Cowboys Stadium - Retractable Roof Mechanization

The Cowboys Stadium retractable roof comprises two 300-foot by 220-foot panels. When fully open, the exposed section of the roof is 256 feet by 410 feet.

The panels each travel 215 feet along the arches that run the length of the stadium. Each panel is driven by (64) 7.5 Hp motors within 32 tractors. The total power for each roof panel is 480 Hp which provides a towing capacity of 800,000 pounds (higher than 4 of the worlds most powerful diesel locomotives).

The custom rack and pinion system gives the roof the power necessary to climb the 23.9 degree slope it has to climb at its steepest point on the arch. When the roof is opening, however, the drive system is also able to utilize the natural weight of the roof to generate power. Because the tractors are actually used to slow the roof instead of driving it forward when opening, the motors have been equipped with regenerative drives that turn the motors into generators, drawing power back into the stadiums power grid.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• cowboys
• stadium
• retractable
• roof
• uni-systems
• mechanization
• operable