STEORN DEMO LIVE & STREAM in Dublin, December 15th, 10 AM

[synchro1]

@Mondrasek

                Look at the similarity between Tesla's patent for his bifilar pancake coil and the arrangement for the suppression of the B field in the Toroid. The current goes in two different directions at the same time with the doubled over wrap. I suggested this for the Ossie spiral wire winding where both ends of the wire wrap emerge from the same end of the wire spiral, and are folded over in the center. Looks like Tesla was on to this Interesting effect.

[gravityblock]

I have already stated the core material is not the magnetic recording tape (I got a little excited when I first posted this information), but the magnetic recording tape has the effect that the Orbo is based on. 

Below is a picture taken from the SKDB learning presentation.  I circled it in red where it says "M-H Curves and Magnetic Domains".

Listen to the last 15 seconds of this video where Sean says "It's not an engineering problem, but a problem with tape drives", which means they re-engineered the tape drives so there are no problems, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqoZWaK4AtY

For anyone interested in learning what the effect of the Orbo is based on, then read all of the subsections on this page, http://www.tonmeister.ca/main/textbook/node417.html  It even talks about the unknown effect.

The theory is simple, you take the linear portions of the M-H Curve for the core material being used and apply a DC offset (bias) so that the magnetic field from the dual magnets sit on the linear portion of the M-H Curve of the core material during their departure.  When the dual magnets sit on this linear portion due to the DC pulse, it is not attracted to the core material and is allowed to pass.  I don't think it has much to do with the B-H curve, permeability or saturation of the core.  The core material does not need to be the magnetic recording tape.  There are much better materials for this, but you will need to know if the core material has a linear portion where the magnetic field from the dual magnets can sit on when the pulse is applied to the coil.

GB

[0c]

On Core Materials:

Permeability is only one of the factors that should be considered when selecting core materials. Permeability is a material's affinity for magnetic flux. A higher permeability will result in more attraction under certain conditions. As the flux density of the core changes, so does the relative permeability. As the core becomes magnetized near the knee of the BH curve, permeability will be at its maximum. Any increase in magnetization beyond that point will cause the permeability to rapidly decline to almost negligible levels, thus reducing magnetic attraction from that point onwards.

For maximum force of attraction, a material should be selected which also has a high saturation flux density (Bsat). This allows the permeability to stay at a high level for greater increases in magnetization (as the rotor magnet approaches the core), and allows more torque to be applied to the rotor at close distances. This also has a negative influence when the magnet is moving away from the core, and may require a higher level of saturation as the magnet departs.

The downward slope of the relative permeability vs. Bsat curve should be steep in order to minimize the input power required to more fully saturate the core and reduce the negative torque as the magnet moves away from the core.

When working with magnetic fields with the same orientation and DC currents that always apply the same current polarity to the coils, a high remanence material (square loop) is desirable to reduce the input power requirements to saturate the core. The core will retain a certain level of magnetization when the coil is deenergized and will require less input power to saturate on subsequent pulses. In order to make efficient use of this remanent magnetic bias, coercive reverse currents must be avoided (a low loss flyback diode MUST be used).

If you are using an alternating magnetic field polarity or AC coil currents, you should avoid square loop materials. Try materials that have a remanence near zero.

Based on statements from Steorn and experiments by Naudin, magnetic viscosity may also be a factor. I've had difficulty finding data about magnetic viscosity for common core materials.

Based in the info above, materials like Finemet, Supermendur, Vitrovac, or even hard steel (electric fence wire) might be better than Metglas, where permeability will fall at a much lower level of magnetizing field.

0c

[PaulLowrance]

Listen to the last 15 seconds of this video where Sean says "It's not an engineering problem, but a problem with tape drives", which means they re-engineered the tape drives so there are no problems, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqoZWaK4AtY

That's good find as to the *origin & history* of the Steorn effect. Anyhow, he says it's a problem with tape drives. One important note that may or may not help, is that Sean says "tape drive," not "magnetic recording tape."  I used to work for a magnetic head company, and tape drives contain magnetic heads, which have magnetic cores. Don't you think Sean is referring to the tape drive, and not the magnetic recording tape?

[PaulLowrance]

Higher Bsat toroid cores require more energy to sufficiently saturate enough to appreciably decrease the force between magnet and toroid.  So far I've seen no experiments that would indicate higher Bsat is better. Maybe it is. Maybe it is not. One thing is for certain, and that if the magnet is too close to the core, then it requires too much current. Remember, twice the current equates to four times as much power, which results in four times as much energy.  That is why the Steorn magnets do not move right next to the core.

My "tiny orbo replication 1" at one point was like a dremel drill, where the magnets went as close as possible to core, but it took over 10 amps to get it run. Sure, it had a lot of torque and power, but terribly inefficient.