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TRIM BRAKES Trim brakes are sections of brakes which are intended to adjust a train's speed during its course rather than bring the train to a complete stop. They may be engineered into a ride at its design stages at certain anticipated troubled spots, or later retrofitted once it's discovered that trains transverse certain areas at higher-than-anticipated speeds. Trim brakes are often either added for safety reasons, to lower G-forces in certain areas, or for Maintenance /mechanical reasons, to lower the cost of wear-and-tear caused by the trains travelling at faster than normal speeds. BLOCK BRAKES Block brakes are sections of brakes located on any roller coaster wherever more than one train is intended to run. They act as virtual barriers between the trains running on the roller coaster, preventing collisions should one train stop along the course for any reason. Because of this, block brakes must be capable of completely stopping the train (should a vehicle preceding the block stop) and starting a train (after it has been stopped). Block brake sections usually start the train again in one of two ways including a slight downward slope to let Gravity take its course, or by the use of Drive Tires pushing the train out of the block. ''See Blocking .'' TYPES OF BRAKES Various types of braking exist when dealing with roller coasters, some of which have been recently developed due to technological advancements in design. Skid brakes Skid brakes essentially involve a long piece of material, often Ceramic -covered, situated in the middle of the track parallel to the Rail s. When the brake is engaged, the skid raises and Friction against the underside of the train causes the train to slow and eventually stop. Skid brakes were one of the first advancements in roller coaster braking and are usually not utilized in modern creations. Fin brakes Fin brakes involve a metal fin being attached to the underside of a train. The track is fitted with two computer-controlled squeezing mechanisms which upon closing, squeeze the fin and either slow or stop the train. Fin brakes are the most common form of brakes on roller coasters today. Sometimes they are thick metal box beams (mostly on Bolliger & Mabillard roller coasters) and are engaged when compressed air flows into a metal drum, pushing joints on two sides in order to close shut two parallel brakes that in turn will drag along the box beam. Magnetic brakes Magnetic brakes are a relatively new technology that are beginning to gain popularity due to their high degree of safety. Rather than slowing a train via friction (such as fin or skid brakes), which can often be affected by various elements such as rain, magnetic brakes rely completely on certain magnetic properties and resistance. In fact, magnetic brakes never come in contact with the train. Magnetic brakes are made up of two rows of very strong Neodymium Magnet s. When a metal fin (usually made of Aluminum ) passes between the rows of magnets, Eddy Current s are generated in the fin, which creates a magnetic field opposing the fin's motion. The resultant braking force is directly proportional to the speed at which the fin is moving through the brake element. This very property, however, is also one of magnetic braking's disadvantages in that it can never completely (in theory) stop a train (similar to Zeno's "Achilles And The Tortoise" Paradox ). This effect of magnetic braking can be explained by an example in which the train's speed is halved as it passes through each set of brakes. The train's speed (in any unit) would initially be 40, then 20, 10, 5, and so on. It is then often necessary to bring the train to a complete stop with an additional set of fin brakes. Magnetic brakes can be found in two configurations:
In terms of pros, magnetic braking is virtually fail-safe because it relies on the basic properties of magnetism. Magnetic brakes are also completely silent and are much smoother than friction brakes; gradually increseing the braking power so that the people on the ride do not experence any unpleasent feelings. Many modern roller coasters, especially those being manufactured by Intamin , are beginning to utilize magnetic braking. |
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