess its possible to do it with hydrolics, but I would litteraly be worried about giving people whiplash with that.  But im not a designer, so I have no idea what the details are.
---Andrew

[Logikal X]

If you didnt notice Andrew i mentioned using wheels to move the coaster rather than direct contact with a belt to relieve pressure in the statement you qouted  


And who said the engineering was good, didnt the coaster break twice in two weeks ?

[Dancernl]

Maybe they are also using the magnetic technique to launch the car.  Superman The Escape in Cali has this system, as well as The Volcano in VA at King's Dominion.  This was a revolutionary development that allowed cars to go from zero to 60 in less than 3 seconds.  For these types of rides that don't have a launch hill, a pulley is not used, however I don't know how to classify the dragster.  To me it's not a roller coaster, but it does have that out-and-back design to it.  I'll ask my friend who works there if she knows next time I talk to her.

[Logikal X]

I didnt suspect magnetic force since flux isnt really comparable to physical horsepower, i never would say i know though, if you ask id be interested to know what the heck they are using to balance out the pressure =)

[Grakthis]

If you didnt notice Andrew i mentioned using wheels to move the coaster rather than direct contact with a belt

Yeah, but you suggested that the belt that drove the wheels might be hydrolic based.  Which makes no sense.

If it says its hydrolic powered, then i have to assume its some sort of hydrolic powered "press" that litterally hits and pushes a part of the car so hard it launches it.  Like a little kid throwing a paper airplane.

Frankly, that seems like a bad thing (tm) because of the stress on the car.  But theres no other way I can immagine hydrolics launching a roller coaster.  By their very nature hydrolics aren't a continual motion technology.
---Andrew

[Logikal X]

Well it says the hydraulic system is attached to a pulley, i dont see how a pulley could "push".

[Ms.Redd]

lol... I'll have Melissa ask the ride workers when she goes in June.

Sheesh!

[Grakthis]

hmm.... perhaps it works like a rip cord?  Like there is a big hydrolic press with a big long steel cable on it, the cable wraps THROUGH a pulled and attaches to an axel with rubber wheels that sit at the bottom of the car?

That might work.  Since its not continual motion it could still work with hydrollics.  That would even be a situation where they could use a chain along with hydrolics.  Not a typical system, but it seems possible.
---Andrew

[Ms.Redd]

HEE HEE :lol:

[Ms.Redd]

Melissa and Josh went yesterday, and it was down again! Man, its a cool looking ride, and its probably a real adrenaline rush, but it really sucks with it's reputation.

http://www.13abc.com/index.cfm?Article=8032&SecName=28&Level=1&SubID=0&Itm=&SideID=&IsItm=

[radiotot]

i want to go there and ride it but first my mom wouldn't let me, and second i live in texas so it would be a loooong drive. but i wanna ride it.