I have no idea if this will work as I haven't tried to build it yet but it seems to solve the problem of the lifting at the top and bottom of a wheel. The magnets in the tubes all have the "n" end facing inward and the green magnets either push them to the outside or pull them to the inside. I think if the small magnets weighed about 1 oz a piece there would be about 11 ounces on the right side pulling down. That should allow it to turn like a Minto wheel although not very fast due to friction of the sliding magnets and the tubes.
Lee B
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Very good idea except I would use repelling magnets to control the position of the sliding magnets in the tube....friction is the problem though.
I have been told that before too. It might work better that way (or work at all, I don't know yet) I as just trying to keep everything sysmetrical in the design
Lee
Fleebell,
Two questions; 1. Why be symmetrical. Symmetry leads to deadlocks. 2. Why not try using ferrofluids instead of sliding magnets.
Instead of magnets on the outer parts, use tubes 1/2 full of ferrofluid. You would only need a magnet on one side to attract them in (broken symmetry). Gravity will pull it out for you, or you could mount one of your big magnets on the outside of the wheel for the upstroke. You also might want to mount that single curved inner magnet on an angle so that the flux between the fluid varies at different points along the downstroke. (more broken symmetry)
Hmmm Ok
question 1, It doesn't really have to be symmetrical. That's more a tendency on my part when I draw/design something out. The magnet on the left could be on the outside and use repulsion instead of attraction like the other one dies. (It would probably work batter that way too). It would have to be a bit bigger then though. Using ferro fluid they would have to be on the inner left and outer right I think. Also remember the magnets are not making it rotate but just shifting the weight difference itself from one side to the other of the axle. The magnets should not be so close together that the fields can lock up either, so reaching the bottom and top should have little to no effect other than the small magnets moving to the opposite ends of their tubes. The external and tube magnets only need to be close enough for the fields to push or pull them into place.
question 2, I guess you could do it that way, but gravity will not do it for you all the way around. As far as I can tell it would still need magnets on the each side especially at slow speed even with the ferrofluid . I was trying to get around using gravity itself with any of the tube magnet movements and that would still apply with ferrofluid I think. I think if the outer ring was made from plastic with holes drilled for the tube magnets and using graphite powder for lubrication they would be slide back and forth pretty easily and really shouldn't have all that much friction to to deal with. I know that works really well in the bobble generators I made and they work by moving sliding magnets too.
If the design works at all, I think it would probably work faster with the tube magnets than with the ferro fluid but it would still only put out the weight difference in power output. Somewhere around 11oz for this small model I think. I doubt it would go very fast either way but it could be made bigger if needed. It should be capable of at least 120 rpm though if it will work. I still need to try building it and that is going to be a while yet as I have far too many other projects going already to finish.
You've got me thinking on some new ideas for my last failed project. I think you'll see Resistance problems in the sliding magnets that you won't have with ferrofluid and you will also have sticky points top and bottom. at the points where you transition from a pull magnet interaction into a push magnet interaction. Having an outside attraction on the downside and an inside attraction on the upside will enable you to have a smooth transition.
I wish you success if and when you try to build it.