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{{Short description|Type of aerial lift}}
A '''funitel''' is a type of ] consisting of one or two loops of cable strung between two terminals over intermediate towers. The cables are arraged so as to maximize stability of the passenger cabins. The name ''funitel'' is a conjunction between the ] words '']'' and '']''.
], France]]


A '''funitel''' is a type of ], generally used to transport skiers, although at least one is used to transport finished cars between different areas of a factory.<ref>{{Citation|title=Doppelmayr Funitel VW Bratislava, Slowakei (2002)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQIwI7QKqO4 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/CQIwI7QKqO4| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|language=de|access-date=2020-01-08}}{{cbignore}}</ref> It differs from a standard ] through the use of two arms attached to two parallel overhead cables, providing more stability in high winds. The name ''funitel'' is a ] of the French words '']'' and '']''.
<div style="float:right; width:300px; margin-right:1em; text-align:center;">
<center>]<br>
<small>''An example of a funitel''</small>
</center>
</div>


When used to transport skiers, funitels are a fast way to get to a higher altitude. ] or ] have to be taken off and held during the trip. Depending on the configuration, cabins may or may not contain seats. Without seats, funitels can sometimes be uncomfortable for long trips, in the same way other large cable cars can be. Funitels combine a short time between successive cabins with a capacity of around 20 to 30 people per cabin.<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210134151/http://www.seilbahntechnik.net/lifte/Ort/funitel/page1.php |date=February 10, 2012 }}</ref>
In order to maximize stability of the passenger cabins, the cables are arraged in two pairs moving in spearate directions. Althougth it might appear that there are four cables, most of the time there is actually only one (see diagram below).


==Overview==
The passenger cabins are connected to a pair of cables with four spring loaded grips (two to each cable). Because the cable runs faster then most people would care to board or disembark, the cabins must be slowed down while in the terminals to allow skiers to get on and off. This is accomplished by, once the cabin is detached from the cable, slowing down with progressivly slower rotating tires, which are mounted on the ciling of the terminal. Once the cabin has reached a speed at which it is safe to load or offload passengers, the cabins is moved around the end turnaround by tires mounted, unusually, on the floor. The cabin is then accelerated to line speed with yet more rotating tires.
{{multiple image
|direction=vertical
|total_width=230
|align=right
|image1 =Yamagata-zao ski 1 (200712).jpg
|image2 =Zao 2006 Ropeway Station.jpg
|footer =Funitel in ], Japan. The bottom image shows inside one of the stations
}}
{{multiple image
|direction=vertical
|total_width=230
|align=right
|image1 =funitel 1.jpg
|image2 =Squaw Valley Funitel Olympic Valley.jpg
|footer =] funitel
}}
A funitel installation employs two cables (or a single cable arranged in two loops) strung between two terminals and supported by intermediate ]. During transit from terminal to terminal each of a series of detachable passenger cabins is suspended from the two cables which move in parallel at exactly the same rate. The technology was developed from the ] (DMC) lift, which featured two so-called monocables (supplying both support and propulsion) moving in parallel and spaced about one meter apart. This technology was developed by the French engineering company Denis Creissels SA and was manufactured by ] in the 1980s. In the 1990s the first funitels were built, differing from earlier DMC lifts by having the two cables spaced far enough apart for the cabin to be hung between the cables, instead of underneath, thus eliminating the need for a long hanger arm which makes the carrier assembly susceptible to swinging in strong winds. The two cables in these early funitel installations have separate tensioning systems and separate, electrically synchronized motors, one for each cable. Later the '''double-loop monocable''' (DLM) was developed, featuring a single cable looped around twice, as the diagram below shows. DLM ensures that the cable sections from which a cabin is suspended move at the same speed without motor synchronization.


The first funitel was constructed in ], 1990, by Denis Creissels SA and Enterprises Reel and Städeli-Lift. The first funitel-style lift constructed outside Europe was near Mammoth Mountain, California at ], built by ] in 1988. Jan Kunczynski, the owner of Yan, actually claimed to have invented the funitel lift with reference to US Patent 4,848,241.<ref>{{cite web |title=Aerial tramway system and method having parallel haul ropes |url=https://patents.justia.com/patent/4848241 |access-date=5 April 2022 }}</ref> The Yan "QMC" differed, however, from other funitels in having a quad-monocable design with vertically aligned drive sheaves.<ref>{{cite web |title=QMC Debuts at June Mountain |url=https://www.seilbahnen.org/de/index.php?section=downloads&cmd=266&download=12217 |access-date=5 April 2022 }}</ref> The QMC suffered from various design flaws including the famously unsafe Yan cable grips<ref>{{cite web |title=Yan High Speed Quad Retrofits 20 Years Later |date=15 March 2016 |url=https://liftblog.com/2016/03/15/yan-high-speed-quads-20-years-later| access-date=5 April 2022 }}</ref> and was shut down by California safety inspectors in 1996 and dismantled over the course of the next few years.
]
''A diagram of a funitel's cable setup- a Mobius loop.''


