Gravity Motor Patent 7/10/08

[CLaNZeR]

I am not so sure that the magnetic field increases with speed.  I think it is the centrifugal force that is causing the bounce.  The faster you spin, the more centrifugal force is acting on the switch magnets tending to throw them to the rim of the wheel.  Going slow you have only the repulsive force of the stator magnet (on top, 12 o-clock position).  When you add rotational speed you add centrifigul force.  So now you have the repulsive force of stator + centrifigul force.  The added centrifugal force is causing the switch magnets to shoot too high and bounce back off the sends.  That is what makes the "magnetic latch" version so hard to set up.  It really needs to be tuned for a specific RPM.  It was this realization that caused me to switch to the more forgiving (but possibly less efficient) mechanical latches.  A mechanical latch system can be tuned and will work at any RPM below where centrifugal force does not allow the bottom (6 o-clock) stator to fire switches all the way to the latch.

Hi Mondrasek

I think the mechanical latch may be the next try as I just popped out and added a bottom stator, Rotated it slowly 180 degrees to get all the tubes in the right firing positions as such, then let it go.
It was obvious I needed to give it a hand to start it going, but just that little speed increase got it out of sync again grrrrr

Tuning it using steel to hold the magnets where they are meant to be, is going to be a tricky thing and maybe back to the original mechanical latches is the way to go.

Cheers

Sean.

[nightlife]

I would think that the centrifugal force would keep the magnets forced to the outside and no attraction would be needed. I would also think the repelling magnets would have to be used from just after 6 and stopped just before 9. his would create a upward push as well as it would create the push back that is needed. The centrifugal force would then throw the magnets back to the outside which would again create a upward push.

[mondrasek]

Hi Mondrasek

I think the mechanical latch may be the next try as I just popped out and added a bottom stator, Rotated it slowly 180 degrees to get all the tubes in the right firing positions as such, then let it go.
It was obvious I needed to give it a hand to start it going, but just that little speed increase got it out of sync again grrrrr

Tuning it using steel to hold the magnets where they are meant to be, is going to be a tricky thing and maybe back to the original mechanical latches is the way to go.

Cheers

Sean.

Sean,

Mechanical latches solve alot of build problems, and maybe they can be made to work with less losses than magnetic latches. 

You have now witnessed one of the problems with magnetic latches.  An easy fix is to put more iron at the end so the magnets grab with more attractive force.  But that decreases the stator firing force (I believe) due to the attraction of the switch magnets needing to be overcome, and possibly shielding of both repulsive magnetic fields.  The other problems:  The stator is also attracted to the iron and slows the wheel, and the stator creates eddy currents (and resultant negative torque mag fields) in the iron, again reducing speed of the wheel.  TK's build nullified some of these issues using JK's continuous wire as the magnetic latch (very nice, simple solution JK).

I couldn't imagine trying to figure out the most efficient magnetic latch design in the lab (garage).  I think mechanical latches at each end would be much easier to tune for a max RPM.  Only downsides are the extra work, needing to minimize the firing switch magnet losses due to the latches, and trying to latch them exactly at the ends of the tubes since any less travel decreases the imbalance.

M.

[Harvey]

Hmmm, perhaps a stationary steel ring around the outside edge that ends prior to the BDC, and around the inside edge that ends prior to the TDC. Of course the attractive nature of it would add negative torque on the exit but this should be balanced by positive torque on the entrance. (if it were not balanced then it would be a viable source of magnetic imbalance that could exploited). It is only needed between  12:00 and 3:00 for the exterior and between 6:00 and 9:00 for the interior.

Just a thought.

And while were thinking, here is an incomplete Offset Roller GWD. I have purposely left out an important aspect because I am interested in how other perceive the design. Some will add the aspect properly and others will not and I am interested the preconceptions involved and the populace distribution (numerically) within the ranges.



What are your thoughts regarding the design?
Is there a difference between magnetically moving a weight vs. mechanically?
Do those difference impact the operation of the Gravity Wheel?
When you first saw the design, what dimensions did you give it in your mind? Why do you think that is?

It is my belief that we hamper our creativity by preconceptions and illusions. Has this image changed either for you?

Cheers,

Harvey

[Harvey]

More to ponder:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y7GzaFoAe8&NR=1