Cable cars are part of everyday life in the mountains and are considered a very safe means of transportation. Nevertheless, the wind plays an important role. If a gondola is hit by a strong crosswind, it can start to swing. This is unpleasant for passengers and can also pose a safety risk near supports or rock faces. This is why many cable cars have to slow down or stop operating altogether in strong winds.

In my Matura thesis, I investigated whether a gyroscope could help to reduce these movements. A gyroscope is a fast, heavy, rotating wheel. Due to its rotation, it has so-called angular momentum (L). This ensures that a rotating body wants to maintain its orientation as far as possible. It is precisely this effect that is used in technology to stabilize ships, aircraft or satellites, for example.

As an example for my study, I chose the Älplerseil, a small private cableway in the canton of Nidwalden. It connects the Trübsee and Untertrübsee stations and covers a large difference in altitude. The gondola has a rather angular shape and is therefore relatively sensitive to crosswinds. At wind speeds of 60 kilometers per hour, operation usually has to be stopped.

 

To investigate the physical influence of a gyroscope, I created a simplified model of the nacelle. When wind hits a gondola from the side, a force is generated on the side surface of the cabin. This force does not act exactly at the nacelle’s suspension point. This creates a torque that pushes the nacelle out of its vertical position. At the same time, gravity acts as a restoring force and attempts to bring the gondola back to its original position. As a result, the gondola begins to swing like a pendulum.

A gyroscope can influence this process. If the rotating wheel is installed in the nacelle and a torque is generated by the wind (), the gyroscope reacts with a movement called precession (. This changes the orientation of the gyroscope’s axis of rotation. Part of the wind torque is thus absorbed by the gyroscope. This means that the entire force no longer acts directly on the nacelle. As a result, the movement of the gondola becomes slower and the acceleration smaller.

 

To investigate these effects, I created a simulation. This involved calculating how the gondola moves step by step at very small time intervals. In a first model, a normal gondola without a gyroscope was considered. In a second model, a gyroscope was inserted into the gondola. This allowed me to compare how the gondola behaves in both cases.

The results show an interesting picture. With a gyroscope, the gondola begins to oscillate much more slowly. The forces acting on the passengers are therefore smaller. This can lead to a smoother and more comfortable ride, especially in short gusts of wind.

 

At the same time, however, the calculations also show limits. If the wind remains constant over a longer period of time, the deflection of the nacelle with gyroscope continues to increase. In this case, the nacelle can deflect even more than without a gyroscope. This means that a gyroscope does not improve the wind resistance of a cable car. The maximum wind speed at which safe operation is possible could therefore not be increased.

In addition to the physical results, practical issues also play a role. A gyroscope is relatively heavy, requires space in the gondola and incurs additional costs. Furthermore, the installation would reduce the number of passengers and increase energy requirements. Such a solution would therefore hardly be economical, especially for large cable car systems.

In summary, my work shows that although a gyroscope can improve ride comfort in certain wind conditions, it is not a solution to the fundamental wind problem of ropeways. However, the study also shows how physical models can help to better understand technical ideas and realistically assess their limits.

Matthias Wagner
Matura class 2026