Posted by grim (206.162.192.39) on October 06, 2003 at 18:45:09:
In Reply to: By the way - Grim posted by Michael on October 06, 2003 at 17:02:41:
That is absolutely true. There are two spots where they are equidistant from the axle, both just before and just after the vertical position.
The force is as you say, max when they are at 900 and 300 position and minimal at just before and after 1200 and 600 pm. Plotting out the force as a graph,
its generating the equivalent of a rectified sine wave. Bessler said that only two would barely turn themselves, and with the conditions noted as you say, this is true.
However, if the "dead spots" are plotted, and a set positioned to be at max when the first set's torque wanes, one should end up with two phases of torque.
The more sets added, the closer the approximation to a wavy but positive-averaged torque.
By the way, you should have noticed that as the centrifugal force tries to pull a pendulum "down" from its offset position (falling side), it also tries to "raise" its twin
on the rising side. With the falling side swinging out toward the circumference, this certainly could account for the weights hitting the rim, and it would also limit rotational
speed.
Shifting weights at the speed needed to turn this is too rough-running. Ffrom all appearances this seems to be the only method apparent at this time to
achieve a smooth motion.
Regards
grim