How to limit the floors on the second elevator in a bank of 2 elevators?

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Tee Hiett asked Feb 5, '17 Tee Hiett edited Feb 12, '17

How to limit the floors on the second elevator in a bank of 2 elevators?

elevator-model-1-bank-with-2-elevators.fsm

In the attached model, I would like to limit the number of floors for the second elevator to floors 2 and 3. Is there any way to do this and still keep the functionality of the elevator model?

Also, why don't the arriving patients go through the node connected to the arrival area?

Matthew, I endorse your suggestion to have the basic model working as desired and then add the elevators..

Thanks, Tee

Software Version:

FlexSim HC 5.1.0

healthcare elevators healthcare hc 5 healthcare hc

elevator-model-1-bank-with-2-elevators.fsm (214.4 KiB)

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Answer 1 · 2017-02-06T23:54:03Z

Matthew Gillespie answered Feb 6, '17 Tee Hiett edited Feb 7, '17

You're not going to like to hear this, but there doesn't seem to be an easy solution to this. Apparently this situation hasn't come up much before. What makes it difficult is that you are fighting against the default logic of the Elevator Bank. This logic is hidden away in the DLL (so you can't really customize it) and it assumes all the elevators in the bank are connected to the same nodes.

I got it mostly working in this model by splitting the bank into two banks and then customizing the trigger code on the OnArrival triggers of the network nodes on the 2nd and 3rd floors. However, this just makes the 2nd elevator the priority elevator if travelling to the 3rd floor from the 2nd and to the 2nd from the 3rd.

2elevatorbanks.fsm (218.8 KiB)

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Tee Hiett commented · Feb 07, 2017 at 10:20 PM

Thanks Matthew,

I was expecting that answer since I came to the same conclusion after further investigation into elevators over the weekend. We are now going with going to all three floors.

Attached is the current simulation elevator model and I have four questions about this model. I will list them here but if you would prefer for them to be posted as separate questions, I can do that.

Why do the elevator shafts on Elevator1_2 stop at the second floor?

Why do I occasionally get the Warning 11950 "Elevator1_2 (or Elevator1_2) is attempting to reach a floor that does not exist?"

How can I get waiting line queues in front of the elevators to function.

How can I get the time patients spend waiting for elevators by time of day on the dashboard? Thanks, Tee elevators-02-07-2017.fsm

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elevators-02-07-2017.fsm (218.3 KiB)

Answer 2 · 2017-02-10T02:06:38Z

Cliff King answered Feb 10, '17 Tee Hiett edited Feb 12, '17

Hi Tee,

Q1. The four elevator shaft rails are supposed to resize themselves automatically based on the elevation of the path nodes connected to the elevator bank. The rails will begin at the z-loc of the node with the lowest elevation and end one elevator height above the node with the highest elevation. When elevators are added or deleted from the bank, this automatic resizing will sometimes not work as expected. To fix, click on the bank object and then uncheck and recheck the "Connect to Path" box at the top of Quick Properties, then reset the model.

Q2. I'm not positive what's causing it in your model, but usually it is due to inaccurate placement of path nodes. All the path nodes on the same floor must have the same Z location, and all path nodes connected to the elevator must have the same X,Y location. (I noticed you have a rogue path node way out in space in your model that needs deleted as well).

Q3. I need more information about what you want to accomplish with a "waiting line" in front of the elevator. Typically, you do not use a waiting line object of any sort in conjunction with the elevators. Travelers automatically wait for an available elevator! They may not necessarily line up the way you would like them to (instead they are randomly offset from the path node connected to the elevator), but they do wait. I always suggest modelers use a little side spur off the main hallway path leading to the elevator bank. If you connect one of the nodes on the main hallway path to your elevators, you could have problems with some people calling for an elevator unintentionally, plus the passengers who need to wait for an elevator will be standing out in the hall "blocking" the main hallway.

Q4. I believe the "Waiting for Equipment" time will be the time a patient had to wait for an elevator. You also might find it useful to compare the "InTransit" times of a model with an without elevators. I also suggest looking at some of the statistics of the elevator and elevator bank to guide your analysis.

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Attachments: Up to 12 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 23.8 MiB each and 47.7 MiB total.

Tee Hiett commented · Feb 11, 2017 at 05:48 PM

original-track.jpg

Thanks, Cliff,

You are Right On with your answers. Here's what I found:

Q1. The problem was I didn't have Elevators1_2 connected to all 3 floors for some strange reason.

Q2. I don't know what caused the problem but I was able to find a solution. I put each elevator usage in a separate Activity

Original Track: See Attached

Current Track: See Attached

Q3. You are correct, I found that the alignment of patient waiting for elevators was perfectly acceptable.

Q4. The "Waiting for Equipment" time does produce the time waiting for an elevator.

I am attaching the current version of the elevator model In case anyone would be interested examining it.

Thanks Tee

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elevators-th-02-09-2017.fsm (229.1 KiB)

current-track.jpg (25.1 KiB)

original-track.jpg (18.0 KiB)

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