Homopolar Generators (N-Machine) by Bruce de Palma

[PaulLowrance]

Take a look at this NdFeB magnet for only $29. It's small compared to Bruce's machine, at only 3" diameter, but definetely good enough to show a significant effect. Lets remember that Bruce was dealing with hundreds of killowatts!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Rare-Earth-Neodymium-Magnet-3-ODx1-IDx1-2-NdFeB-Ring_W0QQitemZ120505885462QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1c0eb5e316

We would need 2 of them, which comes to $58 + S&H.

[PaulLowrance]

Here are a few DC motors, and I'm sure there are much better ones. Perhaps someone knows of a company that has great deals on powerful high rpm DC motors.

Here's a GE 1 HP DC High RPM (up to 9000 rpms) Treadmill Motor for $60,

http://cgi.ebay.com/GE-1-HP-DC-High-RPM-Treadmill-Motor_W0QQitemZ290382155559QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item439c200f27


As for the metal disc, that could be found at a metal warehouse. Out here there's M&K metal. They always have scrap metal around for practically nothing. They would definitely have a disc at least 3" diameter that would cost almost nothing. Also the metal rod that would go through the magnet and disc would cost practically nothing.

Motor brushes also cost practically nothing.

[PaulLowrance]

What's that come to,

NdFeB magnets 3"OD x 2 = $30 * 2 = $60
DC Motor: say $100
Aluminum disc ~ 3"OD x 1: $3 for scrap. If we need copper, then it will be more
Aluminum rod x 1: ~~ $10
Motor Brushes x 6: $3 * 6 = $18
Balancing: Free. I've seen people here offer such work for free. Hopefully we can find someone.
===========
Total: $191 + S&H

The part I have no clue about is balancing, but I am certain someone here could offer to do that for free. Wow, for ~ $200 we could for once and for all verify the N-machine. Is anyone interested in doing this?

[PaulLowrance]

The following is a snippet of an email I just send:

Yes, good instruments is always nice. :-) But even a cheap DMM is good enough since it will be *relative* measurements. That is, so long as the DMM is linear, lol. If the DMM is say 2% off, then both the input & output will be off by 2%, so the cop calculations will be correct. Ahh there's nothing like DC measurements. :-) So that's my only tiny requirement for my involvement is to keep it all 100% DC.

The measurements may seem involved, but they're really not if you take some precautions. The important part is to keep the entire motor completely symmetrical; i.e., brushes on both sides of the motor. This will prevent changes in torquing between the control (no DC current / not-loaded) & main (DC current / loaded) measurements, which will allow us to accurately obtain the total losses for a given rpm. And that will allow us to find the cop.

[gravityblock]

A metal disc. About 4 carbon brushes. And a DC motor. It would also have to be balanced to high rpm's relative to it's size to get a lot of g forces on the outer rim. I would go for at least 3000 g's. Bruce's large N-machine had 9000 g's.

I'm just curious about why you keep saying to obtain a lot of g forces on the outer rim.  Yes, speed does increase the voltage....but the g's on the outer rim doesn't have anything to do with it. 

I'm under the impression you believe the electrons always flows from the axis to the rim.  This is not always the case.  Electrons can also flow from the rim to the axis depending on the direction of rotation and what magnetic pole the disc is rotating through.  Here is an excellent video by lumen showing how the polarity of the current can flow in the opposite direction in the HPG just by changing the direction of rotation, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSWwrvT_c8w

The voltage is the same regardless if the current is moving from the axis to the rim or from the rim to the axis.  It makes no difference and centrifugal force does not play a role in the HPG or the N-Machine.


GB