My invention

djf

[Old Professer]

What will you do about the inherent imbalance of the rotating mass?

How are spring harmonics damped?

This doesn’t look all that feasible.

[Jotmo]

You put current through the coils, that makes magnetism, which pulls on a permanent magnet, which causes rotation.

Not all electric motors have magnets, but they all work using coils and magnetic fields.

So in this case, how is the electric field applied to the rotor? And why would you need pistons to do that?

Not expecting you to answer that, just wondering.

[incredulous joe]

I remember the original post.

I'm not an engineer. Heck, I'm not even handy, but I have assisted some very smart folks (including one fellow who developed VoiP manaagement software that was eventually purchased by Cisco Systems ~ ka-ching!) in getting their products and services to market.

I think that you need some kind of prototype before you can really get folks interested in such an idea. Even something very crude would be quite impressive.

Could you imagine sitting down with potential investors and putting a rough model on the conference table and letting the rotor spin for the length of a meeting? I think that would really sell your idea. Of course, if your model fails in front of the investor you are screwed.

Presentation isn't everything, but I think it counts for a lot. Inferior concepts can actually kill better products on the open market if they have a better pitch.

I live in Frederick, MD, and because it is a technically robust area they have what is called a "technology incubator" (fitci.org). This is essentially an organization that will help people and companies develop and get their stuff to investors, over the hurdles and into the market. There is also assistance through a state group called SBDC and TEDCO. Essentially, these are state agencies that help individuals develop technology, which in turn generates state jobs and revenue.

Ideologically, I'm a Constitutional kind of guy, so all of the state agency assistance smacks of something that doesn't necessarily agree with my worldview , but in the end the companies that benefit from these agencies usually become successful and pay back into the system. The state helps to find private investors to risk for these ideas, so it seems like a win/win to me.

Don't know if that helps, but thought I'd throw it out there as it is a little different feedback than from sliderule community. Best of luck.

[ovrtaxt]

Makes a heck of a flywheel too. Get that baby spinning, disengage it to slow or stop, and you can use the kinetic energy to accelerate again with little fuel.

[ovrtaxt]

The spring compresses when the piston is pushed down, then the spring’s stored energy acts against the rotor, causing it to turn- as long as compression is maintained long enough.

[Fichori]

I would speculate that the magnetism pulls the rotor around much in the same fashion that expanding gases or air would push it around.

I'm afraid I'll have to see better drawings before I even start to understand it.

Here's something I can understand...
(Blue-green object on the right is a valve)

(Untested idea for firing pellets with compressed air in a center fire rifle.)

[incredulous joe]

A couple of years ago I was teaching science at a private school and I developed a little engineering challenge for my 6th graders. It was called “The Most Pendulous Pendulum Throwdown”.

The kids worked in teams with chosen materials, often legos and connex to create the longest running pendulum. One of my students used magnets to keep his project going longer than everyone else. I hadn’t thought to outlaw the use of magnets and this student won for smarts, shrewdness in design and creativity!

My other students didn’t like that this boy used magnets in his design and I informed them that they had just learned yet another valuable life lesson.

[incredulous joe]

That looks like a spud gun.

[Fichori]

Was he using the magnets as springs or bearings?

[Fichori]

Once built, it will go in the chamber of a 7mm Rem. Mag.

The inside of the purple chamber will be pressurized to 3600 psi.

The firing pin will strike the valve, releasing the air, which will travel around the outside of the purple chamber and push the pellet out the barrel.

It should get around 1000 fps with a 25 grain pellet.
(According to my program that simulates internal ballistics for an air rifle.)

I think I will probably need to redesign the valve so that it is self actuating.
(I’m not sure a regular firing pin can open an unassisted valve with 3600 psi on it)

[incredulous joe]

He was using magnets to generate pull on opposite ends of the pendulum. Far enough to create a slight attraction, but not far enough to connect.

I don’t think that it really enhanced the design in the end, but I thought that the multi-tier thought process was pretty impressive.

[Daffynition]

Any thoughts as to how you will deal with thermal expansion when it runs?

[CharlotteVRWC]

Also, please realize that the majority (I don’t know the actual percentage, but I’ve heard it is very high), of people who try to get a patent, lose an awful lot of money.
Patent Lawyers are very expensive, and it can take a lot of work to do all the research yourself.

Back in the early 90’s, I consulted a patent lawyer. Initial
costs then would have been in the area of $10,000. I’m sure it’s much higher now.

[CharlotteVRWC]

Also, please realize that the majority (I don’t know the actual percentage, but I’ve heard it is very high), of people who try to get a patent, lose an awful lot of money.
Patent Lawyers are very expensive, and it can take a lot of work to do all the research yourself.

Back in the early 90’s, I consulted a patent lawyer. Initial
costs then would have been in the area of $10,000. I’m sure it’s much higher now.

[BuffaloJack]

The patent process is both expensive and difficult.
A single patent can cost $10K to $30K easily.
You can, however, get protection for the first 30 months with a lot less money. File for a provisional patent first. It will cost less than $1K. It is good for 1 year. Just before the year is up, convert it to a PCT (Patent Cooperation Treaty) application, this extends protection to 30 months, Before the 30 month mark, you can convert the PCT application to a full patent application (now we start talking expensive).
In 30 months you should have prototypes to test and verify that your invention actually works and is worth patenting.
I have acquired just over 30 patents using this method, mechanical and electro-mechanical designs all.

[Drango]

I think you have put the flux capacitor in backwards.

[Kevmo]

This looks like at least one design I’ve seen on PESWiki.

http://www.peswiki.com

[djf]

Thanks to all that replied (I think!!)

The spring serves two purposes: to translate (carry) the power performed by the piston compression to the main rotor and to return the piston to it's rest position for re-firing.

The fact that it always rotates in one direction will minimize harmonics. In fact, the very act of the object spinning when a piston is compressed is itself a sort of harmonic balancer. My expanded design and explanation below with three pistons is much more balanced, my initial drawing was a quickie...

Indeed, it is it's own flywheel. When a friend of mine saw it for the first time, that was his first comment.

Incredulous, Thanks very much for your real drawing. I have no CAD software. Just rulers and compasses and ideas!!


Here is am improved, expanded drawing:



The square item surrounding the rotor is the engine housing and actuators.
In this case, there are six actuators, three magnetic and three internal combustion type.

IF the pistons were permanent magnets oriented N-S AND the coils (EC1, EC2, EC3) were oriented S-N, then you can see a burst of charge through a coil when the piston was directly underneath, would force the piston into the cylinder, and the rotor would turn.

I added 3 Hemi heads in this drawing. HH1, HH2, and HH3. With a proper fuel mix in the heads, and even a cheapo spark plug, the explosion would force the piston down into the cylinder, and once again, the unit would spin.


What we have here is basically a single unit that could run on gas, ethanol, or Eveready batteries!

Now, I've thought about this idea for a long time, and consider questions like "What do you do with the exhaust" and "What about thermal expansion" to be somewhat minor design and materials questions. I am not an expert in large tooling machines or material properties, although I know a few who are, and all of them say this is very workable.


The simplicity of a passive rotor is amazing!

BTW, in my drawing I used the term "crankshaft" hastily. I am very familiar with a crankshaft. I should have called it "drive shaft".

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

I've given up on making money off the idea of maternity clothes in school colors and have started working on my design of a lawnmower for lesbians. I call it the carpet mulcher.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Seriously, from everything I’ve heard, ALL PATENTS ARE BREAKABLE.

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I’m afraid that is quite wrong. Some are, some aren’t.