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DonaldDuck14
07-30-2002, 06:09 PM
whenever i pass by that launch for californian screamin'...i always get puzzled on why they spray water on the launch. does anyone know why??? if ur not sure what i am talking about....if u pay attention to where the train waits to be launch...u'll notice little sprayers that spray water on the track after a train leaves.

MonorailMan
07-30-2002, 06:19 PM
Maybe the LIM get too hot, and must be cooled?

Techie7
07-30-2002, 08:01 PM
Originally posted by MonorailMan
Maybe the LIM get too hot, and must be cooled?

This was my assumption I would imagine that quite a bit of heat builds up on the launch. I can not confirm.

Disneyfreak
07-30-2002, 08:11 PM
I am 100% sure that the water cools the LIM. They get extremely hot.

Nigel2
07-30-2002, 09:26 PM
I asked this once before and I think it was Lost Boy who gave the definative yes to that, I will try and find it again to make sure. I think it may also cut down on friction, but I have to look back to make sure. But they must not get terribly hot since they don't hiss or steam when they get cooled down.

MonorailMan
07-30-2002, 09:31 PM
Originally posted by Nigel2
I think it may also cut down on friction.

Good point.

Water is slippery.

Why don't they used the un-used oil from the McDonalds? :rolleyes:

Nigel2
07-30-2002, 09:41 PM
Originally posted by MonorailMan


Good point.

Water is slippery.

Why don't they used the un-used oil from the McDonalds? :rolleyes:

Oil, is oil, but either way it would be interesting to see the cars start a fire when they launch.:D

MonorailMan
07-30-2002, 09:42 PM
Originally posted by Nigel2


Oil, is oil, but either way it would be interesting to see the cars start a fire when they launch.:D

They could call it "California Flamin'", have have it like your cruising in the sun. (Heat Included) :D

They don't call it "Fun in the sun" for nothing! :D

justagrrl
07-31-2002, 06:09 AM
That funny - as my husband and his friend tried to convince me it was for nausea. That is - a cool spray of water is supposed to help fight nausea in some way.

When I pointed out that they weren't spraying the guests but the track, they told me that the mist was still in the air and would help.

Yeah....sure....

I'll just let them go on believing their made up stories.

Ghoulish Delight
07-31-2002, 07:20 AM
What did they do wrong that they need to cool the lims? I mean, Superman at SFMM was one of the very first (therefore, you'd think primative) lim coasters. It goes faster. It launches more often. But they do not have any water spraying on it. Interesting. But then again, maybe Superman has some sort of internal cooling system we can't see and Disney just decided that since the tracks was sitting inches above a lake, they might as well use the water.

Nigel2
07-31-2002, 11:06 AM
Are you sure that it launches more often on 1 side when compared to CS? But then again I think ours may have to stay on longer since it's a train of cars and not one large car. Also aren't ours smaller and possibly more prone to heat up faster?

Cadaverous Pallor
07-31-2002, 12:36 PM
Originally posted by Nigel2
Are you sure that it launches more often on 1 side when compared to CS? But then again I think ours may have to stay on longer since it's a train of cars and not one large car. Also aren't ours smaller and possibly more prone to heat up faster?
Hmm. Here's the facts as I see them. (When referencing Superman I'm talking about one side.)

Superman launches one car at a time that carries 15 people. CS launches a bunch of cars strung together, carrying more people and stretching out longer on the track.

In my estimation (I was a season passholder at MM for 3 years) they probably launch about as often as each other. If anything, CS launches a little more often.

Superman reaches 100 mph. CS - not even close.

All these factors make it hard to figure out which would need more cooling. And like GD pointed out, Superman may have a hidden cooling system that costs tons more than simple water sprayers.

As for not hissing and steaming, Nigel, I think that if they were THAT hot, they'd use something better than a small spray of water to cool them.

MouseWife
07-31-2002, 12:54 PM
Could it just be for effect?

Ya know, for show.

HBTiggerFan
07-31-2002, 01:18 PM
I'm with MouseWife here.
I remember the first time I rode CS I thought I was gonna get drenched by the water sprayin on the tracks.

MouseWife
07-31-2002, 01:19 PM
Originally posted by HB Tigger Fan
I'm with MouseWife here.
I remember the first time I rode CS I thought I was gonna get drenched by the water sprayin on the tracks.

Thanks. I think that they know people love water rides. Any water. A 'visual'.

AnimeNut
07-31-2002, 01:43 PM
I think it helps clean up the mess projected from the mouths of any spectators that just got off the Sun Wheel.

