Bedini & The Lockridge Device

[wantomake]

Usually generators have an even number of bars and starters uneven number of bars. The bushes would need to be pretty thin to match one segment. I have worked wirh those golf cart starter generators before. The brush holder assembly is a pain to try reposition the brushes. Unless you can fix it to be able to turn on the case. Thew brushes as they come from the factory are in the wrong place.At least that what i found out.

Yes, you are correct. It’s a starter generator for a golf cart but I want to use it as a motor generator.
That was the whole reason I took out the starter coils to replace them with motor coils so it would have a motor function.

[wantomake]

You have much more experience and knowledge of the car 12 volt generators. Which one/type did you have most success with?

I need to start with a complete generator since I can’t find all the parts for this Hitachi starter/generator here in my shop. It frustrates me but no choice. Looking on eBay and Amazon now.

[Hiwater]

Wantomake-----Whats the difference between starter coils and motor coils.

[wantomake]

Starter coils are thick flat large wire that allow high amps through. Motor coils are thin wires that allow less amps to flow through.

Starters need high amps to operate but motors don’t. As far as I know.

[bistander]

Starter coils are thick flat large wire that allow high amps through. Motor coils are thin wires that allow less amps to flow through.

Starters need high amps to operate but motors don’t. As far as I know.

Hi guys,
In the industry, the "starter" is called a cranking motor. It replaced the hand crank needed to start the first versions of internal combustion engines, hence the name cranking. Starting the engine required more than just cranking, so actually it is wrong to call it a starter.

An electric motor is a device which converts electrical input power into mechanical output power. Cranking motors must deliver high torque even at very low or zero speed. This requires high current and a very strong magnetic field, accomplished by using thick copper ribbon of few turns on the field coils, in series with the armature (a series wound DC motor). Such motors are typically intermittent duty.

Continuous duty DC motors and generators are more likely to have field coils consisting of many turns of thinner round copper with connected across the armature (shunt wound DC motor). The motor (or generator) then operates at rated current and unsaturated delivering efficient power conversion at moderate speed.
One can combine series and shunt coils in a single machine called a compound motor which has characteristics of both high low speed torque and efficient high speed conversion. Also, combined machines called starter generators (I know, should be cranking generator) will use series coils for cranking and shunt coils for generating.

There are numerous on-line tutorial articles and literature on the subject. Search for some terms which I've used. Good luck.
bi

[Hiwater]

Thanks wantomake I have tried the thinner wire like you said. Theres too much resistance to make much of a magnetic feild in series. you need to put power in on one of the main brushes to make it motorise. In fact you dont need any coils on the pole shoes at all for it to rotate by powering one of the brushes. One side spins cw and the other ccw.

[Hiwater]

Bistander, Thanks for the detailed explanation on the motor coils. Helps me understand this device a little better. I have a few of the cub cadet GM starter-generators. Thers one main starting coil and one generator coil. The gen coil is connected across the armature when the circuit is completed with a load on the gen side. Something to think about. Thanks.

[wantomake]

HiWater,
I have a Hitachi starter/generator for golf carts or club cab. It has two ribbon starter coils and two regular thin awg wire coils with all four connected in series. If I remember correctly.

I tried to replicate exactly as John Bedini’s video showed the one he got from his friend. But didn’t understand much at that time about motors, generators or starters as they are meant to operate. So I will start simple with just the motor turning first which will be coupled to the flywheel setup. But my flywheel may be too small in weight.

After that I will try to build the other parts of the Lockridge device. The trifilar coil, the energy storage or capacitor, then probably a voltage regulator to keep the capacitor bank charged up. The trifilar coil acts as a transformer to either buck down for higher amps or boost up voltage for operating charge.

But the flywheel is, in my opinion, very important to keep the momentum of the motor/generator spinning to produce energy or just motoring as the load and unit is powered by the capacitor.

I know the switching by the regulator is going to be hard to figure out. I’ve never got past the motoring part of this project because of resources and knowledge on my part.

Now understand me, if all the above is totally wrong and very moronic, then that’s my learning time and experiential knowledge gained. I’ve hurt nobody or lost anything.

[Hiwater]

Wantomake.-----I agree im still working on different parts of it also Sometimes one step forward and 2 back . Changing one perimeter changes the others. This is a very touchy machine.

[wantomake]

Wantomake.-----I agree im still working on different parts of it also Sometimes one step forward and 2 back . Changing one perimeter changes the others. This is a very touchy machine.

What generator or machine are you using? I just ordered another Hitachi starter/generator from Amazon and two pillow block mounted ball bearings to hold the flywheel unit.

I couldn’t get my old one back together as the coils were a problem. And the end plate was missing a part of the bearing holder.

[Hiwater]

I am using a long case 12 volt GM genetator case. Everything in side has been replaced.Brushes taken out and slots cut to move the brushes for testing. Same with the pole shoes . They need to be in the proper position.

[Hiwater]

The armature is the same. The starter-Gens from the cadets have only 7 comm bars withe wide brushes where the stock GM gens have 28 bars. The S/G have lower high end rpm, where the stock run about 2900 rpm . Full out put is taken at 5000 rpm according to GM test data.

[wantomake]

Back then I was building, I think ,was a 1950’s something Ford generator with the medium case. Same on the slots cut and (4) movable brushes. The rotor was what came in it. I put three sometimes four coils in the case. I spent more time building then learning how it worked.

I think but not sure that the switching is going to be the hold up. I’ve already posted that that 35 foot capacitor will not be part of my build. But looking at the price for a large bank of super capacitors may equal that amount of copper.

I attempted without success to replicate a large aluminum foil with wax paper capacitor. It fit inside a spool that was made of plexiglass and fit around the case of the generator. My wax paper wasn’t thick enough and it shorted out as I tested it. But what a pain in the butt to wrap and keep straight the wax paper and two separate sheets of aluminum foil 25 foot rolls. I left 1 inch on the sides to avoid the two sheets from shorting out. But my wax paper was too thin.

I worked on that project for many months as you can understand. Maybe two years. Don’t remember exactly.

I tried wrapping the trifilar coil around the capacitor and tested it. Then removed the coil and capacitor to wrap the coil first (like JB video shows) and wrapped the capacitor on top. I did this to test if the capacitor and coil would affect each other voltage wise. But my capacitor was a failure.

Sorry to ramble on.

[Hiwater]

I see you have earned your stripes. The butcher paper was probably heavier. maybe could use 2 sheets of wax paper. Or get some from a capacitor company. Happy to see your interested in working on this device again. two heads are better than one.

[wantomake]

Yes, and not done yet. Hopefully this project can be finished. I put much resources and time into this.