The information you wanted

[BillWhedon]

Over the past few days I've been working on my #3 prototype, wondering why I couldn't get the desired power out of it. So here, I will tell you all how the thing works, and ask smarter people than I to let me know what's wrong.

The flywheel consists of 10 X 40-lb NdFeBo magnets captured inside acetal "pods" held in place with nylon ties and hot glue. All S poles are to the circumference at 90 degrees to the radii. The actual holding is done by the nylon ties, as the hot glue is just to provide a "bed" because it really doesn't stick to acetal (but then, what does! )
The flywheel composition is 1/2" thick HDPE with a couple of fender washers to act as guides for a 3/8" stainless shaft mounted in precision bearings. It spins readily.

The "secret" of making the thing turn by itself is really pretty simple. I have a sliding carrier "piston" in a rectangular "cylinder", having a single 3.6@ magnet fastened south pole "out" and another 2 similar magnets one with N out, the other about a 1/2" away with S out.

Simply rotating the flywheel causes the "piston" to travel in and out of the "cyinder" by passage of the flywheel magnets, first pushing in, then out. The magnet on the end nearest the flywheel gives a shove to the flywheel when the "piston" travels in, then moves away from the flywheel when it travels out, thus getting it away from lock conditions. I guess it'll run pretty much forever, for what it's worth, which isn't much... It's almost as useful as a Crookes Radiometer for supplying external power, at the moment.

My problem arises due to the fact that the magnet strengths are mismatched between the "piston" magnet and those on the flywheel. No real force is developed other than the durn flywheel spinning prettily. You could maybe run a small cooling fan that way, but no serious power requirement can be met.

I've tried replacing the "piston" magnet with heavier units, but then the problem becomes one of lock again due to the influence on the other end, the 2 magnets that do the toggling in-out movement.

I don't have a decent video or I'd put it up, but I'll be happy to put together some reasonable drawings if someone is willing to look them over.

TIA,
Bill Whedon