Homopolar Generators (N-Machine) by Bruce de Palma

[Magluvin]

Hey Electric Pirate

I do believe that the fields of the rotating disk mag is stationary as it rotates. Ive done tests with a large, very sensitive coil(5kohm 42awg wire) with a magnet attached to the coil, off center, and movement of the coil/mag through the air does not light an led, but moving the mag with the coil sitting fixed, the led lights with slow movements.  So, I have seen some out there using a bunch of small magnets to replace the solid disk magnet in a traditional homopolar setup. In those cases, the fields are not stationary. 

So in my pic 1, Im thinking that the current flowing through the mag, 90deg of the magnets pole alignment, moves the field within the mag, causing the mag material to want to move with the field.

Mags

[TinselKoala]

Ah...OK, I think I see it now. The magnet on the foil isn't rotating like a homopolar  motor, it's trying to slide, like a railgun armature, and the sliding friction makes it rotate. I think.

So if you had, say, a brass tube that would be a good fit for the OD of the magnet, or even better just a long skinny cylinder magnet polled endwise, and you set it onto a pair of rails and then supplied current to the rails, it would scoot down the rails and also roll. Maybe.

[keithturtle]

Happy new year Chet, and all.   

Mags

Happy new year to everyone, and especially to those determined to unravel this mysterious Faraday disk potential
Turtle, slow but still at it

[Magluvin]

Ah...OK, I think I see it now. The magnet on the foil isn't rotating like a homopolar  motor, it's trying to slide, like a railgun armature, and the sliding friction makes it rotate. I think.

So if you had, say, a brass tube that would be a good fit for the OD of the magnet, or even better just a long skinny cylinder magnet polled endwise, and you set it onto a pair of rails and then supplied current to the rails, it would scoot down the rails and also roll. Maybe.

Not sure yet on the first part above, but been thinking it till I find out. There could be more complexity to it all. But initial feelings from the experiments on the foil lead me to that possibility so far, from my experiences, so far.

Well, not on rails.  just connect the battery to the magnet, and the battery just goes along for the ride. Depending on the magnets orientation when the current is applied. I have some 1/2 x 1/8 x 1/16 bar neos. The 1/8 x 1/16 ends can be where the connections are made. Heck, Im already conjuring up configs with the lil bar mags stacked in series, yada yada yada.  But tests first.  Just got to the shop a bit ago. Cant upload pics n vids from here. Will do later at home.

Mags

[Magluvin]

The first pic below is of the magnet set up like a homopolar motor, as TK presented a vid of that in a recent post here.

The second pic is of the pendulum test and the magnet didnt move when I applied current to the wires on the pivot axle.

Got a YT vid loading of the mag on the foil. Will post the link when its done.

Mags