Rope for an elevator and method of condition monitoring of the rope

An elevator comprising:

• an elevator car;
• and
• a roping comprising one or more ropes connected to the car,
• wherein the one or more ropes comprises:
• at least one continuous load bearing member extending in longitudinal direction of the rope throughout the length of the rope, the load bearing member being made of composite material comprising reinforcing fibers embedded in a polymer matrix, wherein substantially the entirety of the at least one continuous load bearing member is parallel with the longitudinal direction of the rope and is untwisted and substantially the entirety of the reinforcing fibers are parallel with the longitudinal direction of the rope and are untwisted,
• wherein the composite material comprises capsules embedded in said polymer matrix, the capsules storing a monomer substance in fluid form, each capsule comprising a wall delimiting a closed, hollow inside space in which said monomer substance is stored, each capsule encapsulating the monomer substance in a leak-proof manner when the wall of the capsule is intact,
• wherein an optical indicator substance in fluid form is stored in said capsules and mixed with the monomer substance, the optical indicator substance being substantially different in its optical properties from the optical properties of the polymer matrix and/or the reinforcing fibers,
• wherein said at least one load bearing member forms part of an electrical circuit, and the reinforcing fibers are electrically conducting fibers, whereby the at least one load bearing member is electrically conducting, and the elevator comprises a rope condition monitoring device configured to monitor one or more electrical properties of said circuit, and
• if a resistance of the electrical circuit exceeds a predetermined limit, the monitoring device brakes a safety circuit of the elevator, wherein the braking the safety circuit applies a brake to a traction sheave of the elevator.

A method for condition monitoring of a rope of an elevator comprising an elevator car and a rope connected to the elevator car,

• wherein the rope comprises at least one continuous load bearing member extending in longitudinal direction of the rope throughout the length of the rope, the load bearing member being made of composite material comprising reinforcing fibers embedded in a polymer matrix, wherein substantially the entirety of the at least one continuous load bearing member is parallel with the longitudinal direction of the rope and is untwisted and substantially the entirety of the reinforcing fibers are parallel with the longitudinal direction of the rope and are untwisted,
• wherein the composite material comprises capsules embedded in said polymer matrix, the capsules storing a monomer substance in fluid form, each capsule comprising a wall delimiting a closed, hollow inside space in which said monomer substance is stored, each capsule encapsulating the monomer substance in a leak-proof manner when the wall of the capsule is intact,
• wherein an optical indicator substance in fluid form is stored in said capsules and mixed with the monomer substance, the optical indicator substance being substantially different in its optical properties from the optical properties of the polymer matrix and/or the reinforcing fibers,
• wherein said at least one load bearing member forms part of an electrical circuit, and the reinforcing fibers are electrically conducting fibers, whereby the at least one load bearing member is electrically conducting, and the elevator comprises a rope condition monitoring device,
• the method comprises the step of:
• monitoring, via the rope condition monitoring device, one or more electrical properties of the electrical circuit,
• locating point(s) of rupture in the rope based on a change on at least the monitored electrical property of the load bearing member;
• and
• inspecting the condition of the rope at the point(s) of rupture,
• wherein if a resistance of the electrical circuit exceeds a predetermined limit, braking a safety circuit of the elevator via the rope condition monitoring device to apply a brake to a traction sheave of the elevator.