Monopole Master Class DVD

[Branch Gordon]

Just finished watching the monopole master class DVD. Great stuff! Really cleared some things up for me.

Anyone have any tips on attaching the fan? I remember he says it's essential on the DVD, so that the machine does "work". I'm not super mechanically inclined...seems like I could just find a long rod with the correct diameter to go through the center of the wheel and have it stick out one side...and then attach the fan somehow..?

Just curious how everyone else is doing it...

Branch

[Woody]

Hi Branch. Personally, I think the easiest way to put a mechanical load on the wheel is to use a small generator coil adjacent to the wheel. It would take a lot less work than extending the axle and attaching a fan, and you can use the electricity for something like lighting LEDs. The outcome is the same. You get a mechanical load on the wheel, and some useful output.

-Woody

[knagtegl]

Can anyone tell me why it is so important to have a free spin time of over 5 minutes and as low friction as possible and at the same time you should have a load for a better perfomance?

This seems a contadiction or am I missing something

By the way, is the mass of the wheel of any importance?

-Karel

[Robert Darrah]

Hi Karel,

I think "better performance" refers to your system cop. If you put a load that is doing work on the ssg and calculate how much work it did, you can factor that in to your system cop and the cop will go up. A short spin time is also a load of sorts, but you can't factor it in as work performed.

A short spin time means you just have more losses in the system, which is just wasted energy and only lowers your cop. A longer spin time means you'll need less power from the primary to spin the wheel and you'll get more radiant spikes per unit of input power, so your efficiency is better.

Also, from what I understand there is a nonlinear relationship that occurs when you add a mechanical load like a fan. It may only need a little extra power to turn the load, so that the work you're getting from the mechanical load (fan) is more than the little extra power it took to run it, which when you factor it in will increase your cop.

I don't know that much about the mass, but on a bipolar circuit motor I tried triple stacking the magnets just to see what would happen, and it only ran around 75 rpms. So if your mass is too great it won't run as fast. You'll get fewer radiant spikes and it will take more power to turn the rotor to get those fewer spikes, so your efficiency goes down.

I don't know how you calculate what the optimal mass would be... it might be useful if some of the more experienced folks could talk more about that.

Cheers,

Robert

[Tom C]

Just finished watching the monopole master class DVD. Great stuff! Really cleared some things up for me.

Anyone have any tips on attaching the fan? I remember he says it's essential on the DVD, so that the machine does "work". I'm not super mechanically inclined...seems like I could just find a long rod with the correct diameter to go through the center of the wheel and have it stick out one side...and then attach the fan somehow..?

Just curious how everyone else is doing it...

Branch

Branch, I do not have the complete answer, but I have noticed this, a slight "load" that is not a result of friction losses (which produce heat and wear and other bad mechanical things) is not the same as a load that is from other sources, I.E. resistance to wind. the fan adds flywheel effect, helps to smooth rotation, does a bit of work itself. it helps the circuit not run away, helps keep current draw down and helps smooth the timing a bit.

my 1/2 cent..........
Tom C

[Branch Gordon]

Right on man...makes sense. Thank you! I'll probably figure out how to add a load later once I get things dialed in.

Branch, I do not have the complete answer, but I have noticed this, a slight "load" that is not a result of friction losses (which produce heat and wear and other bad mechanical things) is not the same as a load that is from other sources, I.E. resistance to wind. the fan adds flywheel effect, helps to smooth rotation, does a bit of work itself. it helps the circuit not run away, helps keep current draw down and helps smooth the timing a bit.

my 1/2 cent..........
Tom C