], Switzerland. An evacuation line runs above the funitel]]
== See also ==
Funitel passenger cabins are connected to the overhead cable sections with four spring-loaded grips — two for each cable section. As with other detachable-carrier lifts the cabins are decelerated and detached from the cables at the terminal for boarding, then accelerated and reattached for transit to the other terminal.
*]
{{multiple image
*]
|direction=horizontal
*]
|total_width=460
|align=center
|image1 =Funitel Diagram.svg
|caption1=Diagram of where the cabins detach and attach
|image2 =DLM diagram.svg
|caption2=Diagram of the double-loop monocable (DLM) system. The circle and white arrow represent the drive
}}

===Reversible funitel===
In 1985 ] produced a reversible funitel in ], France. This system was originally referred to as a DMC lift, although it uses the configuration which would later become known as DLM. Unlike a modern funitel, the cable on this system does not move uninterruptedly. Instead, the system operates in a similar manner to an ], with two large cabins shuttling back-and-forth. These cabins do not detach from the cable in normal operation.<ref>{{cite web |title=FUN V 75 Rocharbois |url=https://www.remontees-mecaniques.net/bdd/reportage-fun-v-75-rocharbois-poma-4761.html |website=remontees-mecaniques.net |access-date=22 September 2020 |language=fr |date=3 November 2019}}</ref> A similar system was built in 1993, in ], Canada, by the French and Canadian subsidiaries of Doppelmayr.<ref name="Montmorency Park">{{cite web |title=FUN V of Montmorency Park |url=https://www.remontees-mecaniques.net/bdd/reportage-fun-v-du-parc-de-montmorency-doppelmayr-4186.html |website=remontees-mecaniques.net |access-date=22 September 2020 |date=24 March 2012}}</ref>

In 2002, Poma installed a reversible funitel in ], France. Instead of two large cabins, this system features two groups of three smaller cabins shuttling back-and-forth.<ref>{{cite web |title=Funitel of the 3 Valleys |url=https://www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/les-3-vallees-val-thorensles-menuiresmeribelcourchevel/ski-lifts/l1278/ |website=skiresort.info |access-date=21 September 2020}}</ref> A similar system was built by Doppelmayr in 2004, in ], France.<ref name="Marmottes 3">{{cite web |title=FUN V des Marmottes 3 |url=https://www.remontees-mecaniques.net/bdd/reportage-fun-v-des-marmottes-3-doppelmayr-5735.html |website=remontees-mecaniques.net |access-date=22 September 2020 |language=fr |date=28 March 2017}}</ref> Another similar system in Val Thorens was built by the Swiss manufacturer, Bartholet, in 2011.<ref>{{cite web |title=Funitel in Val Thorens, France |url=https://www.bartholet.swiss/en/ropeways/funitel/funitel-val-thorens-france |website=Bartholet |access-date=21 September 2020}}</ref>

==List of funitels==
{{multiple image
|direction=vertical
|total_width=230
|align=right
|image1 =Hakone Ropeway 2.jpg
|image2 =Hakone ropeway 03.jpg
|footer =] in Japan
}}

===Andorra===
*] sector, ] ski resort

===Austria===
*]
*]
*Kitzsteinhorn (])
*]

===Canada===
*], ]

===France===
*]
*]: Built by ] it runs from Plagne Centre (1970m) up to La Grande Rochette (2505m).
*]
*]
*]

===Greece===
*]: ]

===Japan===
*], ], ]
*], ], ]
*], ] Tenjindaira Ski Resort, ], ]
*], Yamagata ] Ski Resort, ], ]

===Slovakia===
*] – used to transport cars in ] factory
*] - ski resort

===Switzerland===
*]
*]

===United States===
*]

==See also==
*] *]
*]
*] (built the QMC funitel - a funitel that actually had four cables) *] (built the QMC funitel - a funitel that actually had four cables)


==References==
*]
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130329112645/http://www.doppelmayr.com/en/doppelmayr-international/products/funitel.html?country=all |date=2013-03-29 }}
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130608031112/http://www.poma.net/en/project/index/view/id/25 |date=2013-06-08 }}

{{SkiLift}}
{{Skiing}}

]
]

Latest revision as of 22:43, 28 August 2024

Type of aerial lift
Funitel at Val Thorens, France

A funitel is a type of cableway, generally used to transport skiers, although at least one is used to transport finished cars between different areas of a factory. It differs from a standard gondola lift through the use of two arms attached to two parallel overhead cables, providing more stability in high winds. The name funitel is a portmanteau of the French words funiculaire and telepherique.

