Dia. Mag. Alternator

[z.monkey]

OK, so we go and take the whole thing apart, again, so that we can make some more holes...

My sheet metal workin' skills are improving.  I am going to get a real center punch and a sheet metal nibbler today.  I was using a nail and a hammer to make my pilot punches, but have found that the accuracy of a random nail is not very good.  Also the nail get flattened after a few punches.  So gonna get some new tools for accuracies sake...

[z.monkey]

I'm gonna use a single tie wrap to secure the coil for now, just testing.  I modified my Lamp Load Pedestal to accept the Dia. Mag. Alternator.  Then put the DMA back together and mounted it on the Lamp Load Pedestal.  I attach my Drill to the input shaft to provide power to the DMA.  The initial test gave a little over 1 Volt AC loaded with a 10 watt bulb.  Not very much voltage, but good for the initial test...

[z.monkey]

After thinking about the performance for a day or so I think that the symmetry of the pinch coils is wrong.  Also I am starting to think we need a ferrous slug as a core on the pinch coil.  e2matrix suggested that the aluminum may be impeding the magnetic performance, so maybe it is time to pick a better core material.  The magnets are rollers, so the symmetry of the coil should be more rectangular.  By adding a ferrous material in the core I am going to need a better way to mount the coil, a tie wrap isn't going to do it.  Of course this means I am going to need to build new mounting plates.  Hopefully with a new Center Punch and a Nibbler I can get better looking more precise mounting plates...

Off to the hardware store...

[z.monkey]

Yesterday I did some brainstorming and I think the symmetry of the
coil is wrong, it should be a long, thin rectangle.  Then also I think I
need a ferrous core, like soft iron, which will make a focal point for
the magnetic forces in the coil.  But the biggest revelation, which came
at the extreme exertion I suffered today, is the "auto-motoring" magnet
is canceling the electric field.  This is why were only getting a punky
signal out of that Mutha-Forker...  Think about how a real alternator
works.  Then think of the commutator in there being replaced by a
Diametrically Magnetized Thick Ring Magnet (DMTRM) LOL!...

So, what I am trying to do now is take a single magnet, an put a field
coil next to it.  Then add another 180 degrees opposite.  Then if I get
the expected results, a 2 phase alternator, then I can add another 2
field coils offset 90 degrees from the first.  This way it's a 4 phase
alternator.  There is the sine and arcsine pair, then there is the cosine
and arccosine pair...


I'm One Upping Tesla...
His is only three phase...

90 Degree AC Phases, LMFAO!  BAM!

[z.monkey]

My "revelation" under duress didn't pan out.  The "auto-motoring" magnet is helping.  I took the "auto-motoring" magnet off the DMA assembly and the voltage was half of when both magnets are there.  So, this means that its the symmetry of the Pinch Coil which is the problem.  The DMA produced 0.34 Volts AC when the "auto-motoring" magnet is removed.  Then I put the "auto-motoring" magnet back in the DMA assembly and the Voltage jumped up to 0.67 Volts AC.  The peak I measured a few days ago was a little over 1 Volt AC.  NIB Magnets have an initial break in period when they are first put in use, and this is what the drop in voltage might be.  When the NIB Magnets are first put under regular stress they will loose a fraction of their strength, and I am assuming that this is the reason the voltage went down after some testing.  They should be stabilized now...

I'm drawing a new mounting plate now.  There will be cutouts in the plate to accommodate the field coils, and hold them rigidly with the plate providing the critical clearances between the magnets and the field coils.  This way the field coils can be changed without having to take apart the magnet assembly.  The new field coils are in design also.  I got some 3/16" square steel stock.  So the new cores will be 3/16" square by about 3/4" long.  Same 1/32" plastic sides as on the first two coils.  I may change the thickness of the core material depending on machining requirements.  Then I'll have to make some sort of freaky, weird, magnetic jig to wind them because I don't have a hole for an axle on this one...