Engineering Analysis of the Intamin Accelerator Roller Coaster

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Accelerator Coaster

The accelerator coaster is a roller-coaster created by the Swiss thrill ride manufacturer, Intamin. This type of roller-coaster can take riders from 0-150 mph in under 5 seconds. It holds records for the highest roller-coaster (King-da Ka, Six Flags Great Adventure) and the fastest roller-coaster in the world (Formula Rossa, Ferrari World). This type of roller-coaster can invert however most designs usually opt for the signature top hat (pictured on the left). There are several main components that make this roller-coaster special and different to other manufacturers' approaches. These are the restraints and seats, the brakes and the launch section.

The restraints on the accelerator coaster are different to ones before it. Prior roller-coasters had ratchet designs meaning that the rider's restraint could only be secured in a limited number of positions. This means the restraint could be too tight or slightly too loose. Intamin's over-the-shoulder restraints (OTSR) uses two hydraulic cylinders instead, which means an exact fit for each person (unless the rider's waist is more than 55”!).

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On the back of the OTSR there are two hydraulic cylinders each side. As the rider pulls the restraints down, hydraulic fluid is 'sucked' into the cylinders. Once the OTSR are in a safe and comfortable position and they have been checked, the ride operator closes the valves which allow hydraulic fluid to both enter and leave the cylinders. The hydraulic system allows the restraints to be pulled down and locked in any position to better match a rider's body dimensions. In the extremely unlikely event when both locking cylinders fail, the restraints are still held down by a ...

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