Posted by Darren (65.35.122.215) on May 07, 2003 at 20:37:22:
In Reply to: Question for VITW posted by grim on May 07, 2003 at 16:57:35:
: The big question in my mind is, can it produce enough useful torque to drive more than its own motion? Bessler's versions moved relatively heavy loads besides the wheel movement, for example, (and John Collins please correct me if I'm wrong) one of his smaller unidirectionals powered his grinding wheel in his shop.
Although it's true that it would need to do some measurable work for an indefinite period, just to get a wheel to turn itself *seriously* messes with our current laws of the universe. It's not a small thing *at all* to find even a timy amount of mechanical or gravity driven OU.
: Jan Rutowski(?) a number of posts back produced a self-sustainer but the torque was negigible, even a small load stopped it.
Not exactly... his pages detailed several designs that all described a similar movement, a ball falling in an arc on a long lever to raise a ball stack up one ball distance. There were many serious and obvious errors in his design and although he *said* it was self sustaining that was, to my knowledge, never verified. See message http://homepages.picknowl.com.au/astro1/jan/default.htm for his designs and http://www.besslerwheel.com/wwwboard/messages/98.html was my reply to his design.
: By the way, Darren. You never did answer my one question: Does your model self-start?
Actually I did, but you may have missed it... see http://www.besslerwheel.com/wwwboard/messages/1374.html
I have decided for now to go with the uni-directional design so yes, it should be a self starter. Actually, let me clarify... upon receiving and opening your brand new, shiny, packed in styrofoam, "G-Drive" and setting it up on the table you may or may not see it self-start. But give it a little push and you'll see the wheel speed up and noisily maintain it's top rpm indefinitely. Stop the wheel and lash it to the included stand and you'll see the wheel put some small tension against the leash. From then on it will self-start each time you unleash it. It's just that trouble happens when you lay it down horizontally, allowing the internal components to slide around in ways gravity wouldn't normally let them move in a vertical position... so just after shipping it might need priming :-)
Darren