Posted by ovyyus (203.26.14.3) on June 04, 2003 at 17:44:50:
Hi Darren,
In connection with your current wheel attempt: I thought you posted a prediction of your unloaded wheel speed somewhere on the board, but I can not seem to locate it. Do you have an estimate?
Some years ago I built a 3 foot diameter test wheel fitted with weights that could swing freely in an arc from axle to rim (pivot of weight arm positioned at the rim). Turning the wheel by hand, the weights would fall against the descending rim with a loud impact and fall back towards the axle upon ascent.
As the speed of this wheel was increased the effects of centrifugal force alters the timing and position of the impact region of the weights at the rim, as you would expect. At approximately 45 RPM the weights were all pinned at the rim and the wheel fell silent. At this point centrifugal force acting on the weights is equal to or greater than the force of gravity, hense they can not fall down from the rim at the 12 o'clock position.
After performing this test I was struct by the limitations imposed by centrifugal force acting upon any weight that rotates with the wheel and is free to move radially.
When considering Bessler's demonstration of his 9 foot diameter Draschwitz wheel rotating freely at a reported 50 RPM, it becomes even more difficult to reconcile centrifugal force at the wheel rim of around three times that of Gravity.
My conclusion was, and still is, that Bessler could not have employed a system that only relies on radially moving weights that rotate with the wheel.
If you don't mind me asking, does you present design resolve centrifugal force problems associated with radial weight movement? Can your design be expected to replicate the reported high speed (50 RPM) of Bessler's 9.13 foot diameter Draschwitz wheel?
Regards, ovyyus