Mike's Gravity Wheel Project.

[Michelinho]

Michel,

You do really nice work. Unfortunately, I predict it will not work. If you apply the "Center of Mass" analysis that I explained in Post #510 (on page 17) of The Mechanical Engine thread, you will understand why.

I have built designs like this before.

Peter

Thanks Peter, I'll check it out.

Take care,

Michel

[Michelinho]

Standing on its own.

Hi everyone,

Today I made the stand for the gravity wheel and assembled the unit for a quick check on how it would look. I still have to clean up the RTV, cut the front smoked Plexiglas and glue it on. Then I have to balance the disk and throw in the marbles for testing before ordering the steel ball bearings.

As always, a few pictures of the unit assembled. it does look nice standing on my work table.

Take care,

Michel

[Peter Lindemann]

Beautiful Work!

Hi everyone,

Today I made the stand for the gravity wheel and assembled the unit for a quick check on how it would look. I still have to clean up the RTV, cut the front smoked Plexiglas and glue it on. Then I have to balance the disk and throw in the marbles for testing before ordering the steel ball bearings.

As always, a few pictures of the unit assembled. it does look nice standing on my work table.

Take care,

Michel

Michel,

Your model is beautiful. You do excellent work.

Peter

[Stealth]

That is a nice looking setup. When do you propose to test it? I have been watching it, but not posted any more on it because I have been designing a gravity wheel of my own. Good Luck. Stealth

[Michelinho]

Thanks Peter and Stealth.

It should be done by Monday night and I'll test it soon after if I find the box of marbles.

Take care,

Michel

[Michelinho]

Preliminary tests.

Hi Stealth,

I did preliminary tests on the wheel after balancing it. I needed 10 small office nylon covered paper clips to get a near perfect balance.

I then placed one nylon covered paper clip at the 0 degree mark and the wheel moved 30 degrees down, so to the 330 degree mark in the forth quadrant.

I placed 2 nylon paper clips at the 0 degree mark and the wheel drop to pass bottom to about the 232.5 degree mark in the third quadrant, so a move of 127.5 degrees. The wheel then came back to set at the 270 degree mark after a few swings.

I did wash out the grease from the 2 ball bearings and re lubed with SAE 10 light oil. The drag is pretty low, I did not have PTFE lube in stock.

Pretty good results so far. I will do more tests when the front facing is applied and the wheel unit gets its final balancing but I expect similar results.

Take care,

Michel

P.S.: The paper clips are 1 1/8" X 1/4". The wheel is divided in 24 section of 15 degrees each, it easy to see how many degrees it moves.

[Michelinho]

Last update before the final testing.

Hi everyone,

The gravity wheel is all done. The front smoked Plexiglas is on, glued with silicone RTV and it was balanced with the same stuff, it just needed two globs about the size of my small finger tip.

I also found my box of marbles but apparently the grand children had fun with them and there was only 22 left and I need 24. BUMMER I'll have to go get some at the dollar store tomorrow.

That was a fun project. The next one will be my version of the windbelt.

Cheers!

Take care,

Michel

[Michelinho]

Conclusion of the Gravity wheel project.

Hi everyone,

Today I bought a bag of glass marbles and did many tests;

One marble every three slots.
One marble every two slots.
One marble in each slot.
Two marbles in each slot.
Three marbles in each slots.

Conclusion: it does not work.


I hope this helps someone. See you in the next project starting soon: Mike's windbelt version.

One good thing though, I am now officially an independent researcher for my friend's company and he will be able to pay all my future hardware needs. So far he supplied me with an oscilloscope, optical tachometer, magnet wire and more to come.

Take care all,

Michel

[Cloxxki]

We know nothing uptil you've done some 1000rpm rundown comparison tests :-)

I'm fairly sure that if such a wheel will ever be made to work, the neatly consistant radial spacing will be a big no-no. Too much symmetry.
Very neat wheel, though. I want one :-)

[Freezer]

Nice construction. I would suggest added magnets into the equation. You can use the magnets to shift the weight, although I think you have to make the transition very smoothly. I also think you should use large weights instead of marbles. Anyways good attempt, and keep the ideas flowing, anything is possible with persistence.

[Stealth]

Mike, I liked your concept. I built one similar many years ago and tried everything to make it self running. I was not defeated, and neither are you. Just a mild setback. The only way to know for sure if an idea or theory works is to test it. That's what science is or should be all about. There are many things we don't have the answers to and neither do the scientists. Better luck next time. Good Luck. Stealth

[Michelinho]

Not defeated, just a set back.

Thanks everyone.

I will put it where I can see it for now and see if any new ideas come up either for that model or a derivative. I will recheck the balancing because the RTV loses a little weight when setting, try to lower drag still more but I'll work on something else and re visit the concept after a while.

Thanks again for the kind words through out the work.

As they say, life must go on and I have the windbelt to work on and the second motor/generator to build after the testing is done on the first unit.

Take care all,

Michel

[Stealth]

Mike, I do think that a falling ball or rolling ball gravity motor is feasible. I have an idea on how to build one, but right now I have too many other projects going on to even attempt it. If you want I will post my idea, if you want or have the time to build it. It is not a simple design to build, but I think it just might work. It would require a chain and gears to recycle the balls after they reach 170-180 degree mark. Good Luck. Stealth

[Michelinho]

Mike, I do think that a falling ball or rolling ball gravity motor is feasible. I have an idea on how to build one, but right now I have too many other projects going on to even attempt it. If you want I will post my idea, if you want or have the time to build it. It is not a simple design to build, but I think it just might work. It would require a chain and gears to recycle the balls after they reach 170-180 degree mark. Good Luck. Stealth

Hi Stealth,

I also have a lot to do but I do most of my work when I feel fine. I when to visit my mother for her birthday and the roads are pretty bad her in Qc. So I am on painkiller for a while, at least till I feel better and I don't touch power tools under that condition. I also avoid stairs...

I did a computer setup for my friend's company yesterday and now doing a data salvage operation on a hard drive that is defective. I also have to work on my Kohler Magnetstromapparat V2.0. a Sabeus magnetic motor, a power bike (exercise bike converted to pedal propelled alternator) and a windbelt alternator. I am also tinkering with a magnetic field shaping project of a self running magnetic motor. I have most of the stuff to wind a few Stubblefield cells plus I need to do a little work inside and outside the house.

Thanks for the offer but as you see I am quite busy.

Take care,

Michel

[CloudSeeder]

I'm with Stealth and Cloxxki and Peter and others too.

An imbalance in design is preferred because it keeps the wheel from becoming "satisfied", keeps it "physically unhappy", which by all that I mean the wheel must be put in a condition where it never gets where it wants to be ~ stopped and resting. They need to be designed so that they are always in a constant state of becoming. There can be no escape so the gravity wheel has to keep trying, and trying.

But that's my opinion. If someone is able to make an even-spaced symmetrical wheel that works that'll be quite an achievement... because most of us are doing odd spacing, so that one would really stand heads above everybody else.