MouseWife
07-31-2002, 01:44 PM
Originally posted by AnimeNut
I think it helps clean up the mess projected from the mouths of any spectators that just got off the Sun Wheel.

Ew!!!

Talk about a 'visual'!!

AnimeNut
07-31-2002, 01:48 PM
Originally posted by MouseWife


Ew!!!

Talk about a 'visual'!!

Well, it took only one ride on the Sun Wheel for me to duplicate the same level of nausea I experienced after my sixth consecutive ride on Rock 'n' Roller Coaster on the first day of Cast Member Previews at the Studios in '99.

Good Lord, how I wish I chose the non-swinging carriage...

Nigel2
07-31-2002, 08:42 PM
Originally posted by Cadaverous Pallor


As for not hissing and steaming, Nigel, I think that if they were THAT hot, they'd use something better than a small spray of water to cool them.

True, plus don't the magnets (are they earth ones here like they use at Six Flags) go on for a lot longer than the water spray is? I think it might actually cut down on friction since the magnets may not get hot enough to damage anything touching it.

MouseWife
08-01-2002, 07:23 AM
Originally posted by AnimeNut


Well, it took only one ride on the Sun Wheel for me to duplicate the same level of nausea I experienced after my sixth consecutive ride on Rock 'n' Roller Coaster on the first day of Cast Member Previews at the Studios in '99.

Good Lord, how I wish I chose the non-swinging carriage...

Thanks for the tip! I will avoid that ride for sure. I saw it, saw the nausea potentail. Won't even look at it. {the combination swinging, circular motion}

MonorailMan
08-01-2002, 09:24 AM
Originally posted by MouseWife


Thanks for the tip! I will avoid that ride for sure. I saw it, saw the nausea potentail. Won't even look at it. {the combination swinging, circular motion}

I like the Sun Wheel, if you can stand a swing, you can stand the SW.

tinkfreak
08-01-2002, 09:37 AM
I am very nausea prone when it comes to spinning attractions. Sun Wheel is terrifying, but not at all nauseating (Sp?). It's one to avoid if you're afraid of hights, however.

Gauchograd99
08-01-2002, 04:33 PM
This issue is one I have been looking at since I first saw the coaster. I think that the water is sprayed onto the LIM system in order to get better contact with the plates running the motor. If I remember correctly from my physics classes (heaven help me for even remembering this much) that magnetic waves travel better through a conducting media much the same way electricity does as the magnetic and electrical waves are essentially the same in most properties. Doc Kroc will have to help us out with this as he has his PhD and I am a simple BS in chemistry. :)

ANY INFO FROM THE DOC??

haiderodes
08-05-2002, 08:28 AM
Even though Superman and CS where built by the same company, Intamin AG, their propulsion systems are different.

Superman uses Linear Syncronous Motors or LSM's. The track has a system of staggering stators that act by quickly pulling and and repelling the large 15 passenger car. This action happens very quickly (think fractions of a second. The pulling and repelling moves the car because there are large natural magnets on the bottom of the train. Because of the timing issues with this type of system, Superman opened a year late. The only other Intamin ride to use this system is Tower of Terror in Dreamworld located down in Australia. Vekoma uses a similar system on its launched rides...ie Rock n Roller Coaster at WDW and DLP, and Superman: Ride of Steel in Holland.

As for CS....it uses LIM's or Linear Induction Motors which is a much easier system. It involves a copper fin (NO MAGNETS) attached to the bottom of each car. The propulsion in this case works similar to Superman in that the motors pull and repel the copper fin. A magentic field is produced as the motors fire and turn off very qucikly pushing the fin and car down the track. Intamin seems to like this system more as many rides now have this system including Volcano: The Blast Coaster at Kings Dominion, and Wicked Twister at Cedar Point.

As for the cooling idea...that is a big debate among coaster enthusiasts as the inverted LIM coasters all have sheds over their LIM runs supposedly to protect them from the sun. Some have fans to blow air on them...but no one really knows. My guess is that it all depends on the ride. Whereas CS is a sitdown over water they might have decided that using the bay water is a better way to cool the LIM's between launches.

I know for a matter of fact Speed: The Ride (a Premier Rides LIM coaster) uses fans to cool its motors.

Hope this cleared it up!

sjchristy
08-05-2002, 02:23 PM
Has anyone considered that there are 2 sets of LIM's on CS? The initial launch set and the set that pushes the cars up the second major hill. There is no water spray on the second set of LIM's. Could this be due to lower launch speed or the fact that the water on the first set is all for show and not really needed?

Consider: Why water on one and not the other?:confused: