Ribbon magnet motor idea - just another crazy idea which might work

[Low-Q]

Hi,

I have been thinking a bit of a ribbon based magnet motor. In the drawing below, there is two parallell magnet ribbons which is magnetized through thickness. These two ribbons have equal poles facing. There are however placed some rollers which guides these apart like a zipper, and close them again behind a big magnet in the middle which is magnetized horizontally.

I hope that the situation will be like this:
The big magnet in the middle wants to move towards the opposite pole in the vertical part of the ribbons, but also repelled by the equal pole behind it. As the ribbons are guided into +/- 90 degrees angle to the moving direction in front of the big magnet, the poles in the ribbons right here are also horizontally aligned.

This arrangment of the magnets will allow a virtual infinite magnetic path in front and behind the big magnet, inwhich will force the big magnet infinitely in one direction. That is the idea anyways.

I have too much lack of knowledge to know the practical outcome. I cannot see the reason why this will not work, except it is hard to see how the ribon should move if the big magnet and the rollers were fixed....

Any comments are very much welcome

Vidar

[tak22]

  Are you going to call it the Boa Motor after the classic Nature shows
where a boa constrictor is swallowing a small animal? 

Seriously though, I like your creativity and am also curious to know what would happen.
You could probably set up a static test with a dozen or so fixed magnets where the
ribbon would be, then lower a magnet into the centre to gauge the relative forces available.

tak

[DreamThinkBuild]

Hi Vidar,

I really like your idea. The band going through the neutral point of the large magnet may have to be spaced out or tented further to avoid a sticky spot.

The hard part is finding a way to make a strong ribbon that is magnetized. Might be able to take a bicycle tire tube and cut into two strips then mount small thin magnets along it. If the magnets are on the inside then the rollers could be on the outside. Another material that is flexible, strong and thin are those therapy bands.

http://www.nextag.com/therapy-bands/compare-html

Another design idea would be two opposing flexible tank tracks with geared rollers.

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/10/how-to_diy_tank_treads_from_roller.html

http://www.rctankcombat.com/articles/track-systems/

[Low-Q]

Yes, The Boa-Motor

Anyways, I have a bunch of small disk magnets I can try out. I also have glass fiber reinforced ribbon I can glue these magnets on. Or I can try out another idea I just got... New topic in a while.

Vidar