Roller Coaster Design

Science and Roller Coasters

It takes a great deal of skill to design a roller coaster, and more than just understanding the physics of roller coasters is necessary to ensure a ride is suitable. While knowledge of gravity, friction, forces, momentum, inertia and other physics concepts is critical for coaster design, other sciences are also vital, including:

• Structural Engineering: Understanding architecture, construction, track layouts, and structural stresses is necessary to ensure that a coaster can run smoothly.
• Computer Programming: Modern roller coasters are controlled by sophisticated computer systems that monitor speed, weight, location, and other factors for safety and control.
• Geology: Roller coasters are massive machines, and they must be built on a solid foundation suitable for their structure. Understanding regional geology can help create that firm foundation.
• Biology: A coaster can only be as intense as riders can stand, and good roller coaster design will incorporate the limits of human anatomy and physiology to keep the ride safe and comfortable.
• Climatology: Rides must be built to withstand all weathers at their location, from the heavy heat and humidity of southern parks to the bitterly cold winters of northern parks. Winds, rain, and other factors must also be taken into account.
• Accounting: A good coaster design will stay well within a proposed budget so parks can continue adding new attractions without going bankrupt.
• Psychology: The colors, theme, and name of a ride can impact its popularity, and understanding the psychology of future rides can help make a ride successful.

It takes an entire team of design professionals to create a single roller coaster, but the ingenuity of designers and the inspiration of coaster fans have led to more than a dozen types of coasters that can be enjoyed around the globe.

Roller Coaster Design Types

Wooden Coaster

The two basic types of roller coasters are steel and wooden, and a coaster is classified based on the structure of its track, though its structure may not necessarily be composed of the same material. The Gemini at Cedar Point amusement park, for example, first appears to be a wooden coaster because of its imposing wooden structure, but in reality it is a steel coaster because the trains run along tubular steel tracks.

In addition to the basic steel and wooden classifications, there are more than a dozen different types of coaster designs.

Both steel and wooden coasters can have the following designs:

• Out and Back: These coasters have a simple layout and travel out to their farthest point and return along a parallel course.
• Twister: This type of coaster has a more intricate layout that wraps around itself and twists through the support structure during the course of the ride.
• Terrain: A terrain coaster takes advantage of natural geography such as cliffs, trenches, and landscape curves to add excitement.
• Enclosed: An enclosed coaster is any design that is fully wrapped in a building or other structure and is not open to the elements.
• Mine Train: This type of coaster generally has a wooden structure but the tracks may be either steel or wood. Mine train coasters are characterized by sharp curves, twists, and dips that give them an out-of-control feel.

Because of the structural strength needed for more complex track elements, only steel coasters can be the following designs:

• Inverted: This type of coaster uses ski-lift style seats and riders’ legs are free to swing in the open air. Inverted coasters, such as Raptor at Cedar Point, often have multiple inversions and loops.
• Bobsled: A bobsled coaster is one that runs along a freewheeling trough rather than a set of track rails. Disaster Transport at Cedar Point is an example of a bobsled coaster.

Inverted Shuttle Coaster

• Stand Up: A stand up coaster uses bicycle-type seats and heavy restraints, but riders are literally standing in the coaster train as it makes its way through the track.
• Wild Mouse: Small, compact coasters are often wild mouse designs with sharp dips and tight curves. A variation of the classic mouse is a spinning mouse coaster, where the coaster cars spin throughout the ride.
• Floorless: A floorless coaster is a steel sitting design that has no floor between the riders’ feet and the track below. This gives the ride an exhilarating open air feel. Kraken at Sea World in Orlando is a floorless coaster.
• Shuttle: Shuttle designs propel riders through the same short stretch of track both forwards and backwards, often including a twist or loop. These are quick, compact coasters popular at many parks.
• Suspended: A suspended coaster uses cars that hang beneath the track and swing freely during the ride. Unlike their inverted cousins, suspended coasters do not have inversions.
• Launch: A launched coaster may use compressed air, linear induction motors (LIMs), or linear synchronous motors (LSMs) to propel itself through the ride rather than the more traditional chain lift hill. Many of the world’s tallest roller coasters today are launched coasters.
• Flying: A flying coaster hooks riders into a unique harness and twists throughout the ride to give them the sensation of “flying” on their stomachs.
• Looping: A looping coaster is any coaster that includes inversions, loops, or corkscrew elements.

Even though there are many types of roller coaster designs that can already be found in amusement and theme parks today, engineers and roller coaster fans alike are always coming up with more unique, innovative rides to challenge riders to new and greater heights.