The project team installed around 15 kilometers of U35/600 C conductor rails specially developed for this purpose, 100 double and single current collectors and almost 100 control cabinets on the "Observation Wheel". These supply the 48 luxury cabins and the approximately 65,000 LEDs on the spokes with energy. Due to the increased risk of lightning strikes at such heights, Vahle also supplied 1.5 kilometers of specially tested conductor rails as lightning conductors. Following the successful site acceptance test in summer 2020, the order has now been completed. From October 21, the Ain Dubai will also be open to visitors.

"The work on the Ain Dubai was a mammoth task and involved extraordinary challenges. The project demanded a very tight schedule for construction and production and required almost six months of round-the-clock installation. We are proud that we have now successfully completed the project," says Achim Dries, Managing Director of Paul Vahle GmbH & Co KG. The bidding phase began almost four years ago. In the course of this, the Kamen-based system provider for mobile industrial applications carried out several tenders and clarified the technical and other project details. "Now the cabs have been electrified, the entire wheel is illuminated and the relevant authorities have approved the systems. Our job has therefore been completed," says Dries.

High-temperature-resistant conductor rails were specially developed for this project

The project team installed almost 15 kilometers of conductor rail coated with high-temperature-resistant special plastic and almost 100 control cabinets on the gigantic steel colossus. Achim Dries explains: "The innovative product was specially adapted to the environmental conditions of Ain Dubai and is capable of transmitting up to 1,500 amperes of electricity."

On the highest and largest observation wheel in the world, VAHLE systems are not only responsible for the power supply, but also for the lightning discharge of electricity: "As in Germany, there are also legal regulations for personal protection in Dubai. Because at such heights, the risk of a lightning strike is of course enormous," emphasizes Dries. For this reason, around 1.5 kilometers of open conductor rail act as lightning conductors. In the event of a lightning strike, it is discharged into the ground via the spindles and supports. "The conductor rail certified by Dehn meets the requirements of the highest lightning protection class," says Dries.

With a height of over 250 meters, the Ain Dubai is significantly taller than the 165-meter-high Singapore Flyer in the Southeast Asian city-state of Singapore or the 119-meter-high Ferris wheel at ICON Park in Orlando. The theme park experts from Kamen were also responsible for the energy supply to the cabins on both rides. And the next project is already in the starting blocks, as Managing Director Achim Dries reports: "With our expert knowledge, we have also convinced those responsible for the "Sun of Moscow"." Weather conditions also play a special role in the Russian capital, which is why Vahle has already developed heatable conductor rails.