When used to transport skiers, funitels are a fast way to get to a higher altitude. Skis or snowboards have to be taken off and held during the trip. Depending on the configuration, cabins may or may not contain seats. Without seats, funitels can sometimes be uncomfortable for long trips, in the same way other large cable cars can be. Funitels combine a short time between successive cabins with a capacity of around 20 to 30 people per cabin.

Overview

Funitel in Zaō Onsen, Japan. The bottom image shows inside one of the stations Palisades Tahoe funitel

A funitel installation employs two cables (or a single cable arranged in two loops) strung between two terminals and supported by intermediate towers. During transit from terminal to terminal each of a series of detachable passenger cabins is suspended from the two cables which move in parallel at exactly the same rate. The technology was developed from the Double Monocable Creissels (DMC) lift, which featured two so-called monocables (supplying both support and propulsion) moving in parallel and spaced about one meter apart. This technology was developed by the French engineering company Denis Creissels SA and was manufactured by Poma in the 1980s. In the 1990s the first funitels were built, differing from earlier DMC lifts by having the two cables spaced far enough apart for the cabin to be hung between the cables, instead of underneath, thus eliminating the need for a long hanger arm which makes the carrier assembly susceptible to swinging in strong winds. The two cables in these early funitel installations have separate tensioning systems and separate, electrically synchronized motors, one for each cable. Later the double-loop monocable (DLM) was developed, featuring a single cable looped around twice, as the diagram below shows. DLM ensures that the cable sections from which a cabin is suspended move at the same speed without motor synchronization.

The first funitel was constructed in Val-Thorens, 1990, by Denis Creissels SA and Enterprises Reel and Städeli-Lift. The first funitel-style lift constructed outside Europe was near Mammoth Mountain, California at June Mountain ski area, built by Yan Lift in 1988. Jan Kunczynski, the owner of Yan, actually claimed to have invented the funitel lift with reference to US Patent 4,848,241. The Yan "QMC" differed, however, from other funitels in having a quad-monocable design with vertically aligned drive sheaves. The QMC suffered from various design flaws including the famously unsafe Yan cable grips and was shut down by California safety inspectors in 1996 and dismantled over the course of the next few years.

The funitel at Verbier, Switzerland. An evacuation line runs above the funitel

Funitel passenger cabins are connected to the overhead cable sections with four spring-loaded grips — two for each cable section. As with other detachable-carrier lifts the cabins are decelerated and detached from the cables at the terminal for boarding, then accelerated and reattached for transit to the other terminal.

Diagram of where the cabins detach and attachDiagram of the double-loop monocable (DLM) system. The circle and white arrow represent the drive

Reversible funitel

In 1985 Poma produced a reversible funitel in Megève, France. This system was originally referred to as a DMC lift, although it uses the configuration which would later become known as DLM. Unlike a modern funitel, the cable on this system does not move uninterruptedly. Instead, the system operates in a similar manner to an aerial tramway, with two large cabins shuttling back-and-forth. These cabins do not detach from the cable in normal operation. A similar system was built in 1993, in Montmorency Falls Park, Canada, by the French and Canadian subsidiaries of Doppelmayr.

In 2002, Poma installed a reversible funitel in Val Thorens, France. Instead of two large cabins, this system features two groups of three smaller cabins shuttling back-and-forth. A similar system was built by Doppelmayr in 2004, in Alpe d'Huez, France. Another similar system in Val Thorens was built by the Swiss manufacturer, Bartholet, in 2011.

List of funitels

Hakone Ropeway in Japan

Andorra

Austria

Canada

France

Greece

Japan

Slovakia

Switzerland

United States

See also

References

  1. Doppelmayr Funitel VW Bratislava, Slowakei (2002) (in German), archived from the original on 2021-12-12, retrieved 2020-01-08
  2. Lift-World :: Lift-Database - Funitels Archived February 10, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  3. "Aerial tramway system and method having parallel haul ropes". Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  4. "QMC Debuts at June Mountain". Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  5. "Yan High Speed Quad Retrofits 20 Years Later". 15 March 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  6. "FUN V 75 Rocharbois". remontees-mecaniques.net (in French). 3 November 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  7. "FUN V of Montmorency Park". remontees-mecaniques.net. 24 March 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  8. "Funitel of the 3 Valleys". skiresort.info. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  9. "FUN V des Marmottes 3". remontees-mecaniques.net (in French). 28 March 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  10. "Funitel in Val Thorens, France". Bartholet. Retrieved 21 September 2020.

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