Helter Skelter GBC

For my STEM challenge I have built a continuous Helter Skelter Great Ball Contraption (GBC) with less than 800 pieces.

Science: A common problem with GBC is how to move the balls vertically upwards as quickly as possible using the minimal number of commonly available pieces, and then to be able to extend this upwards to reach any height.

Engineering: Do the pieces exist to build a tower with a rotating mechanism that will raise the ball in a circular corkscrew pattern along increasing slopes? 

Technology: Can you find the right spacing between the rotator, walls and balls. Not too tight or loose causing jams or balls to fall off the slope edge? Will this work smoothly enough to allow motorisation?

Maths: What is the maximum number of balls that can travel upwards at one time? As 4 balls can be rotated at a time, with 12 rotations, this gives 48 balls.

The tower can also be motorised