Share it 16
Aug 2021
Now started to spread to other countries and continents. In Europe, many of the most well-known parks celebrate with special events and merchandising.
In the United States, the most famous roller coaster parks participate in this celebration, such as Busch Gardens, Six Flags and Kings Island. They have guided tours, prize draws and different special offers for this day.
The origins of Roller Coaster Day are not entirely clear. However, the most popular explanation is that the design of the first roller coaster was patented on 16 August 1898 in America by Edwin Prescott. In spite of this, there are records of the existence of roller coasters that date back to 1846.
Here at PortAventura World, we want to celebrate Roller Coaster Day with you too. In that spirit, we are going to reveal some previously undisclosed details about the most popular and most spectacular roller coasters in our parks.
Having selected a list of the five most significant roller coasters, we chatted to the Manager of Attractions Maintenance at PortAventura Park, so that he could analyse each of them for us.
DRAGON KHAN
Probablemente la atracción más icónica de PortAventura Park y la más conocida. It is characterised by its numerous inversions and dizzying turns.
When Dragon Khan was first unveiled, it stood out from other roller coasters, as it was the first in the world to have 8 inversions. At that time, it had more inversions than any other roller coaster in the world, a record that it held until 2002. Likewise, its first inversion (a vertical loop) was also the tallest in the world, at a height of 35 m."
An electrical motor moves a chain, which pulls the train up to the highest point of the track, accumulating a lot of potential energy (which, put simply, would be the energy that you get from being at a specific height). From this point on, gravity accelerates the train on the first descent, converting potential energy into kinetic energy (put simply, the energy that is generated by going at a specific speed). Throughout the run, the total amount of energy, potential and kinetic, is always more or less the same (due to the principle of conservation of energy). It has more kinetic energy at the low points (where the train is going faster) and more potential energy at the highest points, continuing all the way to the end of the track.
Throughout the run, the forces that the train generates on the body mean that you will never lift off the seat. In fact, if you put a ball on the floor of the train, it will still be there when it arrives back at the station. It will not have fallen out at any stage, even when the train is upside down.
FURIUS BACO
One of the most powerful attractions in the park, due to the intensity with which it gains speed. It is original and different to all the rest, both in terms of the seat layout and the track design.
To find out more about Furius Baco, including its technical features, how it works and its history, have a look at the following post: How does Furius Baco reach its top speed?
Furius Baco was the first roller coaster in the world where the passengers sat beside the track, rather than on top of it. Also, when it opened, Furius Baco’s inversion (an in-line twist) became the fastest in the world."
It’s a hydraulic catapult system, inspired by the ones used on aircraft carriers to propel the aircraft when they are taking off. Specifically: 720 litres of oil, compressed at a pressure of 300 bar, are released through 24 hydraulic motors in three and a half seconds, pulling two 24 mm cables. It is these cables that launch the train at 135 km/h, in just three and a half seconds.
Furius Baco gets all its kinetic energy (speed) from the launch, and therefore its track does not need to start off from a high point, as is the case with other roller coasters, such as Dragon Khan and Shambhala. They get up to speed by transforming the potential energy of their height into kinetic energy.
STAMPIDA
The great wooden roller coaster is one of the largest in PortAventura Park, and it is a classic. Its double track sets it apart, as it simulates a race between the two carriages.
The construction of Stampida and Tomahawk (the equivalent wooden roller coaster for children) required 1,400 tons of wood which, if placed end to end, would reach all the way to Barcelona.
There are a lot of variables that can mean that one track is victorious over the other, but one of the most significant factors is the load of each of the trains.
The tracks are made of wood. They consist of seven layers of planks, nailed together and interlocked in a staggered pattern. Steel rolling strips are installed to protect the outer layers of the wood. Wood is a living material, so its dimensions are susceptible to change as a result of factors such as temperature and humidity. These variations in size mean that a certain clearance must be left between the wheels of the train and the tracks. This, along with the space that needs to be left between the steel rolling strips to allow them to expand, produces the characteristic movement of this type of roller coaster.
SHAMBHALA
Without a doubt, the most spectacular and imposing attraction in the park. Considered a hypercoaster, it is characterised by its great size and height. A roller coaster that has won awards on numerous occasions.
When Shambhala was first unveiled, it was the tallest roller coaster in Spain. It was also the first time that the double helix element had been built. This is the characteristic, exciting turn that you take after the first hill".
In several religious traditions, Shambhala is a hidden mythical kingdom located somewhere beyond the snowy mountains of the Himalayan mountain range. This is where its name comes from, because the attraction re-creates the Kingdom of Shambhala; a lost paradise beyond Tibet.
With 1600 metres of track, Shambhala is situated above the legendary Dragon Khan, crossing over it. The two roller coasters are arranged in this layout so that, from the new theme area, the audience can see ascents and descents that complement each other and play off each other, and which even intertwine at up to four points.
In constructing this roller coaster, more than 1,600 tons of steel were required for the structure and more than 4,000 m3 of concrete for the foundations, which are up to 18 metres deep at some points. A 500-ton main crane and a 400-ton auxiliary crane were required to put the last part into position.
RED FORCE
The only roller coaster on the list that is part of Ferrari Land, but probably the most impressive and unusual. Indeed, it is the fourth highest and fastest roller coaster on the planet.
Both its design and track (it isn’t circular) are completely different to a normal roller coaster.
Red Force has two very different areas. The first is an acceleration area that simulates the sensations that a Formula 1 driver experiences, reaching the speed required to be able to climb the 112 metre-high tower. The second part begins with a vertical descent towards a long straight, where you experience very intense breaking.
Sometimes, the train doesn’t reach the top and cannot finish the route, rolling back down. And what is it that causes the train to sometimes finish the route and sometimes not?
Red Force gets up to speed by causing some powerful magnets located inside the train to interact with the electromagnets (stators) in the track. Depending on certain conditions, such as the wind, the air temperature, the temperature of the magnets themselves, or the train’s load, among other things, it may be the case that the system does not reach the speed required to get up and over the top of the tower. In this case, it will fall back down; something known as ‘rollback’. In these cases, both the stators themselves and the system of brakes will slow the train down, allowing it to return to the station safely so that the launch can be repeated.
Each morning, when checks are being carried out, a rollback is performed (launching the train with less power than is required to get over the top of the tower) to check that the entire breaking system is operating correctly.
Red Force has the most powerful electrical launch system in the world. As a result, you get a sensation of acceleration and speed that you can’t find anywhere else.