Sports and mountaineering activities are becoming more and more popular. Equipment constructors seek to develop products and devices that are easy to use and that take into account all safety recommendations. PETZL and INSA have collaborated to develop a model for the simulation of displacements and efforts involved during the fall of a climber in the “safety chain”. The model is based on the classical equations of motion, in which climber and belayer are considered as rigid masses, while the rope is considered as a series of non-linear stiffness passing through several devices as brakes and runners. The main goal is to predict the forces in the rope and on the return anchor at the first rebound of the fall. Experiments were first performed in order to observe and determine the dynamic characteristics of the rope, and then to validate results stemming from simulations. Several fall configurations are simulated, and the model performs satisfactorily. It also provides a close approximation of the phenomena observed experimentally. The model enables the assessment of the existing equipments and the improved design of the future one.
Test and Certification Procedures of Pulleys as a Part of Personal Fall Arrest System
