How should the rated speed and acceleration/deceleration of hotel elevators be selected? Comfort requirements

I am elevator expert Ethan Liu. This issue is critical to hotel elevator design because the rated speed and acceleration/deceleration of elevators directly determine passengers' r…

I am elevator expert Ethan Liu. This issue is critical to hotel elevator design because the rated speed and acceleration/deceleration of elevators directly determine passengers' ride experience, operating efficiency, and equipment cost. In hotels—venues with high foot traffic and high comfort requirements—improper selection can lead to passenger dizziness, complaints, or energy waste. Below I provide a detailed analysis from code requirements and engineering experience to actual cases.

1. Selection of Rated Speed

According to GB 7588-2003 Safety Rules for the Construction and Installation of Electric Lifts and GB/T 10060-2011 Code for Acceptance of Electric Lifts Installation, the rated speed must be determined based on building height, number of elevators, and usage scenarios:

Low-rise hotels (below 10 floors): Recommended speed 1.0–1.75 m/s. Excessive speed reduces efficiency due to frequent starts and stops and sharply increases cost.
Mid- to high-rise hotels (10–20 floors): Recommended 1.75–2.5 m/s. For example, when a 15-floor hotel adopts 2.0 m/s, the average waiting time can be kept within 30 seconds.
Super high-rise hotels (above 20 floors): 3.0–6.0 m/s is required, but it must be combined with a group control system (e.g., 4 or more elevators). Note: When the speed exceeds 2.5 m/s, a safety gear and speed governor must be provided (GB 7588 Clause 9.9), and the hoistway must have additional buffer distance.

Engineering experience: I once participated in a 25-floor five-star hotel project. The original design adopted 2.5 m/s, but actual measurements showed passenger queues exceeding 5 minutes during peak periods. Ultimately, it was adjusted to 4 elevators at 3.0 m/s (including 1 service elevator), and the group control algorithm was optimized, reducing the waiting time to 25 seconds.

2. Acceleration/Deceleration and Comfort Requirements

The core comfort indicators are acceleration change rate (Jerk) and peak acceleration, which must comply with the recommended values in GB/T 24474-2009 Measurement of Lift Ride Quality:

Acceleration: Recommended 0.5–0.8 m/s² (exceeding 1.0 m/s² will cause obvious discomfort). For hotels, 0.6–0.7 m/s² is recommended to balance efficiency and ride feel.
Deceleration: Usually consistent with acceleration but should be slightly lower (e.g., 0.5–0.6 m/s²) to avoid abrupt stops.
Acceleration change rate: Should be controlled at 0.3–0.6 m/s³ (GB/T 24474 Clause 5.2). Below 0.3 m/s³, starts and stops are sluggish; above 0.8 m/s³, dizziness is induced.

Actual case: In the renovation of a five-star hotel, the original elevator acceleration/deceleration was 1.2 m/s², and passengers complained of "dizziness." By adjusting the inverter parameters (e.g., S-curve smoothing algorithm), we reduced the peak to 0.7 m/s², set the acceleration change rate to 0.4 m/s³, and added a weighing device (GB 7588 Clause 14.2.5) to preload torque. After the renovation, passenger satisfaction increased by 40%.

3. Parameter Matching and Code Constraints

Coupling of speed and acceleration/deceleration: The higher the speed, the smoother the acceleration/deceleration must be. For example, if a 2.5 m/s elevator has an acceleration of 0.8 m/s², it takes 3.1 seconds from standstill to 2.5 m/s; at this time, the acceleration change rate must be below 0.5 m/s³ (to prevent impact).
Safety codes: GB 7588 Clause 12.8 requires that when the rated speed is ≥2.5 m/s, an instantaneous safety gear must be provided; and the acceleration/deceleration curve must pass a type test (GB/T 10060 Clause 6.2).
Energy-saving optimization: Adopt VVVF variable-frequency drive (GB 7588 Clause 14.1.1) to dynamically adjust the acceleration/deceleration curve. When hotel traffic is low at night, an "energy-saving mode" can be enabled to reduce acceleration/deceleration values.

4. Comprehensive Recommendations

Standard recommendation: For hotels, the recommended rated speed is 1.75–2.5 m/s, acceleration 0.6–0.7 m/s², and acceleration change rate 0.4–0.5 m/s³.
Test verification: After installation, ride quality testing must be carried out according to GB/T 10060-2011 Annex B, with emphasis on recording vertical vibration (≤0.15 m/s²) and horizontal vibration (≤0.1 m/s²).
O&M note: Calibrate inverter parameters regularly (at least once per quarter) to avoid acceleration/deceleration drift caused by wear.

Summary: The rated speed and acceleration/deceleration of hotel elevators should give priority to matching peak passenger flow demand, while ensuring comfort through refined parameter settings (such as S-curves). Actual cases show that an acceleration of 0.6–0.7 m/s² combined with a change rate of 0.4 m/s³ can significantly reduce passenger discomfort.

The above are reference opinions. The actual project situation still needs further comprehensive evaluation and implementation in combination with specific operating conditions, site conditions, and other factors.

Engineering reference only — verify against project conditions and the latest codes.

How should the rated speed and acceleration/deceleration of hotel elevators be selected? Comfort requirements