Mitsubishi Electric 'blows' skydivers away

Mitsubishi Electric Australia’s technology has been installed at iFLY Downunder, an indoor skydiving facility which opened publicly in April this year. The technology has been installed at the facility as part of Mitsubishi’s longstanding relationship with SkyVenture, the supplier of vertical wind tunnels for iFLY globally.

“Taking the technology that we’re putting into factory automation, refrigerators and air conditioning and helping the iFLY team create Australia’s first indoor skydiving experience has given us the opportunity to show its capabilities in an unusual (and entertaining) environment,” said Grant Millard, Product Sales Engineer, Mitsubishi Electric Australia.

The facility has deployed three Mitsubishi Electric components:

• Four FR-F700 variable speed drive (VSD) inverters, which control the fan technology that creates the wind in the tunnel. The inverters control four 315 kW motors in the wind tunnel, which helps create wind speeds of up to 250 km/h. The Mitsubishi Electric inverter technology is used across all of Mitsubishi Electric’s product ranges - from air conditioners and refrigerators to industrial automation applications.
• The Q-Series Modular programmable logic controller (PLC), which regulates the inverters by monitoring different variants for maintenance and safety, including elements such as temperature, vibrations and other changes in the environment. It also allows the operator to regularly control the speed of the wind.
• CC-Link - Mitsubishi Electric’s proprietary industrial communication network - which links the VSD and PLC together. This allows the wind tunnel operator to manage all components via one control, thereby more easily ensuring that each flight is a smooth, reliable and fun experience.