Self Running Micro TPU, with closed loop.

[Bruce_TPU]

@btentzer

Thanks for your suggestions, but unfortunately I have not had any advantage, I must understand where I am being wrong.
Can you publish me your electric scheme, and as you connect the electronic components to the spools? You would do me a big favor and surely I could try to understand my error.

Also want do to you this asks:

In my tests for the first 300-400 seconds the LED pulse to 4 Hz, after (2/3 of the residual change of the condenser) the LED pulse to 2 Hz.
In your tests to which frequency it pulsates the LED?

Best regards
Adriano

@ Adriano

My borrowed scope from my brother in law is out of commission.  I am saving to buy a nice scope like both GK and Jason O. are using.  So I can not answer your frequency question, unfortunately.

As far as the proper schematic, let's start with EM's original diagram.  Where EM has the bottom green wire hooked to his transistor, mine is hooked to the emitter of my transmitter.  I use TWO transistors in parallel.  Next, I have my bottom red wire, to the left of the bottom green wire, going to the anode side of the LED's.

My top green wire (See EM's diagram) goes to the cathode side of the LED's.  My top red wire, just to the left of the top green wire, goes to the negative side of the 1000uf electrolytic capacitor.

The collector of the transistor, goes to the negative between the two electrolytic capacitors.

The top wire of the trigger, goes to the positive side of the 1.5uf electrolytic, this is also the bottom of the 1 mega ohm resistor.

The bottom wire of the trigger goes to the base of the two parallel transistors.

I also have the 221 ceramic capacitor hooked to the base and emitter of the transistor.

My coil is neatly wound, using 20 gauge magnet wire.  I am convinced that another type of wire will double my time.  Call it a hunch.  I am also convinced that once I receive in my barium ferrite coil core and the other items I have ordered, I should see substantial time increase.

@ALL

I went to Radio Shack for more of the identical 1.7 volt 20 ma LED's.  Because my run times have gotten so long,  I wanted to shorten the time to conclude each test, from its present 28 minutes.  So I purchased four more LED's, came back and hooked them as following:  3 rows in series of two diodes in parallel.

-            -
+ -           + -
  + -            + -
    +              +

Well, I expected to cut my time, I figured to about 9.5 minutes.  ACTUAL RUN TIME ALL 6 LED's:
23 minutes 51 seconds.

Pictures to follow in just a few minutes.

EDIT:  My positive lead to jump start the circuit is from the positive side of the 1000uf electrolytic capacitor.  The ground lead to jump start the circuit is from the negative side of the 1.5uf electrolytic capacitor.  I use a 9volt battery to "kick" start the circuit.

Cheers,
Bruce

[wattsup]

@btentzer

Thanks for your clear description. I am having the same problems as Adriano and here is a picture to show the coil types I have been using and all have been not that great. Besides the fun of blowing leds, added to the learning experience, it seems I cannot get past the low results, but with your description, this may be more attainable.

The fat coil in the center background is the one I took from a torroid transformer. The back left and right ones are using the ferrites taken from hipotted coils.

(Revised Build Spec)

The coil on the board is one I just made using a 12" length on 1/4" polyethylene tubing. I cut four 11.5" lengths of bailing wire and pushed them into the tube all at once so the wire is 1/4" inside each end of the polytube . While still straight, I wound 1/3 of the length from center 2" each way the two coils using two identical as bifilar from left 0" to right 4"  but stopped in the center to put a center tap (now curled) for future use. The poly tube with bailing wire was rounded and a 1/2" plastic shim was used to connect both tube ends. The trigger was wound 1" long 1/2" L and R from the newly connected ends.

I am thinking that since the ring is not closed, having a 1/2" gap, when the trigger pulses this will reach the opposite point (ring center) and come back backwards, since the whole current can no longer travel in a loop.

I will try your configuration tonight and see how it goes.

My question is about when you say the leds are "blinking". Are they really turning on and off? Please describe what you mean.

[Bruce_TPU]

I will try your configuration tonight and see how it goes.

My question is about when you say the leds are "blinking". Are they really turning on and off? Please describe what  you mean.

Hi Wattsup,

I think the key is making sure you wind the toroid as I have.  I know this works with 20 gauge magnet wire.  Wind it counter clockwise and each end should be EXACTLY as EM has pictured in his original circuit.  In other words make sure you start your winding properly.  I wound other style windings, and they did not work at all, at least on my style ferrite toroid.

And to answer your question, the LED's are pulsing, completely off, completely on, at about 2 or 3 Hz, just guessing.  Also, when I first started with this circuit, the LED would not light while the battery was kick starting it.  It took a few seconds to oscillate.  But not anymore, since I have added my changes. 

I am experimenting with a couple of other ideas at the moment.  I will let everyone know if any work!  LOL

Happy experimenting,   
Bruce

EDIT 1:
I have added two more LED's to reduce my time.  It is still 23 minutes, 30 seconds.  So I will have to live with that length of time as my base time for my experiments. 

I have purchased several different type of transistors to try.  The transistor makes a HUGE difference in run time.  I remember SM talking about transistors being slow as molasses compared to tubes.  Perhaps SM used tubes in the beginning AS his transistor in the start of his discovery.

EDIT 2:
Well, I swapped my two transistors in parallel for a single 2N4401 transistor.  Only one was needed, and it INCREASED my time with 8 LED's by 12% to just over 26 minutes.  I am testing others as I type.

EDIT 3:
Video of the working unit, shot tonight, in the back yard.  First video, so forgive the relative shooting it!   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiIkeFXqRos

[acerzw]

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[Bruce_TPU]

@ All

Well, I tried out all of the transistors in my little arsenal.  I found MPS3904 (Just one needed) NPN Silicon produced the best results thus far, with another 12% time increase, now to 29 minutes 30 seconds.  This is with 8 LED's.  I had done 28 minutes before, but that had been with only two LED's.  So, progress, progress!   

I only have a couple of more things that I can try until my parts arrive next week.  Then I will be back at it.  If any of you have any ideas, please let me know.  I would like to try increasing the voltage at some point in the circuit.  If someone has a very easy way for me to do this, to try in the loop, that would be great.

Check out the video, made earlier, with six LED's!  Forgive the blank blue screen for the first 6 seconds!  LOL  Amatures!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiIkeFXqRos