The ascender moves people in dangerous situations. With our battery operated, high power controller they move faster.
The Task:
Developing a new generation of mobile power ascenders
A power ascender is a motorized lifting device for humans and/or materiel that works like an electric hoist with a vertical rope. The world’s leading supplier of power ascenders decided to use an Unjo motor controller as a standard platform solution for their civilian and military versions. The power ascender is fastened to the climbing harness and generally used like climbers’ traditional equipment. Early models used gasoline engines, but today electric, battery-powered propulsion is proving more and more interesting.
The power ascender contains a drive system consisting of battery, drive, controller, motor and transmission. When ascending, the motor is powered from the battery, and when descending the motor is used as a generator, feeding current to the battery.
The task was to design a new ascender capable of urban, marine and rescue operations. It was to be developed and approved for use by the military, the police and government agencies.
The Challenge:
The ultimate power ascender optimized for high speed and silent operation
For the safety-critical application of power ascenders, a standard drive delivered neither the performance, nor the features needed. It lacked the needed battery and thermal management as well as the sought-after HMI functionality; it was unable to manage the available motor power intelligently. It also lacked wireless, USB and other key interfacing capabilities.
Unjo’s challenge was therefore to design a motor control system for maximal endurance, water tightness as well as optimized for very high speed and silent operations.
The Solution:
Dense design, high-power motor controller with battery management and HMI
Unjo provided a dense design, high-power motor controller with new battery management and HMI capability that lifted the customer’s product to the level needed for SWAT teams and special operations forces. The Unjo motor controller was also developed to include the necessary battery, thermal and overall system management functions as well as necessary HMI and other interfacing functions.
The high power density design makes the extremely high demands on power output for maximum load and speed possible. The weight of the unit has also been reduced and the battery status is monitored in an exact way, compensating for age and external conditions, ensuring 100% reliability for the user at all times.
The Benefit:
A solution fulfilling the needs of leading SWAT and Special Forces teams
The development challenge was successfully met in order to meet all design criteria in order for usage by SWAT and Special Forces.
- Power density and overall performance improved drastically
- Integrated intelligent battery-, load- and regeneration-management
- Improved reliability and reduced weight
- Interfacing and communication capabilities tailored to fit different user scenarios.
Why choose Unjo?
Solve technical challenges through a tailored control design
Unjo was contacted by the customer to solve a number of technical challenges and to improve product differentiation through a tailored control design. In addition to the adaptation project, Unjo assisted, and is continuously assisting, the customer with engineering services like EMC testing, system analysis, technical calculations and general technical investigations with regards to batteries, sensors and wireless interfacing.
Further reading/links:
- Unjo’s project process
- Unjo´s overall system perspective
- Why customized?
- Contact Unjo for more information