Building a self looping "SMOT"

[elecar]

Hi Conrad, the drawing indicates where I usually start the ball. The point you indicated is the top of the ramp.
The ball can be released from anywhere on the curved section leading away from the ramp and still completes a circuit. I can release the ball from a point only 2mm higher than the bottom of the ramp and the ball is still drawn up the ramp by the magnets.

Where the track junction leaves the straight section the ball is approximately 6 mm higher than the bottom of the magnetic ramp. And the ball picks up sufficient momentum on the way down the incline to carry it the start of the magnetic ramp.
One set of tests I did was to release the ball on the track at different heights without the magnets in place, I marked the test track where the ball came to rest (lowest point) I then released the ball from the different heights and it always traveled further under gravity than the entrance to the magnetic ramp. 
In summary you do not need to release the ball from the highest point even when released from the start of the curve (approx 2mm) higher than the lowest point on the track it is drawn up the ramp.

To answer your questions, there are no electronics and no mechanical devices other than those indicated.

[elecar]

Hi Conrad, please see the attached photos.

These photographs are of the test track, they are NOT of a self looping SMOT, the test track was put together to see if the idea was viable before a prototype build.
Some things to note, the track was put together from a waste aluminum shelf runner. It is very rough and if you look at how I formed the curve you will see there is a great deal of friction. That said it still worked as I had wished and is the reason I went ahead with the prototype.

I hope the pictures show the curve and the incline clear enough.

I have put a video together of the tests I carried out on the test track and I will post it later with details of the tests that were being done.

[elecar]

Please see the attached pictures which show the height from the MDF board to the bottom of the track at 4 points 0 mm, 2 mm, 6 mm and 12 mm. The second picture shows some red marks on the track. Those marks represent where the ball will roll to WITHOUT magnets in place. The 3rd mark should be ignored when watching the video as the 3rd mark was where the ball rolled to when the ramp was at a steeper angle.



When you watch the video you will see clips of 3 tests. please excuse the jerry rigged set up, that is all the C8 magnets I have left after building my prototype. I would have preferred to show test 3 on a longer length of ramp, but I do not have enough spare magnets and I do not have a longer piece of aluminum track as I butchered it all for the track. Test 3 does however show how the ball can reverse under gravity in the magnetic field.

Test 1:  The ball being released from different positions on the track  2mm - 6mm higher than the lowest point. Note how the ball always makes it to the first 2 marks when rolling under gravity regardless of where it is released from even when traveling around "friction" bend.

Test 2: Magnets in place, this test is the same as test one but with the magnets positioned to draw the ball up the ramp. Note how it makes it all the way to the "hole" no matter where the ball is released from on the same section of track as shown in test 1 Also note the ball ends higher than it starts every time.

Test 3: Magnets in place but positioned to prevent the ball making it to the hole, Note the ball loses its forward momentum and reverses under gravity whilst in the magnetic field. It does this from any position as in test 1 and test 2.

[elecar]

This video will self destruct in 24 hours 



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--3rugO_RMg&feature=youtu.be

[elecar]

Where the energy comes from:

In the attached drawing I have indicated how the steel ball consumes energy.

By a "run" I mean: ball runs down the linear start incline, goes around the loop and remounts the linear start incline.

For the 1. run the ball is released at the top (the start of the linear incline, see arrow "1. run"). When the ball comes back from the loop it mounts a little less (as indicated by the arrow "2. run").

After the second run it mounts even less (as indicated by the arrow "3. run").

In practice the ball might only loose 0.5 mm or 0.1 mm at every run, but eventually it will have lost all the energy induced by having it start at the highest point of the linear incline.

The run time will be fairly long in case the steel ball runs very slowly.


And now a question: is there some electronics or mechanical contraption (e.g. descending weight) at the highest point of the linear incline which pulls the steel ball up a little bit when it comes back from a run?

Praise: It is a good idea to break the loop in a SMOT.

Greetings, Conrad

Hi Conrad, I hope the video shows that  the loss you claim does not occur, regardless of the release position of the ball it always travels the same distance in the magnetic field.