CTV elevator

The idea is a simple one and from what I can guesstimate very similar to what is going on in most elevators, however with a little twist. Instead of using the counter weight on an elevator to make the work easier for the motors why not store the energy instead of wasting it on brakes and use it as a lift boost later. The key comes in with using a CVT (Continuous Variable Transmission) in between the elevator car and the counter weight. By using an electronic system that can monitor and manipulate the ratios of the pulleys it could there by changing the work necessary to raise or lower the elevator car. So when you take people down you can store the net potential energy by transferring it to the counter weight instead of using motors to pull the car down. Then when you need to take people up you use the stored energy in the weight to take them back up. While it’s not a completely self-sufficient system, it should be a bit more efficient then the energy used to haul weight up and down an elevator shaft. And to keep things as simple as possible you could use a motor that runs to add potential energy to the counter weight, preferably somewhere that’s easy to access and perform maintenance on. Moreover, the slowing power of CVT should be very smooth because of its variable nature. Check here for some info on CVT’s http://autozine.kyul.net/technical_school/gearbox/tech_gear_cvt.htm