Design Concepts of an Escape Descender

The purpose of this project is to design an automatic escape device to allow workers or other people working at great heights to descend at a controlled speed in the event of an emergency situation. The concept is a centrifugal brake which allows for automated descent. As the rope is pulled off of the drum, the shaft connected to the drum is also connected to the brake hub, that is, the brake hub rotates exactly as the drum does. Within the brake hub are a number of brake pads that are free to slide in and out of machined slots. When the drum spins, the brake hub rotates and pushes the brake pads outwards, towards a friction surface. The friction force is responsible for the braking and as a rotational speed increases, so does the braking force. The rotational speed can be tailored through the use of gears or another mechanism, to provide a certain braking force